Episode 50: Saint Leo University’s East Pasco Education Center

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Speaker 1:

Saint Leo 360, a 360 degree overview of the Saint Leo University community.



Greg Lindberg:

Hi there. And welcome to another episode of the Saint Leo 360 podcast. As usual, this is your host Greg Lindberg. Here on this episode of the podcast we are discussing the East Pasco Education Center here at Saint Leo University. And so we have two great guests joining us to discuss this excellent center and the many degree programs, services, and everything that the center offers. And so I would like to welcome back to the podcast Matt Lenihan, who is now the director of the East Pasco Education Center. Matt, welcome back.



Matt Lenihan:

Greg, thanks for having me again. Super excited to be here.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. And congrats on your new role there with East Pasco.



Matt Lenihan:

Thank you. Much appreciated.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. And then in addition to Matt, we also have Shana Sapp who is the assistant director of the East Pasco Education Center. Shana, welcome.



Shana Sapp:

Thank you so much for having us.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. Thank you for being here as well. Okay. So we definitely have plenty to get into here in terms of the center, which does happen to be based on university campus. So first off, Matt, let's go to you on the first one here. Let's just talk about the center in general and the satellite locations that we also offer.



Matt Lenihan:

Yeah, again, Greg, thank you so much for having us. Didn't expect to be back so quickly, but I'm glad to be here. You know, a lot has happened since we did the podcast on our Tampa center.



Matt Lenihan:

Like you had mentioned, I am the director here at the East Pasco Education Center. It's been wonderful so far. I started in September working with a great team and it's wonderful just serving students of Pasco and Hernando County, and I look forward to just talking a little about our students, some of the great partnerships that we have, and some of our overall goals going into 2022.



Greg Lindberg:

Excellent. Sounds great.



Matt Lenihan:

So, just to dive in a little bit about our center, as you mentioned, we are located at the university campus. We're actually on the first floor of Saint Edwards Hall. We also have several satellite locations. We do have a partnership with Pasco–Hernando State College, so we have a location at the Spring Hill campus, the Brooksville campus, and also at the New Port Richey campus. We offer classes there and we have a... Pasco–Hernando counties they cover about 1400 square miles, so recognizing the students needs and educational opportunities we need to make sure our degree programs are fitting their personal and professional commitments.



Matt Lenihan:

So it's definitely a large service area. Again, but we have staff and faculty there pretty much around the clock, serving our students, answering questions. And obviously we're always available by email or by phone.



Matt Lenihan:

Just a little bit about the classrooms: they all have computer labs... Well, excuse me, about the campuses. There's computer labs, offices, meeting spaces, access to technology, WiFi, parking is ample, never have an issue getting a parking space at any of our location here or our satellite space. And again, our faculty, and advisors, and our staff are available around the clock to help with our students.



Matt Lenihan:

Shana... So, just a little about our team, Greg. Shana, who you introduced earlier, is our assistant director. She actually oversees also our education and social work programs here at the center. She does a wonderful job with that helping our students. Susan Splain and Kyra Yoder are our academic advisors. They do a wonderful job I think with Saint Leo, especially overall all of our center advisors do a wonderful job, but the experience that Shana, excuse me, that Kyra and Sue have working with our students, getting them to the finish line is just tremendously valuable. And you see that with our students and the meetings that they have, working out their schedules and ultimately seeing them at graduation when they cross the finish line. The advisors are a big part of that and we do a wonderful job helping our students I feel.



Matt Lenihan:

Lastly, we actually have a student worker. Her name is Daejza Thigpen. So obviously with COVID, and the transition to Zoom, and all the technology pieces involved in running a class, she's been on site during the evening hours helping our classrooms, making sure the instructor has everything set up properly, that the Zoom cameras are working if we're dialing on other centers, and troubleshooting any minor issues that might come up throughout a class in the evening hours. So, again, she's been a wonderful addition team as well.



Greg Lindberg:

Excellent. Sounds like you got a great team there.



