Hollins University Hollins University is a four - year private institution of higher education located on a campus on the border of Roanoke and Botetourt counties in the U . S . state of Virginia . Founded in 1842 as Valley Union Seminary in the historical settlement of Botetourt Springs , it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States . Hollins has since evolved into a full university with more than 1000 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students . As Virginia ' s first chartered women ' s college , all undergraduate programs are female - only . Men are admitted to the graduate - level programs . Hollins is known for its undergraduate and graduate writing programs , which have produced Pulitzer Prize - winning authors Annie Dillard , current Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey , and Henry S . Taylor . Other prominent alumnae include pioneering sportswriter Mary Garber , 2006 Man Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai , Goodnight Moon author Margaret Wise Brown , Lee Smith , photographer Sally Mann , and Ellen Malcolm , founder of EMILY ' s List . History . 1842 - 1855 : Valley Union Seminary and Charles Lewis Cocke . The institution of higher learning that would become Hollins was first established in 1842 by the Reverend Joshua Bradley as the coeducational Valley Union Seminary . Bradley left in 1845 for Missouri , and in 1846 , the Seminary ' s trustees hired a twenty - five - year - old math instructor from Richmond named Charles Lewis Cocke to direct the institution . Cocke arrived with his wife , Susana , and sixteen slaves . The same year , Cocke established the first school for enslaved people in the Roanoke area ; many students at the school worked at the seminary . In 1851 , Cocke abolished the men ' s department of the institiution , and in 1852 , the school became a woman ' s college called the Roanoke Female Seminary . In 1855 , Lynchburg residents John and Ann Halsey Hollins gave $ 5000 , and the school was renamed Hollins Institute . The Hollins gave an additional $ 12 , 500 in gifts before their deaths in 1859 and 1864 respectively , ensuring that Hollins would continue to exist . 1855 - 1901 : Family institution . As the head of Hollins , Cocke saw his students as a part of a family and himself as their father figure . His pedagogy was based upon the " southern sensibility that a lady was to be trained to submit to the order of men " . As part his goal to develop " the graces and values of antebellum Southern society " , Hollins students were denied autonomy ; Cocke insisted that they seek permission to receive guests , obtain outside reading materials , or make purchases . Though he thought women studying at Hollins were best confined to domestic duties , he still placed great value on intellectual excellence . Cocke considered the higher education of young women in the South to be his life ' s calling ; in 1857 , he wrote that " young women require the same thorough and rigid mental training as that afforded to young men " . Hollins was known as a rigorous institution where degrees were not easily earned during Cocke ' s tenure . Students at the school during this period remember the " unbelieveably serious " instruction and " high standards " . During this period , Hollins also pioneered several academic practices ; it became the first school in the United States to begin a system of elective study , and it was the first to establish an English department under a full professor . The Hollins of Cocke ' s ambitions was limited by region , as Cocke was interested in educating women only from Southern states . Because of this limited scope , Hollins struggled to " professionalize " in the 1880s and beyond . Its remote location far from the better respected and funded men ' s institutions put Hollins in contrast with the Seven Sisters in the Northeast . Despite its academic rigor , Hollins and other Southern women ' s colleges were smaller and poorer than women ' s college such as Smith College and Mount Holyoke in the north . However , Hollins saw its enrollment rise in the last two decades of the 19th century , as more women sought higher education nationwide . Prior to the Civil War , Hollins used the labor of enslaved people to build and maintain the grounds . In addition , many students brought " servants " with them who were likely slaves . After slavery was abolished , Hollins employed many formerly enslaved people , mostly women whose names were not recorded . Students were encouraged to ignore these workers in the college handbook during this era , and employees were forbidden from developing friendly relationships with women studying at Hollins . From 1846 until his death , Cocke did not take a stipulated salary from the institution so that the trustees could instead put the school ' s income towards paying faculty and improving the grounds . In 1900 , the board of trustees found themselves so thoroughly in debt to Cocke that the school was deeded to him and his family . 