SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY

JULY 2009

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin
Addresses Saint Leo Graduates

When Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin spoke on Saturday, June 6, at Saint Leo's Atlanta-area commencement, she moved the audience at the Atlanta Civic Center with a call to action that was beautifully expressed, and well worth sharing.

The Mayor quoted from the words of noted African-American scholar and activist William E.B. Du Bois, who once wrote that "today is the seed time" when we must plant the beginnings of a better future.

Then she carried the image of planting time forward for graduates with these hopeful words:

"Plant the seed of tolerance for an America that embraces the differences between people, cultures, traditions--as the basis of friendship and peace.

"Plant the seed of peace and friendship modeling the best of our American traditions--let everyone among us pursue life, liberty and happiness. Plant the seed of creativity and vision--committing to do for those who will follow us.

"Plant a seed of prosperity for the two billion people who live in poverty without hope and access to healthcare, education, fair treatment and whose prospects are limited by poverty and hatred.

"BE BOLD…DREAM BIG.

"Listen to your inner voice. When you are on your true path, your talents, interests and spiritual inclinations are in accord. Dare to do it your way.

"Take a leap of Faith."

View photos of the Atlanta commencement ceremony.

Tennis Coach Tim Crosby '67
Announces Retirement

One of Saint Leo University's outstanding role models is retiring this summer after a long career. Tennis Coach Tim Crosby has spent 39 years as the men's tennis coach, and 37 years as the women's. In that time, he has coached almost 300 students. Crosby joined the staff of Saint Leo College in 1967, following his graduation the same year, and moved into coaching tennis in 1969.

Tampa Tribune sportswriter Ira Kaufman detailed the coach's impressive career in a feature story published June 18. Read Kaufman's piece.

Fans of the coach should also visit the SLU Athletics site to read more and to see photos from Crosby's career.

Photo by Mike Carlson

Veteran and Saint Leo Alumnus
Featured in New Book, ABC Newscast

A new non-fiction book by a Washington Post military affairs reporter prominently features one of our alumni, Ray Johnson '96, a retired chief warrant officer and pilot with the Virginia Army National Guard. The book, As You Were: To War and Back with the Black Hawk Battalion of the Virginia National Guard, was written by Christian Davenport, who was embedded with the unit. According to Ray, the book covers the story of five soldiers who were or are still in the National Guard and how their lives are disrupted when they are called up to serve, time and again, and then try and return to their families and civilian jobs. In this case, the regiment was called in 2006 for a year-long tour of duty in Iraq. Ray, a Vietnam Vet, was 58 when the call came for the Iraq deployment. Both Ray and his wife praise the book, and were glad to hear the responses of friends who read it: "a lot of my friends and co-workers said the book is great, and they did not realize the sacrifices our citizen soldiers have to make, even if it is for a short time."

ABC News also reported on the book, the author, Ray, and some of the other guard members in a segment produced for Memorial Day. View the ABC News report online.

Madison and Tallahassee Centers Commencement

Forty-eight students donned caps and gowns to receive their diplomas from the Madison and Tallahassee Centers on June 19.  The ceremony took place at the Van H. Priest Auditorium at North Florida Community College in Madison.  View photos from the ceremony.

Look for Your Alumni Welcome Packet in the Mail

In the next few weeks, Saint Leo alumni will be receiving an Alumni Welcome Packet and Alumni Association ID Card. This packet is designed to help you stay involved with your alma mater.

As a Saint Leo graduate you share a common bond with more than 58,000 Saint Leo alumni located around the world. While each of you has a unique background and life experience, together you share your experiences at Saint Leo.

The Alumni Association and the Alumni Relations Office are here to help you build a lifelong relationship with Saint Leo University. As alumni, you can help advance your alma mater's reputation as a great American university. We encourage you to stay connected and support Saint Leo.

Enclosed in the Alumni Welcome Packet is an update card. Please take a few moments to fill it out and send it back, so we can keep you informed about Saint Leo University news and alumni events around the country.

For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations by phone at (352) 588-8667 or by e-mail to alumni.relations@saintleo.edu.

Saint Leo Readies for New Enrollments
of Military Veterans

The New Post-9/11 GI Bill and Special "Yellow Ribbon" Program
Helps Vets Afford College Cost

Saint Leo University's administrators are eager to assist veterans ready to enroll in college when the new Post-9/11 GI Bill comes into effect August 1.

SLU has long been one of the nation's leading providers of higher education opportunities to military service members and will reinforce that commitment with the new enrollments expected because of the new GI Bill. The legislation was passed by Congress last year to improve the educational assistance the country provides to veterans and service members. The bill improves the allowance for tuition and provides a book stipend in addition to providing a housing allowance for many recipients. The tuition benefits can also be applied to online courses. In some cases, service members may be able to transfer tuition benefits to a family member.

"It's great for the military and it's great for our country," Saint Leo University President Dr. Arthur F. Kirk Jr., said in a recent interview with Spirit, the university magazine.

