It’s Move-in Day at Florida Southern, and bewildered freshmen and anxious parents are trying to find their way to the right residence hall rooms. Belongings are piled on the sidewalk outside Allan Spivey, Joseph Reynolds and Hollis halls – boxes, pictures, pillows, and suitcases – ferried in by a small cavalry of electric carts operated by Facilities Maintenance personnel.

But waiting to ease the anxieties of students and their families are lots of friendly FSC faculty, staff, and returning students. They answer their questions, and point them in the right direction. Willing hands carry the belongings into the halls and up the stairs. Even a mid-morning light rain didn’t slow down the assembly-line efficiency of the move-in.

FSC President Anne Kerr lent a hand as well. She carried a box up to the room of Alanna Tucker, a freshman from Anchorage, Alaska, and told her, “I hope you’ll be happy here.”

Tucker, a hospitality and communications major, sought FSC for the strength of its programs, and a warmer climate for good measure. The move-in was a lot different from the boarding schools she had previously attended, she said.

“To have people actually help, it was so quick,” she said.

After a few days of orientation for the freshmen and the arrival of returning students, the 2012-2013 academic year got underway on Aug. 22.

New and returning students will find a few major improvements to the campus completed over the summer, including a large and inviting green space, Mr. George’s Green, which was to be formally opened on Aug. 25. The sparkling new Wynee Warden Tennis Center will be dedicated on Sept. 14, and Jenkins Field House and TûTû’s Cyber Café have been improved and expanded.

The College is expecting a class of 550 first-year students, which would bring total enrollment, including adult and graduate programs, to 2,450. First-year students represent 41 states and territories, and 4 percent are international students from 13 countries.

At a Legacy Luncheon on Move-in Day, many of the 89 freshmen who are legacies and their families were introduced. About 14 percent of the entering class have relatives who previously attended FSC, said Dr. Robert H. Tate, Vice President for External Relations.

Dr. Kerr said the new academic year is full of promise.

“The start of a college career is a time of major transition for young people and their families, and I am delighted that so many talented students have selected Florida Southern as their college of choice,” she said. “These bright minds hold important dreams and expectations for the future, and we are very excited to welcome them to FSC’s vibrant academic community, which is committed to engaged learning and filled with prospects for transformational experiences to prepare them to make important contributions to our world.”