Rollins College Campus Safety

05/26/2026

Important for both new and returning students - you will be asked to provide your own personal hurricane preparedness plan before the start of the academic year. If the College were to make the decision to close due to a storm, all residential halls would close until a safety assessment could be completed. At a minimum, this could be 3-4 days where you would need to have a plan. If there are extenuating circumstances, the College could arrange transportation to and from an approved Red Cross shelter to ride out the storm for those without other options. Historically, students have always found other options, but as a last resort, you know the Red Cross shelter is available.

Please take the time now to discuss your options with your family and avoid the stress of last minute planning.

05/26/2026

Even though NOAA is predicting a less active hurricane season, now is a great time for Chairs and Department Heads to review their own emergency plans, internal communication plans, and their continuity of operations plans. There might be updates to contact lists, turnover in staffing, or updates to technology that have happened since you last reviewed your documents. Please take the time, now, to review them and make sure they are consistent with the broader College-wide EOP and COOP. If you have questions, please reach out to our Safety and Emergency Planning Manager, Patrick Smith, at X 2999.

05/10/2026

For our graduates this weekend.

The Road Ahead

The caps are tossed, the tassels turned, The lessons of the past are learned. Before you lies the wood of green, With countless paths, as yet unseen. The highway's wide and smooth and fast, Where thousands walk and shadows cast. But look to where the wildflowers grow, Where fewer steps are known to go.

It’s tempting to follow the beaten track, And rarely think of looking back. Yet, graduation calls for more, To open up a different door. To take the grassy, winding trail, Where fortune favors those who dare to fail. It may be steep, it may be rough, And test your spirit, sure enough.

But when the long, bright day is through,And you look back at what you grew, You’ll see the choice that made the difference, A life of purpose and existence. So take the road less traveled by, Beneath the wide and open sky, And carve a way that’s uniquely yours,With courage as your guiding force.

For the staff and volunteers who made 3 ceremonies possible in just over 24 hours, awesome job. Tremendous dedication and work to send our graduates off "right". You should be extremely proud of your service and dedication. Thank you.

05/04/2026

As we quickly come upon the end of the academic year and celebrate Commencement ceremonies this weekend, we wanted to take a moment to thank all of our student employees who have helped advance the mission of the Campus Safety office and have helped keep our campus safe. From administrative work that is essential to our compliance with the Department of Education to parking enforcement and providing escorts to members of the campus community, your work has been invaluable. We hope that your time with us has been positive and created life-long connections to our office and the College. This weekend, we celebrate you and your hard work on achieving something that can never be taken away and should be a point of pride throughout your lifetime. Congratulations!

Tripp Keene
Jose Conejo
Gabe Kenes
Bautista Vergara
Sebie Sanchez
Bella Griffin
Isabella Miskiv

04/23/2026

We have noticed an uptick in the number of bike thefts across campus due to the great weather and as students schedules/focus changes at the end of the academic year.

First and foremost, protect yourself. A u-bolt style lock is widely recognized as the best investment to safeguard your bicycle. If you do not have a u-bolt, take the time to get the best quality, thickest, chain or cable that you can. Lighter cables and chains can easily be cut, even by small hand-held cutters.

If you happen to see someone acting a bit suspicious, please call Campus Safety at 407-646-2999 to alert us of what you are seeing and what behaviors deem the circumstance suspicious.

Thank you and take care.

04/15/2026

Happy Fox Day Tars!

Have fun, but be safe. Watch out for each other and be a good bystander. If you need help, call someone.

If you plan to head to the beach, be aware of rip currents. Don't ruin a beautiful day with a trip to the hospital.

02/09/2026

UPDATE to Timely Notification Warning Issued on November 21, 2025
Simple Assault Based on Sexual Orientation
Rollins College, Campus Safety Case # 25-521

Good morning:

I would like to provide an update to a case that was reported on November 21, 2025, in which a student was assaulted on campus. The incident was classified as a hate crime due to the reported use of a slur based on sexual orientation.

First, let me reaffirm the seriousness of the incident and the ripple effect across our campus. To remain compliant with federal law, the Jeanne Clery Act, we are mandated to send out Timely Notifications for serious crimes that occur on campus or properties that the College owns. The purpose of Timely Notifications is to raise immediate awareness, provide opportunities to share information that might be helpful in resolving incidents, and make it harder for perpetrators to act in the future.

At the outset, Campus Safety began working in a cooperative, parallel manner with the Winter Park Police Department to provide care to those affected and identify those responsible. Based upon initial pieces of information, both organizations at the time believed that a CLA student was responsible and took initial steps, consistent with law and policy, to address the behavior. In the weeks following the incident, Campus Safety continued to investigate all available leads. During that time, evidence was pieced together that pointed toward local high school students potentially being involved. This information was shared with the State Attorney and Winter Park Police. Ultimately, an individual, unaffiliated with the College, turned themselves in and accepted a plea bargain to close the legal portion of this incident.