Because of the bill, SLU expects new enrollments at its main campus in central Florida, as well as at its continuing education centers and teaching locations at or near military bases in seven states.

Military tuition rates at Saint Leo are set on a state-by-state basis, but in all SLU locations students covered by the new GI Bill will find the basic benefits, or the basic benefits plus special university and federal aid, will cover their educational costs.

The basic benefits of the bill are sufficient to meet SLU's military tuition rates in Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, California, and at Florida teaching locations beyond the main campus, and through the Center for Online Learning.

For the benefit of new GI Bill students who will attend the main campus, or who enroll at teaching locations in Georgia, Saint Leo University is joining the Veterans Administration's new "Yellow Ribbon" program for certain colleges and universities. These institutions, or at least some of their teaching locations, have higher tuition fees than provided for by the new legislation. But the "Yellow Ribbon" institutions are partnering with the VA to provide enough added student financial assistance to bridge the gap. That way, these military students and veterans will still be able to attend the private or public institutions of their choosing and attain the degrees they desire.

Prospective students with questions on the new GI Bill can visit a special Veterans Administration Web site for the most comprehensive information available.

Saint Leo has staff members covering each teaching location who are able to help with questions about applying for the new GI Bill at SLU. Call 1-800-707-8846 for information.

Strategist Speaks on Being the Best in the Business

Most business, government, and non-profit executives would love to find ways to make their organizations operate as skillfully and efficiently as possible. But after the organizations reach a certain level of competence or quality performance, leaders can struggle with the task of moving their work teams to higher levels.

Pat Sciarappa, the organizational development director of the Florida Sterling Council, works daily helping the key managers of Florida organizations tackle such questions. She was a speaker recently at Saint Leo University, sharing her current observations with students in the Master of Business Administration program.

Sciarappa and the Sterling Council help companies and other kinds of workplaces apply proven standards of excellence to their own operations to boost revenues, levels of service, and customer/client satisfaction. And she gets to see and compare the business results from numerous organizations, partly as the result of an annual contest the council conducts that judges organizations on their application of quality-assurance and strategic planning measures from the council's Sterling Management Model. The top performers receive the Governor's Sterling Award. Simply applying for the award gives managers some insights into possible improvements, she said in an interview.

That's because the application process helps managers identify the pivotal areas that should command most of their attention. "Most organizations have lots of data they have collected," she said. "But they haven't narrowed it down to the few critical data they need."

Another common weakness comes in knowing how to structure a strategic plan, and how that task differs from rendering a description of what the organization does currently in its day-to-day operations.

On the other hand, she said, many of the organizations she reviews have dedicated workforces staffed by people who truly "believe in the organization."

The statewide council also offers training sessions and information sharing through an annual conference. Visit the Sterling Council web site for more information.

Homeland Security Instruction in Israel, Nov. 6-14

A training seminar for security professionals hosted by Saint Leo University and SSI Security Solutions International will take place November 6 through 14 in Israel. The training seminar is based on what U.S. Homeland Security professionals need to know, focusing on the most important areas of Homeland Security:

• Public safety: large scale events, shopping and retail, public transportation
• Transportation: ports, airports, train and bus stations
• Critical infrastructure
• Schools
• Government buildings

In addition, participants will learn from Israeli experts on subjects such as:

• Krav Maga (Israeli Martial Arts);
• suicide terror and vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs);
• protecting dignitaries against terror; and
• much, much more.

Numerous case studies on past attacks including buses, shopping malls, and other targets are also included. View a sample itinerary for the program. Please note that agenda is subject to change due to security considerations, availability, and weather conditions.

Students taking the course can earn three undergraduate credit hours, three graduate credit hours, or a certification of completion for the course.

For registration information, please contact Ms. Ashlee Castle at (352) 467-0106 or Professor Barry Glover at (813) 310-4365.

Specialization in Logistics to be Offered to Undergrads

Saint Leo is adding a new specialization for students enrolled in the undergraduate business administration program at Continuing Education Centers starting in Fall 2009. Our adult learners in business can now opt to specialize in logistics. Logistics is the management of business or military operations such as purchasing, storage, and transportation, so that the labor force and the goods they need are delivered to the right spot along a supply chain at the right time.

Students will learn about both the civilian and the military aspects of logistics management. In addition to courses on purchasing management, transportation, and inventory control, the specialization requires the study of related information technology and global issues. Interested students can ask for more information at the Continuing Education Center nearest them.

SLU Honored with 2009 Best Place to Work Title

Saint Leo University has been honored as one of the “2009 Best Places to Work” by the Pasco Hernando (Fla.) Workforce Board, a regional agency focused on improving local employment opportunities and enhancing the skills of the area workforce. Saint Leo University was honored in the Pasco County category for large workplaces, with more than 150 employees. The agency noted Saint Leo has built “a culture committed to service by recognizing those who treat their customers with care.”