New Student Orientation
New Student Orientation is a multi-faceted program that helps prepare students for their transition into the Ringling College Community. This program is a cross-campus collaborative event, organized and sponsored by Student Life and involves nearly every office and department on campus.
The goal of New Student Orientation is to help new students transition to the Ringling College culture and understand the academic requirements. Throughout the phases of New Student Orientation, students receive information about different offices and resources available on campus and have opportunities to meet and connect with peers.
Contact
Student Life
2700 North Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34234
nso@ringling.edu
2023 Recap
This year, 2023-24, we welcomed more than 500 new students and 1,200 returning students back to campus. That’s 1,700 of the world’s best and brightest students preparing for successful art and design careers right here in Sarasota, Florida. New students spent the week before classes getting comfortable on campus, learning about our traditions, preparing for academic success, and meeting new friends. Returning students moved back in and experienced first-hand much of the work done across campus this summer to ensure this academic year is better than ever.
Photo Gallery
New Student Orientation 2024
New Student Orientation is comprised of several different components.
*The information published here is from NSO 2023 and will be updated in July 2024 for NSO 2024.
Before You Arrive
All new students must complete the following steps before arriving on campus.
In order to request housing, you must have completed enrollment by setting up your student account and submitting the confirmation fee.
To request housing:
- Check out the residence halls. Most first-year students are housed in Greensboro and Goldstein Halls.
- Complete the online housing contract.
Housing and roommate assignments are available on August 1 through the self-service portal.
The Immunization Packet must be turned in before July 28. The packet must be signed by a licensed medical provider or include an official copy of your immunization record. Failure to submit your immunization records could result in being unable to register for classes.
All degree-seeking students at Ringling College are required to have continuous health insurance. All students must submit a waiver or enroll in the Student Health Insurance Plan each year. Students who have comparable U.S. based insurance must submit the online waiver. The deadline to submit a 2023-24 health insurance waiver is Friday, August 25.
Students with documented disabilities can begin the interactive process with Student Access Services during the summer months. For any student with questions regarding disability accommodations or to begin the interactive process, contact Student Access Services by email.
New international students should:
- Review the testing and paperwork requirements.
- Submit and prepare immigration forms and documents. Students will need an up-to-date I-20AB form, passport, and visa.
For more information contact Amy Pettengill, director of International Affairs, by email or at 941-893-2051.
When students arrive on campus for New Student Orientation each fall, they experience various educational and social activities designed to help them successfully transition to Ringling College and become actively involved in the Sarasota community.
The Student Volunteerism and Service-Learning staff strive to develop and broaden these types of learning opportunities to help students enhance their leadership skills, build friendships, and facilitate teamwork. As part of the orientation experience, students participate in a half-day, self-selected community service project on the morning of Saturday, August 19. The link to sign up for the opportunities listed below will be posted here in early August.
For more information, contact the Office of Student Volunteerism and Service-Learning by email.
InStride Equestrian Therapy
The goal of InStride is to improve the physical and/or neurological status of individuals with physical and mental disabilities through Hippotherapy. Riders with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, autism, traumatic brain injury, and learning disabilities have benefited from participation in the InStride therapeutic riding program. They currently serve more than 100 children and adults with disabilities from Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties. Lend a hand to assist this important community resource.
Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point Butterfly Garden and Beautification
Selby Gardens’ Historic Spanish Point campus is a 30-acre sanctuary on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey that focuses on both local history and native nature. While strolling the picturesque HSP campus—one of the largest waterfront preserves showcasing native Florida plants in the region—visitors can explore ancient peoples, pioneer history, the Palmer Legacy, and native plants.
Pre-School Makeover at Little Disciples, Early Learning Coalition
The Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County is the community’s one-stop resource for information about early learning experiences in Sarasota County.
This project is primarily an outdoor playground makeover with tasks including cleaning playground equipment, cleaning toys, assembling toddler playground equipment, painting wood structures, cleaning out and organizing outdoor storage shed, laying mulch, painting and decorating drama theatre stage and seating, creative painting on concrete pad including hopscotch, and possible creative painting inside classrooms as well.
Pinecraft Park Trail Clean Up and Painting, Sarasota County Parks and Recreation
Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources have more than 45 parks that will inspire kids of all ages to swing, jump, and climb the day away. Pinecraft Park offers birding, canoe and kayak launch, picnicking, playground, restrooms, shelter/pavilion, and wildlife viewing.
This clean-up involves removing invasive and exotic plants and trees, and removing debris.
Siesta Beach Clean Up, Sarasota County Parks and Recreation
We will be helping Sarasota Parks and Recreation with the cleanup of Siesta beach and park. Siesta Beach was voted #2 for TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice, top 25 Beaches in the United States (both first and third beaches are in Hawaii)*.
This clean up with involve removing litter and marine debris from our beach.