1901 - 1932 : Matty Cocke and accreditation . Charles Lewis Cocke ' s death in 1901 at the age of eighty - one was a grave moment for the Hollins Institute , but the transition to the leadership of his forty - five - year - old daughter Matty Cocke was smooth . " Miss Matty " , as she preferred to be called , was intent on preserving the " genteel " atmosphere her father had cultivated at Hollins . Though she was a " charismatic leader " and the first woman to head a college in Virginia , Miss Cocke was not interested in waging any battles for women ' s education ; indeed , she let her nephews , Joseph Turner and M . Estes Cocke , handle the school ' s financial dealings entirely . Miss Cocke shared the opinion of president John McBryde of Sweet Briar Women ' s College in nearby Lynchburg , who in 1907 decried the " independence " sought by Vassar and other members of the Seven Sisters and suggested instead that women ' s education focus on " grace [ and ] refinement " . In 1911 , the school was renamed Hollins College . The Cocke family literally owned Hollins at the time of meant that the school could not raise an endowment through alumna donations . Further stalling Hollins ' prosperity was President Matty Cocke ' s distaste for fundraising . Due to their financial limitations , Hollins was not able to hire high - quality faculty or assemble an up - to - date library or laboratory , making accreditation hard to achieve . This was not unusual for the time ; as of 1916 , only seven southern women ' s college were certified by professional organizations as " standard " , while both Hollins and Sweet Briar were designated as " approximate " The Cocke family agreed to turn over ownership if sufficient funds were raised in 1925 , but the Depression slowed their efforts . A scathing 1930 letter from alumna Eudora Ramsay Richardson in the South Atlantic Quarterly indicted the American Association of University Women for regional bias . Richardson ' s letter and prompting from the presidents of Mount Holyoke and Bryn Mawr sped up the accreditation process . The Cocke family turned the school over to a board of trustees and President Cocke tendered her resignation in 1932 , as the school finally gained accreditation . 1933 - Present . Hollins was home to the first exhibition gallery in the Roanoke region in 1948 . One of the first writers in residence programs in America began at Hollins in 1959 . Hollins was home to the first graduate program focusing on the writing and study of children ’ s literature , established in 1993 . Hollins University Quadrangle is on the National Register of Historic Places . The institution was renamed Hollins College in 1911 , and in 1998 it became Hollins University . In 2005 , Nancy Oliver Grey became Hollins ' eleventh president . The university ' s status as a single - sex undergraduate institution has been a subject of debate as more and more women ' s colleges , such as the former Randolph - Macon Women ' s College nearby , become co - educational . Though the graduate writing program has admitted men since 1958 , president Nancy Grey insists that Hollins will stay single - sex . Traditions . Hollins University has a number of beloved traditions , many of which have been observed for more than 100 years . Tinker Day is the school ' s best known and best loved tradition , dating back to the 1880s . One day in October , after the first frost , classes are cancelled so that students , faculty , and staff can climb nearby Tinker Mountain while wearing colorful and silly costumes . After a lunch of fried chicken and Tinker Cake , the students and new faculty perform skits and sing songs before returning to campus . The exact date of the celebration is a closely held secret . Academics . Hollins offers small classes with an 11 : 1 student - teacher ratio in a variety of majors . The most popular majors are English , psychology , studio art , business , and biology . Currently Hollins offers graduate programs in dance ( M . F . A . ) , creative writing ( M . F . A . ) , children ’ s literature ( M . A . , M . F . A . ) , liberal studies ( M . A . L . S . ) , playwriting ( M . F . A . ) , screenwriting and film studies ( M . A . , M . F . A . ) , and teaching ( M . A . T . ) . As of 2011 , Hollins offers a graduate - level certificate in Children ' s Book Illustration . Hollins was one of the first colleges in the nation to establish a study abroad program , launching Hollins Abroad - Paris in 1955 . Approximately half of Hollins students have an international learning experience . Hollins runs its own programs in London and Paris ; non - Hollins students are free to apply