Get the full scoop on everything about Saint Leo University's Norfolk, VA Education Office, including where it is specifically located, which academic programs it offers, what times classes are offered throughout the day, and so much more about this unique location.
Saint Leo University proudly maintains four Education Offices within the South Hampton Roads Center area of Virginia. One such location is housed right on the Naval Station Norfolk military base.
We recently caught up with Connie Morgan, assistant director of Saint Leo's Norfolk Office, to discuss what this location offers and how it may be able to benefit you in your quest to attain higher education.
Q: Where is the Norfolk Education Office located, and how long has it been in operation?
A: Our education office is located right on base at Naval Station Norfolk, which is the world's largest Naval station. This military facility actually just celebrated its 100th anniversary of operations last year. The base houses the largest concentration of U.S. Navy forces.
The street address of the Norfolk Office is:
1680 Gilbert Street
Building IE
Norfolk, VA 23511
Our office is located on the corner of Gilbert Street and Bacon Street. The building is named Concord Hall and is right across the street from the DeVry Food Court.
Q: When was the Norfolk Education Office started?
A: The Norfolk Office is part of the South Hampton Roads region for Saint Leo. The first footprint of Saint Leo in Virginia was in 1974 when Jack Callan serving as the first Center Director in the state. He operated from his home and sometimes out of the trunk of his car.
The first Virginia graduation was held in 1977 at the Little Creek Base Commander's cabin as the Little Creek Amphibious Base Office was the hub and first "brick-and-mortar" location in Virginia.
The original location of the Norfolk Office was in Building U-40 and was known as the Naval Air Station Norfolk Office. In May 2016, the Norfolk Office relocated to our current location. The major renovation to the new location was a six-month, $100,000 upgrade to our technology, classrooms, and office suites.
Q: Which degree programs are offered at the Norfolk Education Office?
The Norfolk Office is part of the South Hampton Roads Center of Saint Leo, which offers the following degree programs:
Associate of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science
Master of Science
- Criminal Justice
Master of Business Administration
- Business Administration (General)
Q: What are the students like at this location?
A: The majority of students who take classes at our location are active-duty Navy personnel. We provide education to many veterans and Department of Defense employees as well.
Most of the active-duty students range in age from 24 to 45. Veterans and Department of Defense employees are typically 25 to 65 years old.
Many of the students are transfers from other institutions as this is a very transient area. As such, our advisors are well-trained and equipped to pre-evaluate transcripts and assist with the best academic plan for each student's needs.
The civilian student is welcome at our location as well. We have many civilian students who take classes here. Civilian students are provided with a term pass for gate access to the base, and they only need to present two forms of ID to pick up this pass before their classes begin. So, it's a pretty simple process for civilian students.
Q: What are the faculty there like?
A: We have a nice mix of both full-time and adjunct faculty members here.
As we are part of the other three locations within the South Hampton Roads Center, we share faculty among these locations. Some use video teleconferencing technology (VTT) to teach here and have their classes broadcast to other locations or vice versa.
Q: When are classes offered?
A: We offer classes Monday through Thursday with many classes having a 5 p.m. or 7:40 p.m. start time. We also have classes offered during the lunch hour from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and some in the early afternoon with a 2 or 3 p.m. start time.
While our location does not offer weekend classes, these are offered at some of the other locations in the area.
Q: What makes this Saint Leo location unique?
A: Our office and classrooms are outfitted with the most recent technology the university offers, including Wi-Fi throughout the facility. We have two classrooms outfitted with VTT systems that allow us to both transmit and receive courses through video technology.
We also provide CLEP, DSST, Pearson, and proctoring services.
Q: Does your office host any events throughout the year?
A: Our office hosts several events throughout the year, including open house events and graduation celebrations. We also regularly attend Navy college and virtual education events to highlight and feature our programs and services.
Q: How can students contact the Norfolk Education Office?
A: The Norfolk Office is located in Building IE on Gilbert Street. Our phone number is (757) 489-0969. We have one full-time advisor and one assistant director, both of whom advise and assist students. You can reach our advisor, Robert Colbert, at robert.colber@saintleo.edu.
You can also check out the South Hampton Roads Center webpage and Virginia Region Facebook page.
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