Dr. Jen Shaw Archives - Spirit Magazine

Dr. Mary Spoto
After serving as acting vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for some time, Dr. Mary Spoto was named the university’s vice president for Academic Affairs by President Jeffrey Senese in November. Spoto has served in several roles during her 25-year history with Saint Leo. Before serving as dean, she was the chair of the Department of English, Fine Arts, and Humanities, now referred to as the Department of Language Studies and the Arts. She also is a professor of English. She earned her Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and doctoral degree in English from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Jen Shaw
In January, Saint Leo welcomed Dr. Jen Shaw as the new vice president of Student Affairs. Shaw oversees all student affairs departments, which include Dining Services, Student Activities, Counseling Services, Health and Wellness, Campus Life, Career Services, Military and Veterans Affairs, and Accessibility Services. She brings 25 years of experience in higher education to the position, serving in a variety of student affairs leadership positions. She most recently served as associate vice president and dean of students at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Shaw earned a doctorate in higher education from Florida State University; a master’s degree in college student personnel services from Miami University in Oxford, OH; and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY.

Dr. Robyn Parker
In February, Dr. Robyn Parker joined Saint Leo as dean of the Tapia College of Business. She has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, serving in both public and private institutions. Parker most recently served as dean of the College of Business Administration at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, an institution she joined as a faculty member in 2010 to teach management courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Parker earned her doctorate in organizational communication from Wayne State University in Detroit, and a master’s in human resource development from Boston University. For her undergraduate degree, Parker earned a bachelor’s in communication studies from the State University of New York College at Oswego.

The strategic plan of Saint Leo University

Since it launched in the fall, Saint Leo University’s three-year strategic plan, Renaissance 2021, has already introduced several new developments to strengthen and grow the university. Multidisciplinary teams of faculty and staff are leading efforts to support one of three focus areas: culture, academics, and growth. The end goal of the plan is to provide a superior higher education experience to students wherever they live and study. Here, you can find some recent highlights on the progress of the strategic plan.

Culture

Investing in people

A team in Human Resources is finalizing a program that will help faculty and staff gain a better understanding of what it means to practice the university’s core values. Called Becoming a Lion, the program gives employees one-on-one coaching and provides real examples to help illustrate how the university’s values are important to building a student-centered culture.

“Saint Leo’s core values truly differentiate the university from other institutions,” said Susan Martin, acting associate vice president of Human Resources. “The Becoming a Lion program will help ensure everyone understands how important they are to the university’s
mission and overall success.”

In addition to the program, the team will soon be implementing a new performance evaluation process and integrating all annual training programs into a comprehensive online system. These changes are just the start of many efforts that will roll out in the coming year to support faculty and staff in serving students.

Academics

Setting new standards for academic excellence

A cross-functional committee of faculty and staff recently came together to define new, research-based standards of excellence for the university’s academic degree programs. It’s the first step in what will be an enhanced process for ensuring Saint Leo’s programs remain competitive and relevant to the needs of the job market.

“With these new standards in place, we will be able to conduct a more thorough annual review of the university’s degree programs, which may mean we re-envision older programs and introduce new ones,” said Dr. Mary Spoto, vice president of Academic Affairs.

Already, the team is taking steps to introduce a new area of study—health sciences. There is high demand in the health care industry for professionals with advanced degrees in this field, which will provide future students with a variety of opportunities for strong career success. Faculty with expertise and experience in health sciences are laying the groundwork for the program.

Learning outside the classroom

Part of what makes for a well-rounded educational experience are the activities students participate in outside of the classroom. At Saint Leo, students have the opportunity to select from more than 70 different clubs and organizations and participate in several seasonal events at University Campus.

A new online resource, which launched at the end of last year, will help the university strengthen these opportunities for engagement.

Called EngageLeo, the platform allows student clubs and organizations to create events, manage memberships, share information, and communicate event news in one vibrant online space. Students also use EngageLeo to check in at the events they attend. This allows them to build a portfolio of their outside-the-classroom learning experiences, which can be useful when interviewing for careers.

“With this new tool, we will be able to more accurately track and assess student interest in engagement activities, allowing us to develop plans and programming that truly meets their needs, while providing a tool for their career development,” said Dr. Jen Shaw, vice president of Student Affairs.

Growth

Traveling around the globe

Growing the university’s student enrollment will require outreach efforts beyond U.S. borders. Today, Saint Leo students represent 94 nations, and there is an opportunity to expand this further beginning with the Fall 2019 Semester.

During this past fall, representatives from the university’s Center for Global Engagement made several trips throughout Asia where they established regional representative offices in key cities. These offices provide interested students with on-the-ground resources and support to make the admissions process more readily accessible and their attendance at Saint Leo a reality.

“Throughout Asia, there is a strong desire for students to continue their educations in the United States,” said Dr. Senthil Kumar, vice president of University Campus Admissions & Center for Global Engagement. “Applying to universities in the U.S. can be a confusing and a somewhat difficult process for international students. By having representatives in these countries, we are expanding Saint Leo’s global presence and brand awareness, ensuring that students consider us during their college searches.”

In addition to establishing the regional representative offices, the trips have helped place Saint Leo on the Chinese Ministry of Education’s list of approved universities, enhance an existing scholarship program with the Ministry of Education in the Bahamas, and build several partnerships with other universities that will help students earn degrees at an accelerated pace.

Building a place for wellness

With a growing student population comes the need for more space. That is why plans are underway to develop further the west end of University Campus, starting with the addition of a wellness center.

Architectural renderings have been developed for what will likely be a new, popular gathering spot on campus. The university community will be able to host meetings and events in the space and enjoy the center’s many recreational features—from a healthy smoothie bar and fitness center, to a resort-style pool and indoor basketball courts.

“The wellness center will create an environment for health and well-being, integrating student recreation, health services, and counseling and prevention services,” said Denny Moller, university vice president for Advancement and Communications. “Bringing this new facility to campus will require support from alumni, friends of the university, and the greater community surrounding campus.”

Dr. Jen Shaw

Saint Leo Leadership Updates

Renaissance 2021: UPDATE