Matt Lenihan:

We do. And they all have a tremendous amount of experience. I definitely walked into a situation that was a great situation to walk into. Again, Kyra actually was a recent graduate of Saint Leo, so she had a lot of experience. Sue has been an advisor for fairly long time. She has a lot of experience working with students from different backgrounds, and then Shana obviously knows our programs backwards and forwards, and really does a excellent job servicing our education, social work students, which are on a bit of a different program, which we'll get in to in a little bit.



Matt Lenihan:

Just to touch on the resources we have at East Pasco Education Center: So, every East Pasco Education Center student has all the same access to resources that a traditional university campus would have. Whether it be the library, advising financial aid, tutoring, online book ordering, career counseling, our career services center, all those resources all of our students have access to. And as the team here and the advisors, we make sure that they're aware of these resources.



Matt Lenihan:

Now, one advantage for being at the East Pasco Center is, like we have mentioned, we actually are physically located on the university campus. So, the campus amenities that a major university has, our students have access to that. Whether it be the food truck, recreational facilities, athletic events, cultural offerings, speaker series, student led activities, groups, taking in the wonderful scenery at our campus, walking around, seeing Lake Jovita. I mean, it's a really cool experience, and our center really exemplifies that just because our students have that type of access. And I definitely feel like it's a differentiating factor for us in terms of attracting students.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. No question.



Matt Lenihan:

Being able to give them a tour definitely goes a long way when they see our campus, and who doesn't like the St Leo campus? It's a beautiful campus and we love to show it off, and it's definitely a selling point for our program.



Matt Lenihan:

Just to touch on a little bit in terms of an additional amenity, I know it's on the brink of finally opening, is our new wellness center, which our students will then have access to. And I definitely encourage any of our listeners to come by for a tour, check out the campus, we could definitely show you the health center that we'll be opening in 2022. So just to transition to some of the degree programs the East Pasco Education Center offers, we offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, criminal justice, elementary education, computer science, social work, accounting, and more. I would definitely encourage our listeners to click on the East Pasco education link on the Saint Leo website. You can dive in a little bit further and see the details of all our program offerings and where they're offered, if they're offered at any of our satellite campuses.



Matt Lenihan:

So, the way we operate, similar to how we operated in Tampa, we're on an eight week term schedule. So courses turn over every eight weeks, there are six terms throughout the year. They'll have fall one, fall two, spring one, spring, two, summer one, and summer two. Our students are adult students, so we are offering online and in-person classes at night and also hybrid options [inaudible 00:08:32]. So we're really tailoring our classes and our course delivery around the adult learner, who probably is working full time, has family obligations, juggling many different things at once. And then, Shana's going to touch on this a little bit more. The two programs that run on our 16 week schedule, the traditional semester schedule, are our social work and education programs.



Shana Sapp:

The East Pasco Education Center has excellent partnerships with Pasco and Hernando school districts for our paraprofessional to teacher programs, as well as dual enrollment opportunities for eligible students in both of those districts. Additionally, our connection with local Catholic high schools for dual enrollment opportunities is a priority for us right now. The latest US census data shows tremendous growth in school aged children in both of these counties, so we really remain committed to helping our partners meet those teacher demands.



Shana Sapp:

Pasco County's population grew 19% from 2010 to 2019, and Hernando County's population grew 12.2% in that same time period, so there's a strong need for educational opportunities. Our social work program is also very well respected by the community and our center students are really ready to enter this much needed field upon graduation. And actually, many of our students end up becoming employed by the same agency where they completing their final internships. And this is really due to the high level of professionalism exhibited by our students, as well as the historical and successful partnerships that we have with those agencies.



Shana Sapp:

Some of our recent graduates are working with local agencies, such as Big Brother Big Sister of Tampa Bay, St. Vincent de Paul veteran services, Coalition For The Homeless Of Pasco County, BayCare Behavioral Health, just to name a few.



Matt Lenihan:

Thanks, Shana.



Matt Lenihan:

Greg, those two programs I definitely encourage our listeners to, if they're interested in learning more, reach out to myself or Shana. It's a wonderful partnership, and it's a wonderful program, and we've really a lot of results in terms of job place since. Our students are doing extremely well post-graduation in the respective field.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. And just some very big names that you mentioned there, Shana. I mean, you really can't beat those opportunities and partnerships.