to the Hollins Abroad London and Paris programs . Hollins students can study through Hollins - sponsored programs in Argentina , Germany , Ghana , Ireland , Italy , Greece , Japan , Mexico , Spain , South Africa , and in various other countries through the School for Field Studies . Hollins also sponsors an annual service - learning project in Lucea , Jamaica . In January , or J - Term , students follow their own independent course of study with a sponsoring professor , take off - campus internships , or study abroad with other Hollins students . The innovative 4 - 1 - 4 calendar , established in 1968 , was one of the first in the nation . Hollins ' s peer tutoring center is known as the Center for Learning Excellence , situated in Middle East . The Writing Center offers students support and feedback on their writing interests , and the QR Center , established in 2002 , offers support to students enrolled in quantitative courses In 2009 , Hollins was ranked among the top 100 of America ' s Best Colleges . Hollins was among the 372 most interesting schools according to the 2008 Kaplan / Newsweek " How to Get Into College " guide , and the Princeton Review named Hollins a “ Best in the Southeast ” college and featured the school among “ The Best 373 Colleges ” in its 2011 guide . Curriculum . A liberal arts school , Hollins has designed its own Education through Skills and Perspectives ( ESP ) general education requirement program . Rather than focusing on the usual math , science , English , history booklist of required courses , Hollins requires each student to take a variety of skills classes ( Writing , Oral Communication , Quantitative Reasoning , Information Technology ) and perspectives classes ( Aesthetic Analysis , Creative Expression , Ancient and / or Medieval Worlds , Modern and / or Contemporary Worlds , Social and Cultural Diversities , Scientific Inquiry , Global Systems and Languages ) . These requirements can be completed in as few as 8 courses but aim to help the students explore other fields of study while rounding out their basic understanding of the world . Hollins offers majors in the fields of Studio Art , Art History , Biology , Business , Chemistry , Classical Studies , Communication Studies , Dance , Economics , English & Creative Writing , Environmental Studies , Film , French , Gender and Women ' s Studies , History , Interdisciplinary Studies , International Studies , Mathematics , Music , Philosophy , Physics , Political Science , Psychology , Religious Studies , Sociology , Spanish , and Theatre . Other academic offerings include : Arts Management Certificate , Certificate in Leadership Studies , Education , First - Year Seminars , Three - Year Accelerated Degree Program , Pre - Law , Pre - Med , Pre - Vet , Short Term , Horizon Program for Adult Women . Writing Program . The graduate program in creative writing was founded by Louis D . Rubin , Jr . , in 1960 , but Hollins has offered classes in creative writing for even longer . In 2008 the Jackson Center for Creative Writing was initiated through a generous gift from Susan Gager Jackson ' 68 and her husband , John Jackson , of Far Hills , New Jersey . The Jackson Center for Creative Writing is home to Hollins ' esteemed undergraduate and graduate writing programs , which have produced dozens of writers of national and international acclaim , including Lee Smith ' 67 and Pulitzer Prize winners Annie Dillard ' 67 , M . A . ' 68 ; Henry S . Taylor M . A . ' 66 ; and Natasha Trethewey M . A . ' 91 . Kiran Desai M . A . ' 94 won both the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award . The fiction of Madison Smartt Bell M . A . ' 81 has been recognized by a Strauss Living Award , and numerous other Hollins writers have received NEA , Guggenheim , and countless other grants and awards for their poetry , fiction , and nonfiction , contributing to the cultural life of the nation that is disproportionate to the program ' s size . In fact , Hollins ' s creative writing program has been called " the most productive writing program in America " by " Creative Writing in America . " . The campus has two literary magazines . " Cargoes " , which has won the Undergraduate Literary Prize for content by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs and " The Album " , which is offered as a more alternative campus periodical . R . H . W . Dillard , Eric Trethewey , Cathryn Hankla , Jeanne Larsen , and Carrie Brown are among the writers who teach at Hollins . Horizon Program . Established in 1974 , The Horizon Program is dedicated to offering nontraditional women students the opportunity to earn a bachelor of arts degree . One of the distinguishing characteristics of Hollins ' Horizon Program is that the degree is the same degree that all Hollins graduates earn ; it ’ s not a separate certificate . Horizon students are fully integrated into the Hollins community and often participate in campus activities , clubs , and study abroad . Athletics . Hollins is a member of Division III of the NCAA and competes throughout Virginia in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference ( ODAC ) . Intercollegiate sports include basketball , golf , lacrosse , riding , soccer , swimming , tennis , and volleyball . Hollins also has fencing , cross - country , martial arts , and softball club sports teams . Hollins is well known for its riding program and was named a Kaplan " Hot School " for riding in 2004 - 05 . To date , Hollins has won 18 individual national championships , two team national championships , and four individual national high point rider championships . Hollins consistently dominates ODAC team competition . Hollins does not have a mascot , and the sports teams do not have an official nickname . As part of its Education through Skills and Perspectives ( ESP ) general education requirement program , two regular terms of physical education course work are required for graduation . Students can take classes ranging from beginner tennis and weight lifting to Chinese Kempo Karate to fulfill the requirement . Housing . There are nine residence halls on campus . Most first - years live in Tinker and Randolph in doubles . Sophomores and juniors generally live in West or in singles in Tinker and Randolph , and primarily seniors ( with a few exceptions ) live in Main , or the university apartments across the street from campus . Housing choices are determined by a lottery number given after the housing deposit is paid in the spring ; the lottery numbers are assigned randomly from within a preset range determined by class year . All undergraduates are required to live on campus . The exceptions to this rule are Horizon ( nontraditional ) students , married students or those with children , those over the age of 23 , or those whose official residence with parents or guardians is in the Roanoke Valley area . All residence halls , houses , and apartments are smoke free . Specialty housing . Hollins does not have sororities ; instead , undergrads can choose to live in " specialty housing . " Each house , or hall , with this designation operates as an independent community within Hollins and has competitive admission . Organization and Interest - Related Houses Near East Fine Arts , located in Near East and commonly called ' " NEFA , " is devoted to increasing fine arts awareness and participation among Hollins students and members of the Roanoke community . HOP Hall , for Hollins Outdoor Program , is located in West and is devoted to bringing together people who share a common love for the outdoors , the environment , and adventure . HOP is dedicated to training effective outdoor leaders and increasing the awareness and participation of all Hollins students in activities pertaining to outdoor recreation . Otaku is located in Tinker House . Its purpose is to create a community in which everyone feels at home and to expose others to the creative and imaginative appeal of fantasy , anime , and science fiction . Sandusky House is devoted to increasing awareness and participation of all Hollins students in activities pertaining to community service . House members lead by example to encourage students to serve on campus and in the Roanoke Valley and to collaborate with S . H . A . R . E staff to reach this goal . International and Language Houses The Spanish House is situated next door to NEFA in East and is for students studying Spanish . The French House is one of the Hill Houses and houses students studying French . Carvin House , another Hill House , is for international students and students interested in international affairs . Student body . Hollins has about 750 undergraduate students from 47 states and 14 countries ; 20 % are students of color . The average high school GPA is 3 . 5 . By the time they graduate , nearly two - thirds have had internships and almost 50 % have had an international learning experience . Within one year of graduation , an average of 70 % are employed and 27 % are attending graduate or professional school . The university ’ s official policy regarding transgender students states , “ If a degree - seeking undergraduate student undergoes sex reassignment from female to male at any point during her time at Hollins , she will not be permitted to continue attending Hollins beyond the conclusion of the term in which sex reassignment is initiated , and under no circumstances will such student be allowed to graduate from Hollins . ” Currently , Hollins is reviewing the transgender policy . The university ’ s Diversity Initiative Advisory Board , composed of students , faculty and staff , is spearheading that discussion . Clubs and organizations . Campus