Saint Leo U Streamlines; Eliminates Faculty, Sports Teams, Degrees

ST. LEO, FL — Saint Leo University President Ed Dadez announced that the 134-year-old nonprofit, Catholic institution will undergo some changes over the next six months as part of his plans to create a reimagined university. This includes eliminating faculty, closing education centers and eliminating sports teams.

“Throughout its history, Saint Leo University has continually evolved to meet the needs of students—from opening education centers on military bases to being one of the first to offer online degree programs,” Dadez said.

“The future vision for our university will continue on this course, including more educational partnerships with businesses and organizations, customized pathways for earning degrees, and new investments in our online learning program," Dadez said. "We will continue innovating our offerings to support the new learning needs of students and today’s workforce.”

Dadez said an audit of the university’s enrollment trends revealed an opportunity to improve efficiencies and enhance future offerings for students.

Following the audit, the university decided to close eight of its 14 education centers in five states, discontinue six of its 23 NCAA Division II sports teams and sunset three degree programs, as well as some course offerings. In addition, a total of 111 faculty and staff positions have been eliminated, of which 27 percent were vacant.

Over the next six months, the university will closed the following education centers: Charleston, South Carolina; Joint Base Charleston-Naval Weapons Station, South Carolina; Columbus, Mississippi; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Jacksonville, Lake City, Ocala and Mayport in Florida. Students currently taking classes at these centers will transition to the university’s online program to continue their coursework.

Six intercollegiate athletic programs will be eliminated at the conclusion of their seasons. Dadez said the teams to be cut will be announced once the teams impacted have been informed.

Additionally, the university will discontinue the following academic degree programs: bachelor of arts in international hospitality, bachelor of arts in human services and the master of science in human services. Students currently enrolled in these programs will be assisted with a plan to complete their degrees.

As part of this change, all degree programs in the College of Education and Social Services will become a part of other colleges, effective at the end of the academic year.

“Reducing our university’s footprint and programs will allow us to focus more strategically on areas and opportunities with high demand,” said Stacy Gato, vice president for strategic enrollment management. “We are always looking for ways to innovate and enhance the services we provide to students.”

Part of the university’s future focus will include growing the university’s bachelor’s degree program in nursing and many of the programs in its newly established School of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Data Science where there is a high demand for professionals and high interest from prospective students.

Another area of focus will include working with businesses and organizations to support their professional development needs and establish new talent pipelines for skilled employees in high-demand fields.

“The university already maintains strong partnerships with many school districts, law enforcement agencies, faith-based groups and other organizations,” said Dr. Mark Gesner, vice president of community engagement and communications. “We look forward to growing our community partnerships and being a full-service education and training partner for many more businesses, nonprofits and groups of all sizes.”