Matt Lenihan:

Definitely. And just a few other partnerships that we have, Greg: So we have a strong partnership that has been a long lasting partnership, actually with the Pasco County Sheriff's Department office. Actually, we will offer courses on site at their facility in Land o' Lakes, so the advantage of that is if you're a Pasco sheriff, you could get off your shift and take a class immediately after work. You're not traveling anywhere.



Matt Lenihan:

So we definitely try to schedule those types of courses in line with what these students need. Typically, they're criminal justice courses, and we've seen a lot of students graduate from that program and then get promoted within the police force, and then come back for their Masters, get an additional promotion. It's really a wonderful partnership that they have with them. It's truly been fabulous just seeing some of the police officers go through our programs, get promoted, be excited about it, and work themselves up their career ladder. A little bit more about that is typically, with that partnership, we like to go on site at least once a quarter to do just an info session, answer any enrollment questions, talk to them one-on-one if they wanted, if they had any specific questions about their coursework or their scheduling, or their graduation time period.



Matt Lenihan:

Again, we try to maintain as close a relationship with the Pasco Sheriff as we can because they've been an invaluable partner to us and we really truly love working with them. And they've been nothing but super, super, super accommodating for the East Pasco Center and they're a big part about what we do here.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. Once again, such a valuable partnership, relationship and an opportunity for our students.



Matt Lenihan:

Exactly. So with a lot of them, they don't have the opportunity to come here during the day. So, us going to them, putting that on the schedule, it really just exemplifies I think what we do as a team here in terms of making sure we're getting in front of our students and giving them that appropriate face time if they have any questions about anything.



Matt Lenihan:

Again, at the end of the day, we're all here to help, we all want to see you get to the finish line. That's what really is driving us at work at Saint Leo, and the East Pasco team is just doing a wonderful job at that.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. Well said.



Matt Lenihan:

Just lastly, regarding our partnerships, we do have additional ones, but just ones I wanted to harp on here. We do have an articulation agreement and a partnership with Pasco-Hernando State College. Additionally, to the satellite campuses where they host Saint Leo classes in our classrooms there, there's definitely a seamless process for students who graduate with their associates degree from Pasco-Hernando State College, and then want to come to Saint Leo in to one of our bachelor degree programs.



Matt Lenihan:

So, for that being said, we are on site there fairly frequently, at least once a week, especially in Spring Hill. But any listeners out there who are taking classes at Pasco-Hernando State College and want to talk about maybe pursuing their bachelor's, I encourage them to reach out to myself, Shana, anyone on our team to talk about their degree plan options.



Matt Lenihan:

We have a lot of different degree plans. We can walk you in the right direction in terms of what your outlook is, what your goals are from a career standpoint. Like I said, we're here to help and the relationship that we have with Pasco it's wonderful because hey, you finished your AA, and then a couple weeks later you can be enrolled as a bachelor's student at Saint Leo. And you really don't have to do a terrible amount of work to make that happen. Again, we're here to make the process as seamless and easy as possible, and I think that face time that we get on site at our satellite locations definitely helps us build awareness of some of our programs, and just letting our East Pasco... Or excuse me, our Pasco-Hernando State College potential students know, 'Hey, we're here to help, and we're going to be as supportive as the team you had at your previous institution.'



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. Definitely makes an easier, like you said, smoother transition.



Greg Lindberg:

In terms of plans on the horizon, so I know, like we've mentioned, you're fairly new there with the East Pasco Education Center. And just talk to me about your goals, your vision, and different plans that you have in mind.



Matt Lenihan:

Yeah, so when I took on the role, definitely super excited. There's just a tremendous amount of potential in this area here. Obviously, with the growth that we're seeing, you can't drive down any street without seeing construction, just the amount of people moving into this area. In terms of connecting with the adult learner, there's just so much potential out there for us to really capture this region and be the premier adult center in the area.