organizations on Hollins campus serve to bring the community together and help students find their niche . Hollins has nearly 30 clubs and organizations . The vast majority of Hollins organizations have open membership . Honor societies , Freya , and ADA are closed societies . Hollins has a number of organizations that are open to all students . Hollins Outdoor Program . The Hollins Outdoor Program , or HOP , is an open campus organization that teaches students how to enjoy their surrounding environment , push themselves in high - adventure activities , and become effective outdoor leaders . Those who participate in HOP can expect to join and even lead white water canoeing trips , outdoor rock climbing trips , and caving , hiking , and backpacking trips . Student publications and literary societies . Hollins has three campus literary journals . " The Album " , printed twice a year , provides an alternative outlet for both traditional and experimental literary works . " Cargoes " is the annual Hollins literary magazine of student work and Nancy Thorp Memorial Poetry Contest winners . In July 2005 , " Cargoes " was awarded the Undergraduate Literary Prize for content by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs ( AWP ) . Only recently founded , the third magazine is " The Cyborg Griffin " which is dedicated to the publication of speculative fiction , including but not limited to science - fiction , fantasy and supernatural . " Grapheon " , which is unaffiliated with other literary organizations , arranges programs of literary interest to the community , such as readings , teas , and socials . " Hollins Columns " is the student newspaper . " Spinster " , the annual yearbook , preserves the memories and events of Hollins students . Hollins also has its own closed - circuit television station , HUTV . Arts - focused Organizations . Arts Association is a group of artistically inclined students interested in sharing their work and contributing to the Hollins art scene . All members of NEFA are members of the Arts Association . Alpha Psi Omega - Hollins has a very loud and active branch of Alpha Psi Omega , a national theater honor society . Foundation 42 is for sci - fi , fantasy , or horror enthusiasts . Founded in 1999 , it allows members to explore their favorite aspects of the genre . Hollins Repertory Dance Company ( HRDC ) offers the opportunity for creative dance study , increased technical ability , composition , and performance by producing two major dance productions each year . Religious Organizations . Spiritual and Religious Life Association provides activities and opportunities that nurture spiritual growth , education , and service such as informal programs relating world , personal , and intellectual issues to spiritual life , and annual community service projects such as White Gift Offering , Golden Rule Dinner , and Thanksgiving Food collection . SRLA also provides opportunities for students to gather for fellowship with each other and with students from other colleges . Hollins has two more specifically focused organizations . Bell , Book , and Candle is focused on the different branches and aspects of Pagan spirituality . It was formed in 2005 . Hollins Christian Fellowship provides fellowship with other Christians of every denomination at weekly meetings where local pastors and students lead discussion and Bible studies . Political and Cultural Groups . Hollins has both a branch of the College Republicans and a College Democrats . In addition to these umbrella organizations , Hollins has a number of politically and culturally focused groups dedicated to more specific causes . The Black Student Alliance ( BSA ) is dedicated to providing an awareness of the African American culture in Hollins and Roanoke through programs and service . They seek to advance diversity , creativity , self - expression , unity , independence and self - confidence . They hold frequent campus - wide parties and " melt da mike " nights . The Global Interest Association ( GIA ) seeks to cultivate and promote an understanding and appreciation of the contributions , values , views and traditions of diverse cultures from around the world . OUTloud is the Hollins Gay - Straight Alliance . Members of this organization seek to work collaboratively both in and out of the Hollins community , educating and increasing awareness about sexual orientation . OUTloud seeks to provide a confidential forum for lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender ( LGBT ) concerns in an open and positive environment , and to increase awareness of queer issues . Voice , the campus activist organization , concentrates on issues concerning consumerism , social justice , human rights , and the environment . Voice members strive to raise awareness for these issues . WA ^ 2 ( Women Who Appreciate Anime ) promotes the viewing and appreciation of Japanese animation . The shortened version of the name is pronounced " WA squared . " This club generally goes to two anime conventions each year : Nekocon and Katsucon . The group also runs a " J - Con " during the short term with anime viewing and events . Community Service Organizations . Hollins has Circle K , Colleges Against Cancer , and Habitat for Humanity branches on campus in addition to other , more tightly focused campus community service organizations . Hollins H4H was started in 1989 by a Hollins student and since then has funded / sponsored one house and has sent builder teams to numerous others over the years — every year . Hollins H4H works closely with the local affiliate , Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley . CASA , short for Coalition Against Sexual Assault , is a student - run peer - counseling service with walk - in office hours five days a week . They also sponsor events like Take Back the Night , an emotional event with an open - mic , candlelit march and SlowWalk by HRDC ; educational events for the campus community in classes , dormitory hall social events , and other outreach , advocacy and awareness - raising events . Students Helping Achieve Rewarding Experiences ( SHARE ) coordinates students who wish to serve as volunteers in the Roanoke area and internationally and to gain a deeper self - understanding through service to others . They assist with volunteer placements in the areas of : youth , elderly , homeless , crisis intervention , hospital assistance , and school systems / tutoring . SHARE also offers qualified students the opportunity to participate in a mini Peace Corps - like project in Jamaica during Short Term and Spring Break . Musical Organizations . Chapel Music Students are invited to prepare musical offerings for weekly chapel services , Sundays at 7 : 30 p . m . Student - led vocal and instrumental music enhance each service . The Hollins United Gospel Singers ( T . H . U . G . S . ) seeks to minister to the Hollins community and the Roanoke Valley . The Gospel choir is open to all students , faculty , staff and administration . Language Groups . Hollins has both a French Club and a Spanish Club . Neither require members to speak fluently . Both focus on the cultures surrounding their language of choice . Scholarly Societies . Hollins also has three major honorary and scholarly societies . Omicron Delta Kappa is an honorary leadership society to which fosters the development of responsible leadership and promotes involvement in the college and surrounding community . Phi Beta Kappa , Iota chapter , was established in 1962 and recognizes outstanding scholarship and broad cultural interests in liberal studies . Pinnacle is a national honor society for adult undergraduate students which seeks to support leadership and scholarship . Secret Societies . Freya Walks take place on nights of special events or issues . Members of this secret society walk at night to call attention to or celebrate current events . They wear black - hooded robes to protect their anonymity and carry candles to symbolize hope . Since 1903 Freya has sought to emphasize the notion that " concern for the community is a creative and active force . " ADA Only members know what the letters stand for . ADA was founded in 1907 . It oversees two important Hollins traditions : zaniness and the wearing of purple on Tuesdays . Members also take time during lunchtime on Tuesdays to shout university announcements to the students in the dining hall . Other secret societies exist at Hollins University , known only to their own members . Eleanor D . Wilson Museum . Founded in 2004 , The Eleanor D . Wilson Museum at Hollins University is a premier arts destination in the Roanoke Valley featuring the work of internationally renowned artists , emerging figures , and regional names . The museum presents work from the permanent collection and mounts exhibitions that explore currents in contemporary art . Through these activities , the museum provides a forum for art and the creative process to enhance the life of the university and the community beyond . The museum ' s benefactor , Eleanor D . " Siddy " Wilson , desired that her alma mater have a world - class art museum . The museum is the culmination of Siddy ' s philanthropic generosity and benefits both the Hollins and greater Roanoke communities . The museum was named in her honor . Students and faculty greatly benefit from the Wilson Museum ' s educational resources and research opportunities . Senior studio art majors present work from their final undergraduate portfolio in an exhibition at the end of the term . Students also have the opportunity to participate in student - curated exhibitions and utilize the museum ' s permanent collection for original research .