Saint Leo University Prepares to Welcome Students for 2025-2026

As Saint Leo University prepares to begin a new academic year, new and returning students can expect lots of opportunities to learn, grow, and be challenged, prepare for their futures, and have fun. The university will begin to welcome more than 850 new full-time students for the Fall 2025 Semester on August 16 with most new undergraduate students moving to campus on Friday, August 22. Returning students will move to campus August 23-24. Classes begin on Monday, August 25, at University Campus, online, and at the Center for Adult Education locations including University Campus and Pasco-Hernando State College, MacDill Education Office, and the Savannah (GA) and Key West education centers.  

Students and their families will receive help from other students, faculty, and staff volunteers as they haul clothes, belongings, and all the necessities of college life into their residence halls. On the August 22 move-in day, new and transfer students may move to their “home away from home” by appointment beginning at 9 a.m. New students will receive a free lunch (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) in the Dining Hall while parents and family members may enjoy lunch for $7.50 each. Food also may be purchased at Saint Leo’s retail locations, Benedict’s Coffeehouse (We Proudly Serve Starbucks location) and FUZ, Saint Leo’s Fusion Eatery. Admitted students can find a check list of things to complete before arriving here (https://www.saintleo.edu/admissions/admitted-students-checklist) 

Parents and family members also will have some special sessions on August 22 to find out more about the safety, security, and emergency preparedness of the university, at 1:30-1:50 p.m., in TECO Hall, Tapia College of Business building, and the Health Center, 2-2:20 p.m., also in TECO Hall. 

 “We are looking forward to welcoming all our new and returning students, and we’ve got an exciting year planned for them,” said Dawn McElveen, director of Student and Family Engagement. “There will be even more events and activities than last year.” 

Her advice for news students is to “get involved right from the beginning. Go outside your comfort zone. Try new things! And don’t be afraid to ask for help.” 

University Welcome 

True to its Benedictine Catholic roots, Saint Leo University will practice St. Benedict’s principle of “radical hospitality” during the University Welcome, set for 3 p.m., Friday, August 22, in the Marion Bowman Activities Center gymnasium. New students and their families will hear from James DeTuccio, interim chief operating officer and chief financial officer, as well as Luigi Meschino, Student Government Union president. The expanded spirit teams will perform, and they’ll be bringing some new chants and cheers, including the “L” for Leo and Lions hand sign, to upcoming Athletics games and university events.

The University Welcome will feature an introduction to Saint Leo’s more than 135-year history as well as time-honored traditions. 

All incoming students will receive a Saint Leo pin during the ceremony to mark the beginning of their time at the university. When they graduate in four years, they will receive another pin, symbolizing their status as members of the Saint Leo University Alumni Association.  

The Week of Welcome will take place Monday, August 25 through Sunday, August 31, with plenty of activities; introductions to clubs and organizations; music auditions; “first day of school” photos; Club Leo featuring glow activities including a DJ and dancing, mini golf, and air hockey; Welcome Back Bingo; movies; and more.  

Commuter students and graduate students will have new places in which to relax and study this year, too, as the Commuter Student Commons and the Graduate Student Den have moved to the Daniel A. Cannon Memorial Library. The library location provides more space and longer operating hours, making it more accessible. Students are invited to stop by for treats and use the lockers, refrigerator, and other amenities while they are on campus.  

Athletics Updates 

The Saint Leo University Lions will number close to 600 this year as student-athletes take to the fields, courts, and track. The university is relaunching men’s and women’s track and field as a varsity sport. The program will be phased in with 30 student-athletes being welcomed this fall. In 2026, an additional 30 student-athletes should join the teams, and by the third year, there should be a total of 80 competitors. 

As part of this relaunch, the university is making a significant investment in its athletic facilities. A new eight-lane, 400-meter track is under construction, to not only support Saint Leo, but also to provide the university with the ability to host local high school and collegiate track meets. Construction should be completed in fall 2025.  

The new track and field teams will compete in six categories: sprints, jumps, hurdles, throws, multi, and distance.  

Saint Leo also is welcoming a new sport as women's flag football joins its intercollegiate athletic programs, and the team will begin this fall as a club sport housed under the Athletics Department. Coach Eli Taliaferro has been actively recruiting since April, reaching out to high schools across the region, and there will be tryouts for the team this fall.  

The focus for the fall will be on skill development, training, and team building, and competition will begin in the spring semester. Saint Leo's flag football team will compete against other collegiate and club teams in the region and plans to participate in the Women's College Flag Football League (WCFFL), which brings together teams from across Florida for structured competition. 