Matt Lenihan:

You know, it has been a hectic couple of months just meeting our team, meeting current outside partnerships, trying to develop new ones. A couple of things that we have been working on though, Greg, we've been actively contacting students who, what we call quote unquote, "stopped out." So these are students who once took classes with us, but haven't taken classes with us, but then the next last term, or, year, two years, however long it might be, these are students that we want to reach back out to connect, with them and say, 'Hey, do you want to finish your degree?' Let them know how many credits they have left over, let them know their financial aid options in terms of if that's a challenge for them. We're trying to take away any road blocks they have to get them to that finish line.



Matt Lenihan:

And we're running this campaign once every couple months where I'm sending out notes, and emails, and calls, just reaching out to our former students who might want to come back. Because, again, if you started something, we'd love to see you finish. So, to any of our listeners out there, or you know somebody out there who started with the East Pasco Center, or started at any center, or started with Saint Leo in general, those are students that we want to talk to and kind of let them know where they're at, and do as best as we can to help them maybe cross the finish line and achieve one of their goals that they had in mind however so long ago.



Matt Lenihan:

It's incumbent upon us, and I think with the team, I let them know it's definitely up to us to make sure that we're connecting with these types of students. Because, again, they're an important part of what we're trying to do here.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. For sure.



Matt Lenihan:

And also another initiative that we've been working on a little bit is partnering with the CAPPs program here, which is actually on site at university campus. The CAPPSs program, I know you've done a podcast with Dr. Cindy Lee regarding it, and it's definitely a wonderful opportunity for all of the centers. But what the CAPPs program is it's a mini credential program that are coordinated through that CAPPS group. These are short-term courses that anyone can answer their educational portfolio.



Matt Lenihan:

So, for example, Greg, I've been working with a local government agency who has really expressed interest in a leadership development program or sessions, which I hope in 2022 that will be something we'll be facilitating. And then moving forward, that will be part of the East Pasco or the adult center portfolio. Where then we can connect with local industry organizations to do these types of short-term programs that might end in a CEU or a Saint Leo certificate.



Greg Lindberg:

Very cool.



Matt Lenihan:

Yeah. It's definitely a nice little supplement to what we're doing already with the traditional degree programs. So, again, it's definitely more to come on that and I hope to have an update for everybody then in early 2022.



Matt Lenihan:

And then another opportunity that we've started doing even before I got here, and I definitely see a lot of growth potential... Or the East Pasco Center sees a ton of growth potential, is partnering with some of our local high schools for dual enrollment opportunities. So, we are actually currently partnering with Bishop McLaughlin High School, which is in Spring Hill. We're offering a variety of classes, the high school's juniors and seniors, where they can actually obtain college credit as high school students.



Matt Lenihan:

So, Florida is definitely a unique state in the sense that high school students are eligible to gain college credit while completing their high school requirements. So I've reached out to several high schools in the area to see if they'd be interested in doing that. Again, the partnership we've had with Bishop McLaughlin, obviously they are at Catholic school as well, so there's some alignment there and the growth opportunity with their student population increasing every year is tremendous for us.



Matt Lenihan:

And obviously what we hope to do is capture them as they transition in to undergraduate students and Saint Leo's students. So, again, this been a wonderful partnership so far, the students are really enjoying the courses, our instructors have been great with the students. And, again, this is just the first year of us doing this, so many more to come with that.



Matt Lenihan:

And if you are a high school faculty member or staff member, and you're interested in dual enrollment opportunities, we would love to talk to you more about that. Because, again, that's a big part of what we're looking do at the East Pasco Center in the coming years.



Greg Lindberg:

Sure. And for students to be able to get a jump on college credit and you really can't beat that opportunity.



Matt Lenihan:

Not at all. And parents, students, administrators, again, it's definitely something that will help them in the long run. When you walk into college already taking college credits under your belt, I think the comfort level just increases. So, again, we'd love to talk to more folks about that and many more to come.



Matt Lenihan:

And then lastly, the last thing I wanted to touch on in terms of initiatives that we're running out of center, Saint Leo has a tremendous history working with veterans and the military. So any of the veteran and active military groups in the Pasco-Hernando area I would love to speak with, love to connect with. Just looking at the numbers, roughly 19,000 veterans, Greg, live in Hernando County, and Pasco alone has over 40,000. So, I'm thinking as a center I would love to host a military appreciation event to honor our local veterans and active military members.