Please allow me to publicly acknowledge the significant and far-reaching impact this incident has had across our campus community. That impact includes the students who were the victim and witnesses to this assault, the student who was incorrectly identified as being responsible, and members of our LGBTQIA+ community who experienced renewed fear, anger, or harm as a result of the incident and its aftermath. We recognize that incidents of this nature can erode a sense of safety and belonging, and we take seriously the responsibility to acknowledge that harm. Should members of our campus community need additional support, please reach out to Campus Safety, the Student Outreach & Resource Center, the Student Center for Community & Connections, or the Wellness Center.

Cases of this nature are complex and challenging, and we remain committed to using all available resources to pursue the truth carefully and responsibly. We reaffirm our foundational belief that Rollins should be a place where everyone feels safe to live, work, and learn in an environment grounded in dignity, respect, and freedom from discrimination and harassment. We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and the ongoing work required to support the safety and well-being of our community.



Kenneth Miller
AVP of Public Safety
Rollins College
1000 Holt Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
407-646-2999 Campus Dispatch
407-646-2002 Direct
407-702-7449 Cell

Contact the office of Campus Safety for Rollins campus parking information and emergency services.

12/12/2025

Students, please be sure to remove your car from the area on Tiedtke Way, directly behind Rex Beach Hall and along the lake from the Rollins Museum of Art up to the back of the Alfond Sports Center. We will be clearing this area over the weekend to create space for work being done associated with the East End Neighborhood project.

If your vehicle is still in this location come Sunday afternoon, it will be relocated at your expense.

12/11/2025

Are Guns Allowed on Florida School Campuses?

Openly carrying a firearm has been legal in Florida since September, when a three-judge panel in the First District Court of Appeal declared the state’s law banning open carry was unconstitutional and violated the Second Amendment. The law, however, prohibits the possession or discharge of weapons or fi****ms in certain locations, including any college or university facility. Exceptions apply for law enforcement and corrections officers.

The law also prohibits fi****ms at any elementary or secondary school facility or administration building, any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to fi****ms, and any area technical center or career center unless it includes a fi****ms training range. However, in 2019, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill allowing qualified teachers to carry weapons as school guardians if their local school district approves. Dozens of other states also let teachers carry guns.

Campus Safety Magazine

12/08/2025

Good morning and welcome to finals week. It has been a long semester and this is the final push. We look forward to seeing you at midnight breakfast tonight, wish you well with finals, and hope that you have a healthy and safe holiday.

I also wanted to take a moment to follow up on the mass communication our Dean of Students sent out to all CLA students and then to all parents. We have received feedback that some did not receive the message leaving them to question what happened and perceive that the College was not being transparent with the incident. Please know that we are working with our IT Department to ensure the lists are accurate and the information contained is being accurately represented. In the meantime, please ask your student to do the following:

Have the student sign into MyRollins and search for the Student and Family Data form. In that form, make sure students have added family/parents under the "Family Member Information" section. In addition, within that section, make sure they have checked the "Yes" box at the bottom of the "Do you want this person to receive news and updates from Rollins?" question. If all looks good there, be sure to check any spam/junk filters you have to ensure Rollins communications aren't getting held up there by accident.

Thank you.

Send a message to learn more

12/04/2025

Dear College of Liberal Arts Families,

The following email was just sent to students regarding yesterday's events on campus.



Dear Students,

We are providing an update regarding events that transpired on campus in Sutton Place Apartments.

Yesterday morning, the College received a report indicating a potential violation of our weapons policy. After receiving this information, we immediately initiated an investigation. We quickly identified and contacted the student, who cooperated fully with College officials and local law enforcement as we investigated the matter further. Ultimately, the student was arrested without incident and is not permitted to be on campus while we proceed with the student conduct process.

We are committed to maintaining a secure campus environment and will continue to uphold our policies and procedures with care and vigilance. We all play a role in caring for our community and keeping it safe. If you know of a friend or peer who may need additional support, or want to report a safety concern or incident, please use one of these report forms:

Anonymous Incident Report Form | Student of Concern Referral Form | Incident Report Form

We know that students may be seeking additional support related to this situation. We encourage all students to use the support resources available to them. These include, but are not limited to:

Spiritual Life & Interfaith Engagement, Rev. Dr. Harold “Dorrell” Briscoe
407-646-2440 | [email protected]

Wellness Center | Counseling & Psychological Services
407-628-6340 | Make an Appointment
Mental Health Hotline (24/7/365): 407-646-1516

Student Outreach & Resource Center
407-646-2345 | [email protected]

Student Center for Community & Connections
407-646-1240 | [email protected]

Students, you are resilient, strong, and capable of great things. Wishing you additional focus as you complete your final classes and prepare for your exams.

In care and community,
Leon Hayner, Dean of Students
Ken Miller, AVP of Public Safety