Eckerd College recognizes the importance of our families in ensuring our students’ success academically, extracurricularly and socially. Parents, guardians and other family members serve as a support system for students every step along their Eckerd journeys.
We are proud you have joined the Eckerd College community. Thank you for helping us help your student!
Ceremony of Lights
The Ceremony of Lights is an Eckerd tradition held in August that marks the beginning of academic life for every new student.
Family Weekend
Usually held in February, this weekend of events is specially created for the enjoyment and enlightenment of our students’ families.
Commencement
With the stunning Boca Ciega Bay as a backdrop, families gather beneath an open-air tent each May to celebrate our new graduates.
Tips for the first year
Your student’s first year at Eckerd is critical to starting off their college career on the right foot.
You can help your student by checking in with them on a regular basis to see how things are going with grades, exams, housing, course registration and more.
Contact us
Jamey Handorf ’06
Associate Dean for Residence Life and Facilities Management
handorj@eckerd.edu
727.864.8979
Academic calendar & final exam schedule
The academic calendar and final exam schedule are maintained by the Office of the Registrar.
More about the calendar and exam schedule
The official academic calendars and schedules maintained and published by the Office of the Registrar supersede and take precedence over all other calendars which may be published on individual syllabi, Collegium webpages, or in any other place. The academic calendar contains all important dates including the drop/add deadline, withdrawal date, and grading due dates. The Registrar provides links to the current academic calendar, course catalog, course schedules and final exam schedule.
Academic, emotional and psychological support
Student Outreach and Support coordinates the initial and follow-up case management services for students. In collaboration with the CARE Team, they assist students experiencing personal, psychological, emotional, and / or academic concerns. If a student is struggling, they can provide assistance.
Billing
The Office of the Bursar can answer any questions about current tuition and fees.
Checking financial aid
Incoming students receive a packet in the mail with a financial aid offer. Returning students are notified of their financial aid offer via email for the upcoming academic year in early June, after spring grades post. Students (only) can log into Financial Aid Self Service at any point to review their offer for the current award year.
Housing dates and room selection
Dates for room draw for returning students vary depending on the type of housing your student is pursuing, but the overall process takes place throughout the month of April.
Parent proxy
Parent Proxy Access provides students with the ability to grant permission to their parents or guardians to view academic records, financial aid and account information in their student’s EC Experience account.
More about Parent Proxy
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), once a student is enrolled in college or university, certain information is protected and can only be released with the student’s authorization. This is a student initiated process. If an Eckerd student has granted you proxy access to their student information, you will receive an email with a temporary web link and temporary password to set up your Proxy account. Should your student need assistance with how to grant you this access, they can watch this online tutorial.
Registration dates by credit hours
Continuing students generally register during two registration periods: Once in the fall for winter and spring term registration and then once in the spring for summer and fall term registration.
More about registration dates
Registration is based on earned credit hours and does not include any current semester registration. The daily breakdown is as follows:
- Day 1 of Registration: Students who have earned 91 or more credit hours
- Day 2 of Registration: Students who have earned 58 or more credit hours
- Day 3 of Registration: Students who have earned 30 or more credit hours
- Day 4 of Registration: Students who have earned less than 30 credit hours
Those specific registration dates are available on the academic calendar.
Tropical weather and emergency communications
Throughout the tropical storm season, which officially runs from June 1 to November 30, Eckerd maintains this tropical weather site as a resource for planning and information about storm preparations, College closure and re-opening, cancellations and rescheduling and evacuations. In parallel, in the event of an emergency involving an imminent threat on campus, the College’s emergency notification system will be activated.
Viewing grades
You can use the Parent Proxy access described above to view your student’s midterm and final grades.
Eckerd Advising Model
Eckerd’s advising model centers around the faculty mentor and mentee relationship. Mentors help students understand Eckerd’s liberal arts education and maximize their options for their experience. A mentor is a professor who works with their mentee to develop a plan for their education. That plan will reflect their mentee’s interests, create a path through our curriculum, and position them to achieve their goals.
After the first semester
Career Center
Every Eckerd student is on a unique journey. Our Career Center has the tools to get you where you want to go– even if you don’t know where that is yet.
- Career assessments and career exploration tools
- Cover letter and resume writing and practice interviewing
- Alumni and professional networks with hundreds of career contacts who offer interviews and job shadowing
- A career mentor program for pairing with a trained professional
- On-campus jobs
Summer storage options
While the College does not endorse a particular vendor, the following moving and storage companies are located near campus and have been used successfully in the past by Eckerd students.
- Family Pak and Ship
727.865.2320
Pack and mail home - Hide-Away Storage
727.864.4896
Offers both mobile and self-storage services
Local hotels
Visiting campus? Feel free to ask these hotels for an Eckerd College discount!
The local scoop
Get involved
Parent Council
The Eckerd College Parent Council is a group of committed parents who support the College both financially and through service. The Council serves as representatives of the larger parent community, provides input to the College as needed, and enriches the Eckerd community by encouraging parent financial support and enthusiasm for issues critical to Eckerd’s mission.
Parent Council meetings are held annually on campus, in the fall.
Support Eckerd College
Eckerd College changes lives, including those of the parents and families of our students. Eckerd strives to offer unique experiences to students, allowing them to become well-rounded thinkers who care about the world around them.
An investment in Eckerd is an investment in the kind of future you would like to see.
Please consider making a gift to ensure an Eckerd education remains accessible to current and future students like yours. We are proud to have you as part of the Eckerd College community.
Keep your contact info up to date
At Eckerd College, we want to keep all of our alumni, parents and friends updated on what’s happening on campus. If you have recently moved, changed an email or phone number, changed employers, or had some other life event, we want to know. Update your record online so we can stay in touch!
InsideEckerd e-newsletter
Dive into the latest news at Eckerd College.
Dive into the latest news at Eckerd College.
All families automatically receive the Family ConnECtions e-newsletter several times throughout the year. Please email advancement@eckerd.edu to let us know if you aren’t getting it.