Matt Lenihan:

And, again, just with the alignment that Saint Leo already has with the military, I think that would be a great fit for us and give the East Pasco Center some nice exposure. And any community events, if you're interested in hosting an event on site at our campus, feel free to reach out. I'd love to talk to you a little bit more about that.



Matt Lenihan:

Obviously with the last two years and our meetings being limited with COVID, we are very excited to open our doors and potentially have events for all of our community members in Pasco-Hernando County. We really want to be a partner for you and be your educational go-to partner.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. Well said.



Greg Lindberg:

Let's dive a little further into the student population, the faculty and the staff at the center.



Matt Lenihan:

Sure. So we are and an adult education center. What that means is typically our traditional learner is an adult student. So it's a non-traditional learner, if you will. Many are juggling a lot of different responsibilities; work, family, school, jobs, so again, we're trying to tailor our schedule and our courses around that type of individual.



Matt Lenihan:

Many of our students come to us with previous credits. A lot have attended schools in the past, and we work with them closely as an enrollment team, and as advisors to make sure we're leveraging any of the credits that they already have for maximum transferability. So, when they're starting with Saint Leo, they have a good picture of how close they are. And that's nice when you're jumping into a new environment to know okay, 'hey, I can do a map or a timeline of when I'm done and cross the finish line.' And then the great thing about that is you have a individual advisor that's going to be working with you one on one to make sure you reach your goals and keep you on track. Our faculty is also wonderful. They're completely committed to our student success, scholarship and community outreach.



Matt Lenihan:

And I just can't stress this enough, Greg, I know we spoke about this last time; no different in Tampa as it is in East Pasco. Students here are never alone in their educational path. Our entire team is here to help. Like I said, walking into this team was unbelievable. Just seeing the level of customer service that they provide for students, and it really differentiates Saint Leo as university. The type of work that we're doing, the type of resources that are available throughout their eight week terms, we are reaching out to our students pretty consistently just to check in, see how everyone's going, everything's going, to register them for their next term classes, to keep them on track. And then, obviously just to mention again, financial aid services, the library, veteran services, disability service, those are all available to all of our students. And if you ever have any questions about something, always feel free to reach out to any of us. We can walk you through and put you in the right direction if you have anything that we can help you with.



Greg Lindberg:

Sure, sure. That's just, like we've talked about several times already, the fact that students at this center have access to literally everything that campus students do, there's just so many benefits to that.



Matt Lenihan:

And just on our faculty, again, the amount of real world experience that our faculty have, whether it be in criminal justice or some of our business classes, or elementary education. They've been in the field, they've seen it all, and that really resonates in the classroom. Especially with our adult learners who want that real world experience, because then they're typically [inaudible 00:24:28] too.



Matt Lenihan:

So, again, with the adult learner, pairing them with a faculty member that has worked in that specific field separates us and really goes a long way for us. And you just see tremendous value in the coursework and it really... They're able to bring that back to their specific job, or potential job, when they're working. And it's been unbelievably valuable for us.



Greg Lindberg:

No doubt. Like you mentioned before about that comfort level of a student walking in that can really relate to that faculty member, it goes a long way.



Matt Lenihan:

Exactly. And yeah, our faculty who do tremendous job of understanding the adult learner and maybe some of the nuances, or the differences they have in their learning styles and they adapt as best as they can.



Greg Lindberg:

In terms of events, we're certainly still navigating through this whole pandemic, and in terms of in person events. Just talk to me about what you envision for the center.



Matt Lenihan:

Yeah. So, we're definitely enhancing our orientation experience for new students. We ran our first in-person orientation with the protocols for COVID and such for fall two. But starting in the spring with our new student population that's coming in, we should have a pretty robust new amount of students, so we're excited about that. We'll be hosting that on campus.



Matt Lenihan:

Currently, we're actually participating with Catholic charities and Saint Leo in the Adoptive Family Initiative. So, we actually partnered with the Jacksonville and Ocala centers as well, where we did adoptive family for the Christmas season and we're donating gifts, and kitchen supplies, et cetera, to help a local family in need of assistance. So we're excited. Super proud and excited about that.



