Welcome from the President

Thank you for your interest in University of Detroit Mercy. As you will see when you explore this website, UDM is a highly ranked institution of higher education with more than 100 outstanding undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs.  For the tenth consecutive year, UDM is ranked as a top-tier university in the Midwest tier of the United States by U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2011” edition. This ranking is a reflection of the academically talented students we enroll; excellent retention and graduation rates; small class sizes; the generosity of our alumni; and other important indicators.  Our University’s values-centered and student-focused approach to learning empowers students to develop themselves intellectually, professionally, personally, spiritually, ethically and socially.

As a University firmly grounded in the Catholic traditions of the Society of Jesus and Sisters of Mercy, with approximately 5,600 students, UDM’s commitment to offering a holistic approach to teaching and learning and to serving students’ needs is constantly evident, inside and outside of the classroom.  In addition to offering more than 100 varied academic majors, UDM also has excellent facilities and resources to complement students’ educational and co-curricular experiences.

Last year, UDM enrolled a class of 557 first-year students and 294 transfer students, which is one of the highest in years.  The average ACT score of our freshman class was 24.4, which is well above the national ACT average; and the average high school grade point average of that diverse freshman class was 3.45. The first-year students came from 16 states and four countries. Additionally, last year UDM enrolled 391 new graduate students, 257 law school students and 95 dental students.

At UDM, we take pride in having all the right ingredients for a successful college career, including a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio; supportive academic faculty and a full range of extra- and co-curricular activities, including more than 60 campus clubs and organizations, and challenging leadership opportunities. If you are also interested in athletics, UDM has 19 competitive NCAA Division I athletics teams and an active intramural program.  Our coaches expect and demand that our student-athletes also perform well in the classroom.  Because of this emphasis on academic performance, our 273 intercollegiate student-athletes collectively earned a 3.189 grade point average during term II.  In addition, 73% of UDM’s student-athletes earned a 3.0 grade point average or above; and 40% earned a 3.5 or above during the spring semester.  This year, more than 65 percent of all UDM student-athletes are on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

UDM also provides fast wireless network access to the University community across the McNichols Campus, as well as to 10 computer centers and laboratories. All three of University of Detroit Mercy’s campuses use state-of-the-art-technology to facilitate professional development opportunities and teaching and learning resources for our faculty and students.

When you visit the University, you will see that we have several major construction projects underway, including: a new student fitness center to open in Fall 2012; a major renovation of the 84-year-old Chemistry building; a state-of-the-art IT computing center in the McNichols Campus Library; a new basketball court in Calihan Hall; a new student lounge and fitness center in the School of Dentistry on the Corktown Campus; further renovations to the School of Law’s Dowling Hall on the Riverfront Campus; updates in the Warren Loranger School of Architecture building; as well as residence halls and 200 additional parking spaces on campus.

As you narrow your college choices to one institution, please remember that approximately 73,000 successful University of Detroit Mercy alumni reside in every state of the nation and in 63 countries. These alumni are engineers, scientists, lawyers, priests and women religious, brothers and deacons, teachers, physicians and nurses, business executives, and government professionals. They are highly accomplished leaders in their professions, in their churches, and in their communities.

I hope you will visit us soon and experience the many positive attributes of University of Detroit Mercy to see why “We want great things for you.”  We are all committed to helping you achieve your academic, professional and personal goals.

Sincerely,

Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D.
President, University of Detroit Mercy

Watch the video below for some remarks by President Garibaldi about UDM.

The comments are an excerpt from Garibaldi's welcome to students and parents at a 2011 orientation program.