Hollins University

Something curious happens when our students set foot on our campus. They come to Hollins eager, ready to take chances and begin the next chapter of life. But when they emerge, they aren’t just graduates — they’re leaders, decision makers, cultural shapers. They don’t forget where they come from, but they unearth so much along the way. That’s because Hollins ignites in our students a passion to learn, explore, and create—all to develop a strong sense of self and a clear path to success.

Students also find more confidence to lead both in and out of the classroom. Through our Batten Leadership Institute, you identify and hone those leadership skills. In fact, you’ll learn more in three years than most people learn in a lifetime.

79% of students complete at least one internship. 51% of students complete two or more internships. Internships are guaranteed for every eligible student. The Career Center places students in positions that highlight their specialties, both in the United States and abroad.

59% of our students have an international learning experience. That’s because Hollins offers generous aid to help students afford their study abroad opportunities. We offer our own programs in Paris and London, as well as program affiliations in 18 other locations.Our creative writing programs produce amazing writers, four of whom are Pulitzer Prize winners. Our nationally renowned faculty are published poets, novelists, essayists, and scholars.

Hollins is an independent liberal arts university dedicated to academic excellence and humane values. Hollins University offers undergraduate liberal arts education for women, selected graduate programs for men and women, and community outreach initiatives. The Hollins curriculum and cocurricular programs prepare students for lives of active learning, fulfilling work, personal growth, achievement, and service to society.

The Hollins community sustains talented students engaged in challenging study, and productive scholars and artists devoted to teaching and to the advancement of knowledge. Experiential learning, study abroad, and internships enhance the academic program. The hallmarks of a Hollins education are creativity and effective self-expression, problem solving and critical thinking skills, and independent inquiry and the free exchange of ideas.

Hollins nurtures civility, integrity, and concern for others, encourages and values diversity and social justice, and affirms the equal worth of women and men. Our university motto, Levavi Oculos, calls us to leadership and service in accord with the Hollins values and traditions.

Hollins was initially established in 1842 as Valley Union Seminary, a coeducational college. Charles Lewis Cocke, who devoted his life to “the higher education of women in the South” during an era when many women were denied the opportunity to earn a college degree, was named principal and business manager in 1846. Six years later, the male department was eliminated and the school became an institution for women. Cocke went on to earn designation as the school’s founder because the institution would not have survived without his leadership during financial crises, disease epidemics, the Civil War, and other challenges over the course of 55 years.

Others played an important role in Hollins’ institutional history. The school was founded during a time in America when slavery regrettably existed, especially in the South. Men and women worked at Hollins before and during the Civil War as enslaved people. Hollins remains grateful to members of what was known at the time as the Oldfields Community, who, along with its founder, helped Hollins become the institution it is today.

We’re dedicated to your future success. That’s why we guarantee our services will help prepare you for a career – starting your first year. A small school with a big library. Over 58,000 square feet of 250,000 titles, study space, a media production facility, screening room, and more. Study abroad at our extended campuses. Each international location offers course study, internships, and boarding with host families.

Quantitative reasoning is the application of mathematical concepts and skills to solve real-world problems. QR student tutors have various areas of expertise, but they are all trained to help their peers better understand mathematics, especially in the courses required for graduation.

The QR Center is part of the R. Lowell Wine Center for Learning Excellence (CLE). You’ll find it in the Wyndham Robertson Library. The space includes a large classroom, a modular tutoring space with whiteboards, and a seminar classroom.Students must take between one and six credits of quantitative reasoning to meet Hollins’ general education requirements. QR tutors can help students succeed in these classes.

Institutional computing began at Hollins in the early 1980’s, when the University received a grant from IBM Corporation to open the first computer resource center. The center contained sixteen IBM personal computers with dual disk drives (no hard drives), a monochrome monitor, and only twenty megabytes of storage space.Information Technology at Hollins has come a long way since then! There are now over 100 public computers available on campus, both Mac and PC, the University is fully networked, allowing students and faculty to access network services from almost anywhere on campus.

We have wireless networking available in every academic building and dormitory. In addition, the Information Technology department provides support for many different software applications, maintains and updates hardware, and offers training on a variety of platforms.

Computers and technology are integral parts of the Hollins University educational experience. Whether they are using word processing to write a paper, viewing and editing digital images, or accessing Internet-based resources, students and faculty use computers and technology to further their studies and research.

Students can access course information through Moodle, or register for classes and see grade information online. The administration uses computer systems to schedule classes, report grades, pay bills, and maintain the infrastructure of the campus. An electronic card catalog and searching system in the library open a new avenue for research while a campus-wide voice mail system keeps everyone in touch with everyone else.