President's Message

We are so very pleased you are pursuing a Saint Leo University degree or program. Your decision to improve your knowledge, experience, values, and skills is by completing one is a significant decision. The University catalog details the curriculum and academic policies and procedures developed over many years to ensure that our degree programs meet the standards of quality, integrity, fairness, and completeness that assure you a university degree that meets the highest standards of academic excellence.

I want to emphasize, however; Saint Leo University is not just about policies and procedures. While these are necessary, our university is, most of all, about people. We have a mission to educate and prepare people so they can make a good living and a better life for themselves and their communities. So please do not hesitate to speak with your advisor, faculty or deans if you have a creative academic idea or plan.  I am certain they will do their best to help you achieve your goals.

Benedictine monks and sisters founded Saint Leo University more than 130 years ago. We continue to emphasize the core values of community, respect for all, and responsible stewardship, along with the values of excellence, personal development, and integrity. My colleagues and I work diligently at all of our many university locations to fulfill our mission and to make certain these values are upheld.

Saint Leo University is a larger and more complicated university than people generally realize. Indeed, enrollment ranks us as the second largest Catholic university in the United States in unduplicated student head counts. In addition, we rank near the top in the nation for the number of African Americans graduating with bachelor's degrees in business, management, or marketing. We serve more than 24,000 students at University Campus, online throughout the nation and the world, and at more than 30 locations from California, to locations in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia. We do so with the same commitment to our Catholic heritage, to the liberal arts as the basis of all learning, to student learning and development, and to our values. The University - your University - and my colleagues work to put students first in all of our considerations. You have my assurance as well that the university promises a commitment to quality in all of its programs.  We fully expect students to embrace our university values and commitment to our learning community.

Last, I know you will find that the catalog details many of the opportunities available to students within and outside the classroom that will make your experiences with us more impactful and enriching. Please review this catalog carefully with your faculty or academic advisors, who are critical components of our student-first practices.

Welcome to Saint Leo University. We are so very pleased you are here. God bless you.

Jeffrey D. Senese, Ph.D.

President, Saint Leo University