Saint Leo University Opens New Business School

Saint Leo University recently celebrated the opening of its new business school.

Construction on the $12 million Donald R. Tapia School of Business, a 47,921-square-foot building on the university's main campus in Saint Leo in Pasco County, began in July of 2010. The first new academic building Saint Leo has built in more than 50 years, the new facility was completed in August in time for the 2011-12 school year.

“The Donald R. Tapia School of Business is a visible demonstration to the total Saint Leo community of our commitment to excellence and our commitment to our students. It was built to be a truly state-of-the-art building,” says Michael Nastanski, dean of the School of Business. “In these economic times, when schools have been really holding back because they have to, we didn't do that. We decided to really make an investment that would best benefit our students and they see that. They're really proud, excited and motivated.”

The school features a mix of learning spaces including technology-rich classrooms, seminar rooms, computer labs and an executive lecture hall, and office spaces for faculty and administration. It also has a broadcast and recording studio for video and audio production, and is equipped with SMART Board Technology. Seventy-inch high definition LCD multitouch, multiuser display monitors connected to the Internet, student laptops and cameras -- think giant iPads -- are located in every classroom.

“You're not going to find a better facility anywhere else in the world right now. Walking into one of our classrooms, you're going to get an environment that's just as good as any corporate environment. You're going to get to use tools that are available at any corporation and apply them,” says Nastanski. “This is an opportunity for Tampa Bay students and their parents to have an educational experience that's second to none.”

Funds for the facility were donated by more than 200 private donors, including Donald R. Tapia, an entrepreneur and Saint Leo alumnus who gave $4 million, the largest single gift in university history.

For more information on Saint Leo and the Donald R. Tapia School of Business, visit the School of Business website.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Michael Nastanski, Donald R. Tapia School of Business