Ted Sperling Park at South Lido Key, Sarasota County Parks and Recreation
Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources have more than 45 parks that will inspire kids of all ages to swing, jump, and climb the day away. South Lido Beach is located at the southern tip of Lido Key. It offers an exceptional beach experience, picturesque views, picnic tables, and a playground. No lifeguards are on duty. This park provides unique opportunities for visitors to enjoy natural Florida beaches. The park is made up of contiguous sections of a 100-acre property that interacts with four bodies of water: the Gulf of Mexico, Big Pass, Sarasota Bay, and Brushy Bayou. Because of their convergence, currents run swiftly in some areas of the shoreline. This area is posted as “No Swimming.”
This clean-up involves removing invasive and exotic plants and trees, removing debris and litter, carrying and loading bags of debris.
Orange Blossom Community Garden and Sunshine Community Compost
Join us to help prepare Orange Blossom Community Garden for the Fall planting season. Over the summer, the garden overgrows quite a bit because many gardeners pause their growth through the summer heat season. Students who join this workday will be working with Orange Blossom Gardeners and Sunshine Community Compost, which helps with some of the garden’s compost projects.
Activities may include:
- Mulching garden pathways
- Clearing out and reorganizing the overgrown composting area
- Sifting compost
- Painting signs
- Cleaning up the tool sheds
- Seeding new food plants or transplanting seedlings into larger pots
- Helping individual gardeners to prepare their space by weeding, mulching, or prepping beds
- General garden tidying
Get Involved
Learn about how new students can get involved on campus.
Starting in June and continuing at the beginning of each month thereafter for later applicants, a New Student Welcome packet is mailed out to confirmed students. This contains information about steps before arrival, information on what to expect, and contact numbers for key offices. If you have confirmed and have not received this mailing, send us an email.
Students will receive an email sent to their Ringling College account (@c.ringling.edu) on July 20 with a web link to complete the online orientation before arrival. This is a mandatory pre-requisite to attend fall classes. If you do not receive an email to your Ringling College account, please email us.
The What You Need to Know webinar series helps students and their families get familiar with Ringling College before arriving on campus. Details are sent to each student’s Ringling College email account (@c.ringling.edu).
Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 7-8 pm
Pre-Orientation Workshops What You Need to Know: Living on Campus
This session provides helpful information for those students that are going to be living in a residence hall in the fall. In this session, staff will discuss move-in day processes, items that are needed, important information about living in campus housing, and provide time for questions and answers.
Thursday, July 20, 2023, 7-9 pm
What You Need to Know: Student Life and Connecting with Campus
Tune in as our SGA (Student Government Association) and various staff members answer your questions on a variety of topics that include: living in Florida, life on campus, finding community, and more.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 7-8 pm
What You Need to Know: Being an Art Student Parent
This session is specifically for parents! We will cover what you can expect as a parent of a student attending Ringling College of Art and Design. The session will provide specific details about family sessions at Orientation and beyond, as well as opportunities to partner with the College.
Wednesday, August 9, 2023, 1-3 pm
What You Need to Know: Academic Support Services
Are you nervous about the challenges of college-level classes? Are you wondering where you will turn for help? This session is for any student who would like an introduction to the wonderful support services and staff members who are here to help. Plus, all of these services are free to Ringling students.
Due to travel time and additional paperwork requirements, new international students will arrive early and attend a pre-orientation. Details about this can be found on the New Student Orientation schedule.
An in-depth, in-person New Student Orientation program is provided on campus for both new students and their families. Orientation at Ringling College is mandatory for all new students. For information and details about this program, review the New Student Orientation schedule.
Stay in the know on the go.
You can also find the entire schedule, broken down day by day, on our events website and app: Ringlink (via the Corq app). Ringlink and the Corq app also provide information on all campus events, clubs, and news, beginning with New Student Orientation.
To download Corq, please follow this link on your phone, then search for Ringling College: https://ringling.campuslabs.com/corq/launch
To access Ringlink, go to https://ringling.campuslabs.com. Then log in with your Ringling credentials. Or, you can download the Corq app (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, Windows 7, and Blackberry). If you log in with your Ringling College credentials, you'll see you're already a member of Ringlink!
Stay up to date with what’s happening on campus by following the College on all of our official social media channels. Follow us on social media and tag #RinglingCollege in your posts.
FAQs
Yes.
Yes, definitely. This is the time for you to ask questions pertaining to your unique arrangement and meet your fellow students and faculty. Come and find out what services are available to you!
No.
Parking at Ringling College is free. Fill out a Parking Pass Request Form with Public Safety or on the website and apply the parking sticker to your vehicle.
Note: First-year residential students may not bring a vehicle to campus unless an exception for extenuating circumstances has been approved. To request, contact studentlife@ringling.edu.
First-year commuter students may certainly bring a vehicle to campus.
You will attend information sessions, activities, and events designed to familiarize you with campus life and introduce you to your new surroundings. You will meet other new students, as well as current students, faculty, and staff. We will answer your questions and connect you to the right people and places to make your transition as seamless as possible.
Check Self-Service (your student login portal) on August 1st for your housing assignment.
After move-in on August 16, we have sessions scheduled for family members on August 17 and 18, culminating with the President’s Reception. Most family members depart on the evening of August 18 or morning of August 19, but Sarasota is a great community and some do stay for an extended period of time.