Saint Leo University Ready to Welcome More than 800 New Students
Students will begin moving in the week of August 19, and classes start August 26 for campus, education center, and online programs.
As Saint Leo University prepares for the arrival of students to its Pasco County campus, several new programs are making earning a college degree more accessible and affordable. New and transfer students from throughout the United States will move into residence halls beginning at 9 a.m., Thursday, August 22, on campus at 33701 County Road 52, St. Leo, FL 33574. Saint Leo expects to welcome more than 800 new students for the Fall 2024 Semester; classes will begin at all Saint Leo locations including at campus, regional education centers, and online on Monday, August 26.
Students and their families will receive help from other students, faculty, and staff volunteers as they haul clothes, belongings, and all the necessities of college life into their residence halls.
During their initial move-in days, new and transfer students will receive welcome materials, complete the new student checklist, and move into their new home-away-from-home. Important dates and more detailed information can be found at https://www.saintleo.edu/admissions/orientation.
Commuter students will have check-in 1:30 – 3 p.m., Friday, August 23, in the breezeway of the Marion Bowman Activities Center, prior to the University Welcome ceremony in the gymnasium of the center at 3 p.m.
“Everyone is ready to welcome our new and returning students to Saint Leo University for the start of a great academic year,” said Dr. Ed Dadez, university president. “We are looking forward to having everyone become part of our community, whether they’re living on our beautiful campus, commuting to classes, or studying at one of our regional education centers or online. Our students, their diverse perspectives, and their unique life experiences help to make Saint Leo University an exceptional place to learn and grow.”
Housing Awards Helping Students
Helping to make a college education more attainable, this year Saint Leo offered two new financial aid awards to provide free housing. Eligible undergraduate students from Pasco, Hernando, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties could receive the Local Promise Award for up to two academic years while the Nursing Promise Award was available to students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing and provides free housing and is renewable for up to four years. By providing housing assistance for area students and nursing students, Saint Leo University hopes to bolster the area with a “home-grown workforce.”
As of now, Local Promise Awards are going to 131 new students and 144 continuing students for a total of 275 who have completed their housing applications, said Dr. Melinda Clark, associate vice president of Finance. As part of Saint Leo’s commitment to educating and graduating new nurses for Florida, the Nursing Promise Award will help these Saint Leo students. There will be 48 new nursing program students and 24 continuing students taking advantage of the award, for a total of 72.
Nursing Program Moves to Dedicated Floor
As for Saint Leo’s nursing program, this year the students will be taught on the second floor of Benedictine Hall on the west side of campus. The fully renovated nursing floor is where students will encounter real-life scenarios in labs, classrooms, and simulated-learning areas, which also will feature some new simulators – child, pregnant mom, and newborn — in addition to the adult simulator already in use. These anatomical models will provide Saint Leo’s nursing students with many opportunities to sharpen their skills. They are mechanical and computer-controlled to show symptoms and the way diseases affect a body – just like they present in a human patient.
Preparing for Academic Success, Connecting to Community
Other new and revamped programs will assist students in making the transition to college life and academics. Prior to the start of the semester, the university’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Allied Services launched the Lions Empowerment and Achievement Program (LEAP) to help incoming University Campus students who meet certain requirements to get a head start on their first semester. They are completing the SLU 101 First Year Experience course, learning about the university, and building relationships with their peers and faculty.
In addition, the SLU 101 course was refined for all incoming students to create a smooth transition. In addition to introducing students to the history and culture of the university and the available resources and services, the course will be grouped by sections such as students in the same major, athletic groups, commuter students, and more in order to help them get to know peers with similar interests.
Likewise, the advising model has been revamped in order to foster connections and build student satisfaction. Saint Leo is adopting a shared approach in which Student Success coaches will collaborate with faculty academic advisors, and each student will be assigned a success coach and an advisor.
New Degree Programs, Minors Offered
Saint Leo develops new degrees, courses, and minors to meet the demands of students and employers, and works with businesses, advisory councils and other organizations in formatting the programs. Preparing students for the workforce is key, and the university strives to create programs that not only employ practical learning, but also are fulfilling and interesting for students.
This fall, Saint Leo is introducing two new degree programs as well as an online version of bachelor’s program previously only offered at University Campus. Two new minors also are being offered in the Tapia College of Business.
A new Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration Program will be offered at University Campus, giving students a holistic background in business disciplines. The BA in business administration provides foundational accounting, economics, marketing, finance, and management knowledge and fosters entrepreneurial abilities.
New minors include entrepreneurship, which is open to students regardless of their major, and international business.
Another option for students with an entrepreneurial mindset is the new minor in entrepreneurship. This is open to students regardless of their major and will equip students with practical skills and theoretical knowledge essential for launching and managing successful ventures.
Another new degree program is the Master of Science degree in artificial intelligence , which will be offered online through Saint Leo’s College of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Data Science (CARDS). The Master of Science degree in artificial intelligence will be offered as an online STEM-designated degree targeted to individuals currently working in the technology field or engineering in order to “upskill” and to those just coming out of a bachelor’s degree program, who need to build skills.
Building on its success the first Bachelor of Arts in Veteran Studies Program in the United States, Saint Leo now will offer the degree online in order to reach more students across world. The new online BA in veteran studies major will give students the opportunity to study the distinctive lives and cultures formed by military service, the history of the military, and more, providing graduates with a variety of career opportunities.
Useful Advice
For those who are new to Saint Leo University, Student Government Union President Tamar Olguin encourages them to reach out and take advantage of the resources available. “Saint Leo gives you all the tools you need to be successful; the community is welcoming and supportive, and there's always someone willing to help,” she said.