Students, faculty, and staff can celebrate the Saint Leo University Lions at an event in the spring when Athletics and partners host an all-campus spirit event, Lions Fest. More information about Saint Leo Athletics can be found at https://saintleolions.com.  

All about the Academics 

Saint Leo strives to create and update its academic programs in order to meet workforce demands, provide experiential learning opportunities, and engage students with interesting subject matter as well as prepare them for future careers. Working with businesses, organizations, advisory councils, and others, the university reviews and revises the more than 55 degrees offered in order to make sure they’re relevant and engaging.  

The Tapia College of Business is introducing some new minors, a new MBA specialization in finance, and a new bachelor’s degree in business administration that includes three specializations. New minors are business analytics and sport business communication and broadcasting.  

Combining core communication theory with hands-on practice in broadcasting, public relations, and digital content, the sport business communication and broadcasting minor will explore how to deliver content and stories across various platforms. The business analytics minor provides insight and experience in the application of data analytics principles within a business context.  

The new Bachelor of Arts Business Administration Triad Program combines three specializations within the business administration major: management, marketing, and communication, creating a versatile degree.  

Also being offered this year is a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in finance.  

The College of Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Data Science (CARDS) has offered the Master of Science in Computer Science Degree at University Campus since 2021 and now will offer it online to make it more accessible to students. 

 “The course content translates easily to a virtual platform, where it can be updated to keep up with current tech,” said Dr. Derek Mohammed, dean of the College of CARDS. “Since Tampa Bay is an emerging area for IT, this program is great for people looking for IT credentials to make a career change or advance their careers.” 

Two doctoral programs in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Allied Services are offering new specializations. Saint Leo’s online Doctor of Criminal Justice Program now includes a human services specialization. The DCJ: Human Services Degree includes 18 dedicated credit hours focused on the intersection of criminal justice and human services.  

The new human services specialization will prepare leaders for roles blending policy, program development, and operational impact in criminal justice and social service organizations. 

Saint Leo’s online Doctor of Education: School and Organizational Leadership Degree Program now offers a specialization in higher education. The new EdD concentration is designed for education professionals seeking to lead and innovate in postsecondary settings. The program blends applied research, strategic leadership, and policy development with a focus on the unique challenges and opportunities within colleges and universities. 

A new partnership will provide more opportunities for the university’s biology majors who aspire to a career in health care. Saint Leo now is an Early Acceptance Program partner of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), the largest osteopathic college in the United States. The nonprofit college offers doctoral programs in osteopathic medicine, dental medicine, pharmacy, or podiatric medicine.  

Through the partnership, Saint Leo students enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program in biology may apply to LECOM’s Early Acceptance Program any time before or during their junior year of studies at the University. For students who have obtained specified scores on the SAT or ACT, the Early Acceptance Program waives the MCAT exam. If Saint Leo students meet the requirements, they may be granted provisional acceptance to LECOM and its College of Osteopathic Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, School of Pharmacy, or School of Podiatric Medicine.

Incoming biology students also will be introduced to their degree program and its three tracks during an orientation, 9 a.m.-noon, Friday, August 22, in TECO Hall. Topics to be covered will include tips on how to be successful in such a demanding major, the importance of taking the math placement test, how to get engaged in research, how to volunteer as a lab assistant, academic integrity, options for minors, and how to get in touch with the pre-health program advisor. 

After graduating its first cohort of nursing students in the spring, the College of Health Professions will welcome more than 100 first-year, pre-nursing students in Fall 2025, said Dr. Kathleen Van Eerden, dean of the college. This is a record number to date of enrollees in the program.  

The university also is continuing its Nursing Housing Award for 2025-2026, which offers an annual financial aid award of $7,680 to cover on-campus housing costs. In 2024-2025, nursing students used that award and were part of a Nursing Living Learning Community in one of the residence halls. In 2025-2026, “There are plans to offer two Nursing Living Learning Communities in the residence halls,” Van Eerden said.  

Taking Care of the Spirit 

To assist with incoming students’ spiritual needs, University Ministry will host its annual Freshmen Ministry Retreat, August 19-20, at the Bethany Retreat Center, in nearby Lutz, FL. Retreat participants receive a special move-in date of Monday, August 18. All freshmen, new students, and returning sophomores who may have missed last year’s retreat are welcome. Students can expect to have a prayerful and lively experience filled with talks, games, spiritual growth, the sacraments, and fellowship. 

The annual Mass of the Holy Spirit will welcome everyone 11 a.m.-noon, Thursday, August 28, in the Saint Leo Abbey Church. Classes at campus will follow a modified schedules so that everyone may attend.

Find Out More 

For more information including details about New Student Orientation events, visit https://www.saintleo.edu/admissions/orientation.