When Jim Burkee arrived at Saint Leo University six months ago, the board of trustees handed him a direct mandate to rebuild momentum and scale the institution for its next phase of growth.
“We believe that Saint Leo has the capacity to be the largest Catholic university in the United States,” he said.
Today, that title belongs to DePaul University in Chicago, which enrolls about 21,000 students. Burkee sees Saint Leo’s 300-acre campus in Pasco County as the foundation for that kind of growth. The university has begun developing a campus master plan to determine how many additional students the campus can support and what new residence halls, classrooms and infrastructure the expansion would require.
“We have much more capacity to scale here,” Burkee said.
Betting on workforce demand
Burkee centers much of the university’s strategy on workforce demand in technical fields.
Federal labor forecasts show millions of unfilled jobs in fields such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data analytics over the next decade. Universities across the United States are not producing enough graduates to meet that demand.
For Tampa Bay employers, that gap is already visible across the region’s fast-growing technology and cybersecurity sectors. Companies expanding across the I-4 corridor and the Tampa Bay area continue to compete for technical talent, a challenge that has pushed universities to rethink how they prepare graduates for the workforce.
Burkee sees Saint Leo’s expansion into AI certification, technology programs and employer partnerships as part of that broader regional pipeline.
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“The biggest labor gaps are going to be in STEM fields,” Burkee said.
Saint Leo plans to align academic programs and recruiting efforts with those workforce needs. International students will play a role in that strategy.
At Avila University, Burkee expanded enrollment by recruiting international students into high-demand technology programs. He expects Saint Leo to pursue a similar approach.
“This isn’t exactly the best time to be selling ‘come to America,’” Burkee said. “But I’m kind of a Warren Buffett rule guy. When the market is down, you invest more deeply.”
AI certification for every student
Saint Leo recently announced a partnership with IBM to prepare students for the next wave of workforce demand.
Beginning in fall 2026, every Saint Leo student will complete an artificial intelligence certification through IBM’s SkillsBuild platform and build a digital portfolio documenting technical skills.
The requirement applies across every major.
“Every single student will be required as part of the curriculum to earn a certification in AI application,” Burkee said.
Faculty and staff are also pursuing AI certifications as the university integrates the technology into coursework and operations.
Burkee expects the digital portfolio requirement to give graduates a clearer way to demonstrate their skills to employers.
“We want our graduates prepared to utilize these tools in the workforce,” he said.
Connecting with Tampa Bay employers
Burkee also wants Saint Leo to deepen its relationship with the Tampa Bay business community.
The university is adding staff focused on corporate partnerships and career services. Those teams will work directly with companies across the region to build internship pipelines and workforce training programs.
Burkee expects the university to develop hundreds of formal relationships with employers during the next year.
“We’d like to build several hundred relationships with Tampa Bay businesses,” he said.
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Companies that partner with Saint Leo gain access to internship candidates and continuing education programs for their employees. The university expects those relationships to strengthen hiring pipelines for graduates.
Saint Leo is also reorganizing how it gathers industry feedback.
Universities often rely on advisory boards created by individual departments. Saint Leo plans to centralize the process so every major program maintains direct input from employers in the region.
Corporate advisors will help faculty evaluate workforce needs and adjust curriculum as industries evolve.
Internships for every graduate
Burkee wants every Saint Leo student to graduate with professional experience.
The university plans to launch a program in fall 2027 requiring every undergraduate student to complete a substantial internship before graduation.
Burkee believes the approach could become a defining feature of the institution.
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“No school in the country does that comprehensively,” he said.
Graduates leave campus with experience working inside organizations rather than relying solely on classroom instruction.
“What that means is that a Saint Leo graduate comes out workforce ready because they’ve actually done the work,” Burkee said.
Rebuilding momentum
Saint Leo experienced rapid expansion under former president Arthur Kirk, who led the university from 1997 through 2015.
Burkee studied that period after arriving on campus.
He credits Kirk with establishing operational discipline that supported the university’s growth.
“He implemented corporate best practices in the institution that I’ve never seen at another university,” Burkee said.
Burkee plans to restore that culture of accountability across departments as the university prepares for another phase of expansion. The effort includes performance benchmarks for departments and clearer operational metrics across the university.
A cultural focus on students
Burkee also emphasizes culture.
He frequently speaks about what he calls “radical hospitality,” a commitment to deep engagement with students and families.
Saint Leo is developing systems to measure that experience through direct feedback and data collection.
Burkee describes the concept using a model familiar to the corporate world.
“I can see it as a Disney-like level of hospitality,” he said.
Students will be able to scan QR codes on staff badges and across campus to provide feedback on their interactions with faculty and staff.
Burkee believes the system will help the university measure how well it delivers on its stated values.
“We want to operationalize it and assess it,” he said.
A campus preparing for its next chapter
Saint Leo sits in one of Florida’s fastest-growing counties. Pasco County continues to attract residents and businesses, and Burkee sees the university’s strategy developing alongside that growth.
The campus master plan will guide the next phase of physical development. New residence halls and academic buildings remain possibilities as enrollment increases.
Burkee describes the coming years as a period of rebuilding momentum while sharpening the university’s mission.
Saint Leo plans to expand technology programs, deepen employer relationships and grow enrollment across campus and online programs.
“We want to meet people where they are,” Burkee said.
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