As Saint Leo's first continuing education center outside of Florida, the Fort Eustis Center originally served Fort Eustis, Langley, Fort Lee and the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB), Norfolk - all of which are now separate Saint Leo locations. From the beginning the center catered to military and working adults by offering a nine-week schedule with classes available after working hours to accommodate the lives of busy professionals seeking a college degree.
The Fort Eustis Office is a result of Saint Leo University’s long standing relationship with the military. The partnership with Fort Eustis allows the university to provide education to military, their families and civilians in the surrounding communities. Through this partnership, Saint Leo is able to teach from 10 classrooms, provide access to the Fort Eustis library and allow students to access two computer lab(s). Additionally, all students attending Saint Leo University may access library services online through Saint Leo’s online
electronic library.
To better serve the needs of Saint Leo students and the community, the University expanded course offerings significantly, especially in recent years, bringing more focus to business, criminology and psychology degree programs. The computer center also was upgraded, and instructors are continually recruited to teach the desired classes and provide caring assistance to the University's students.
Through close communication with our students, we have developed procedures and academic policies to provide students with full-time careers all the necessary services to complete their education:
- convenient locations for classes
- professional faculty and staff
- flexible scheduling
- affordable education
complete on-site student services of academic advising, registration, textbook ordering and library accessibility
These policies and procedures have been developed to ensure our programs meet the standards of quality, integrity, fairness and completeness that assure you a Saint Leo University degree, which meets the highest standards for academic excellence.
Saint Leo appreciates and values each and every student. We want to see our students succeed and to make a better life for themselves and their communities. We hope that you decide to pursue your educational goals at Saint Leo University. You will find that you've joined a great team.
Saint Leo University is a Catholic, coeducational liberal arts university offering programs leading to the associate's and baccalaureate degrees and the Master of Business Administration, Master of Education and Master of Criminal Justice degrees. Chartered on June 4, 1889, Saint Leo originated when the Florida legislature authorized the Order of St. Benedict of Florida to "have and possess the right and power of conferring the usual academic and other degrees granted by any college in this State."
As the first Catholic college in Florida, Saint Leo opened its doors with the dedication of its main building on September 14, 1890. In this pioneer year, Saint Leo enrolled 32 students for classes. These students engaged in the study of the basic curriculum, which included a mix of liberal arts and commercial courses leading to the Master of Accounts degree. In addition to the basic curriculum, the College periodically went through a military phase with uniforms, and required drilling to instill discipline and order. On June 20, 1893, Saint Leo conferred the Master of Accounts degree on its first graduating class of five students.
In 1920, the College was phased out as the faculty decided to focus on becoming what one longtime Benedictine called "a serious English-style prep school." A year later, in 1921, Saint Leo became accredited by the Southern Educational Association. After several name changes, the institution settled on Saint Leo College Preparatory School in 1929. It lasted until 1964.
Reaching for a larger mission, Saint Leo opened again as a college in 1959. During this time, Saint Leo received a great deal of assistance from the Benedictine sisters at Holy Name Monastery, its neighboring community. Operating first on the associate's level, the College moved quickly to a four-year program and conferred its first bachelor's degree on April 23, 1967, on 51 men and 13 women. It was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on November 29, 1967, retroactive to include the charter bachelor of arts class.
In 1969, the College was reorganized when the Order of Saint Benedict of Florida transferred title and control to an independent board of trustees. Shortly after this reconstruction, Saint Leo began to broaden its purpose, which echoed its military history. In 1973, the College responded to requests from the armed services to offer degree programs on military bases. Now, Saint Leo University is one of the largest providers of higher education to military-related personnel in the United States.
In December 1994, the college was granted Membership at Level III to offer the Master of Business Administration. Membership was granted retroactive to January 1, 1994. On August 24, 1999, Saint Leo's growth was once again validated with its ascension to university status.
Saint Leo University now has a total enrollment of more than 13,000 with 3,000 on its main campus, more than 7,000 on military bases and community colleges located in seven states, and 3,000 enrolled in the university’s Center for Online Learning.