Matt Lenihan:

You know, it really brings out the best in us in the holiday season. And anything that we can do as a university to our local constituents who might some help this holiday season, that's what we're looking to do. The spirit of a Catholic university for us.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. That's awesome.



Matt Lenihan:

But moving forward, Greg, in the new year as I'm finally really just settled in, local business leaders, chamber events, inviting folks to the center, or just the university campus in general, economic development agencies, government agencies, and generally just to get out there and build awareness of our center. That's what I'd like to do, and that's what our team wants to do. And really that's our overarching goal for 2022 is build awareness of who we are, the great degree programs that we have, the wonderful faculty that we have and the wonderful staff that we have here at East Pasco.



Matt Lenihan:

Again, at the end of the day, it's serving our constituents in the community, obviously serving our students as well to make sure that they're getting an excellent education with [inaudible 00:27:12], and getting to graduation, and then ultimately getting them into the workforce and the local talent pipeline here.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. No doubt.



Greg Lindberg:

So I know we've discussed many benefits of the center for prospective students, current students attending the center. And if you just want to recap some of the biggest benefits of why someone should consider the East Pasco Education Center.



Matt Lenihan:

Sure. The biggest benefit in my opinion is just the individualized attention, personalized advising, ongoing support given to students by our amazing team. We do a great job working with our students throughout the term throughout their entire experience here at Saint Leo, whether it be undergraduate degree, a graduate degree, you're getting the same level of service as anybody.



Matt Lenihan:

There's a low student to faculty ratio. Again, our faculty have that real life experience that really resonates with our adult learners, flexible scheduling that tailors around the adult learner schedule, numerous degree options. So, again, we're trying to align what the community needs with our degree plans. And then obviously the easy access to our amenities throughout university campus. Again, there's something for everybody at Saint Leo University in terms of activities, groups, gym amenities, et cetera. So, again, really encourage our students to take advantage of that.



Matt Lenihan:

And then for prospective students to come out here, take a look at what we have to offer, I think they'd be extremely impressed.



Matt Lenihan:

And then just to wrap up, if you choose the East Pasco Center for your academic goals, they'll be working alongside super, super professional people that want to see you succeed. Again, our job is to help you, our job is to support you. We want to see you achieve your educational goals and any barriers that might come along cross the way, we're here to help you eliminate them.



Matt Lenihan:

And to wrap up, Greg, again, I encourage my listeners to call anyone on our staff. They can reach me on my email or my phone. My office line is (352) 588-7451. And then my email is Matthew.Lenihan@SaintLeo.edu. So, if you're not even sure on next steps like, 'Hey, how do I apply? How do I talk to Saint Leo?' Just you feel free to reach out to me directly and we will get you ready to go, and situated, and help you with any next steps that you might need.



Greg Lindberg:

Awesome. Okay. Again, appreciate all the information. And I think as we've painted a picture here of the East Pasco Center, there's just so many opportunities, so many connections, such a great choice for those considering higher education.



Matt Lenihan:

Yeah, absolutely. And we're really excited about the team we have here, we're really excited about the new year coming up. Again, with the pandemic slowly fading, we're really headed into 2022 with a lot of momentum and we're going to hit the ground running. And like I said, if there's any questions or anybody wants to talk about their degree plan options, always feel free to reach out. We're here to help.



Greg Lindberg:

Absolutely. All right, sounds great.



Greg Lindberg:

So, again, we've been joined by Matt Lenihan and Shana Sapp of the East Pasco Education Center. And Matt and Shana, really appreciate the time.



Shana Sapp:

Thank you.



Greg Lindberg:

Thanks so much for joining us here on the Saint Leo 360 podcast.



Matt Lenihan:

Greg, thank you again as always. This has been a pleasure. Thank you so much.



Speaker 1:

To hear more episodes of the Saint Leo 360 podcast, visit SaintLeo.edu/podcast. To learn more about Saint Leo's programs and services. Call (877) 622 2009, or visit SaintLeo.edu.