Faculty, Staff and Administrators

Faculty/Staff Announcements from Campus Connection

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• September 03: Celebrate Spirit! launches new school year, Sept. 17

  Thursday September 03, 2026
  

  

  Celebrate Spirit! is the official kickoff to the new academic year and a University-wide celebration that welcomes our entire community of students, staff, faculty and administrators.

  The celebration is set for Thursday, Sept. 17 in the Whitty Student Fitness Center. The 150th Jubilee Mass of the Holy Spirit begins at 11:30 a.m. 

  The celebration includes a Catholic Mass, and individuals from all faith traditions are warmly invited to participate or observe in a manner that feels comfortable to them.

  Celebrate Spirit! will be presided over by Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, STD, JCL, the Apostolic Nuncio (Vatican Ambassador) and Pope Leo XIV’s envoy to the United States. The event is hosted by University Ministry and Mission Integration. All are invited to wear red, orange or yellow as part of the event.

  A lunch and reception will be provided in the Fountain Lounge & Terrace of the Student Union at 1 p.m.

  Celebrate Spirit! is open to all members of the Detroit Mercy community no matter their religious affiliation.

  Click here to volunteer at Celebrate Spirit!

  Celebrate Spirit! 2026 invites the Detroit Mercy community to reflect on “Faith In Action” as this academic year’s theme as part of our 150th Celebration.

  Faith is not stagnant—it is active. It is not an individual proclamation or checklist—it is something that exists in community and in relationship. Just as God animates our lives, we are called to actively respond to God in all things. This active faith moves us to imagine a prophetic future for our community. In our Ignatian and Mercy traditions, faith-in-action requires discernment and imagination—Where are we headed? Where does the world call us to be?

  Learn more about Celebrate Spirit!

  

• September 03: UDM to host NAMI Walk Michigan, Sept. 19; Join the Titans team

  Thursday September 03, 2026
  

  

  

  The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 2026 walk in Michigan is set for Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus. All are welcome to join. It’s the third-straight year the University has hosted the NAMI walk.

  Join the Detroit Mercy Titans team with your friends, family, colleagues or classmates and support mental health.

  Get involved and make a difference in the lives of Americans living with mental health concerns. If you shake a hand, give a fist bump or cheer with your team, this NAMI Walk is one of the most powerful days of the year, and you can make a real difference.

  Please save the date and consider signing up for the walk or donating to mental health programs. Further details will be provided soon.

  For more information, please contact the Dean of Students at deanofstudents@udmercy.edu.

  Sign up for the Titans team!

• September 03: Learn more about immersion trip to Brazil at virtual information session Sept. 16

  Thursday September 03, 2026
  

  

  Detroit Mercy’s College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (CHASS) will offer an immersion trip to Brazil from May 17-27, providing participants with the opportunity to explore African continuities and contributions to contemporary society.

  Those interested in this experience are encouraged to register for an upcoming virtual information session on Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. A confirmation email with meeting details will be sent upon registration.

  This immersion program to northeast Brazil will examine several issues relevant to the Afro-Brazilian diaspora, including racial affirmation, discourses of harmony and confrontation, and voices of presence and memory. These topics will be approached from the perspectives of music, art, history, religion, dance and folklore.

  Participants will learn about the hierarchal religion of Candomblé and rhythms of samba while exploring the intersection of Catholicism with Africanicity in historic and present-day manifestations. The experience will also trace the history of a land that speaks to, from and about the Afro-Brazilian experience.

  This program is open to UDM students, faculty, staff, alumni and University guests 18 years of age or older.

  Travel grants are available to offset up to half of travel expenses for full-time undergraduate students pursuing a CHASS major or minor.

  For more information, contact Lara Wasner at wasnerle@udmercy.edu or Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Shardé Chapman at chapmasn@udmercy.edu.

  Register for informational meeting here.

• September 03: Student Life offers day tour of Belle Isle, Sept. 18

  Thursday September 03, 2026
  

  

  The Student Life Office is hosting a free afternoon tour of Detroit’s famous Belle Isle on Friday, Sept. 18.

  Set in the Detroit River near downtown Detroit, the scenic island is home to a mix of historical and cultural attractions. During the tour, participants will visit the Belle Isle Aquarium, the oldest aquarium in the United States, and explore the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservancy, which houses plants from five unique biomes around the world. The outing will end with a picnic at the beach before returning to campus.

  Transportation is available. Those planning to ride the Student Life bus should meet in the Student Union lobby at 2 p.m. Participants driving separately should meet at 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot outside the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on Belle Isle.

  Reserve a spot for the Belle Isle tour here.

  

• September 02: Homecoming 2026 Fall Festival with Street Fest set for Sept. 25-26

  Wednesday September 02, 2026
  

  

  Fall Festival at Homecoming returns to UDM’s McNichols Campus Sept. 25-26. The weekend is packed with activities, and this year Detroit Mercy is partnering with Live 6’s Six Mile Street Fest, providing additional entertainment, local cuisine and family-friendly activities on the UDM Front Lawn (outside the McNichols gate).

  This two-day event offers something for everyone—from exciting games and tours to informative sessions. Among the highlights are the annual bike tour of the historic areas surrounding the McNichols Campus, an open kickball game, a taping of Detroit Mercy’s long-running show “Ask the Professor” and an improv show in the newly established Black Box Theatre in the Student Union.

  Attendees can also cheer on the Titans men’s soccer team at Titan Field as they take on the Duquesne Ducks at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

  The main event is the Fall Festival which is slated to begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday. It features arts and crafts, bubble soccer, yard and casino games, an escape room, food trucks, skating, scavenger hunt and much more.

  Attendees also have the opportunity to take historical tours throughout campus, even one of Calihan Hall, featuring the newly renovated Titan Club.

  After dusk, a bonfire will be lit to celebrate all Titan Athletic teams, followed by the NPHC Yard show, where multicultural fraternities and sororities will showcase their chapter’s history and traditions through steps, strolls, chants or dancing.

  Also included in the weekend’s events and numerous reunions are the College of Health Professions Research Symposium, a Golden Jubilee reunion for the Class of 1976 and the presentation of 2026’s Alumni Achievement Spirit Award honorees.

  Join in Fall Festival activities as you reconnect with the University during two exciting days filled with food, fun and celebrations.

  Register or learn more about Fall Festival/Homecoming here.

• September 02: Free headshot photographs for McNichols Campus employees, Oct. 5-6

  Wednesday September 02, 2026
  

  McNichols Campus employees can have their headshot taken for free by a professional photographer on Oct. 5-6 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom as part of a Get to Know MarCom event. 

  These new headshots are perfect for employees’ University biography (person) pages and professional use. 

  No appointments are necessary — just dress up, drop in and smile for the camera. Once headshots are available for downloading, they will be distributed to the University community through Campus Connection. 

  The McNichols Campus headshot event is open to employees from all of UDM’s campuses, but the Corktown and Riverfront campuses provide similar opportunities for their employees. Please contact the School of Law and School of Dentistry communications staff for more information. 

  MarCom staff will be at the McNichols Campus headshot event to answer any questions the University community may have about marketing and communications at UDM. 

• September 02: Detroit Mercy Law to celebrate 114th annual Red Mass, Sept. 22

  Wednesday September 02, 2026
  

  

  

  Detroit Mercy Law and the legal community will celebrate the 114th annual Red Mass on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at noon, in the Ss. Peter & Paul Jesuit Church at the Riverfront Campus.

  Red Mass is an occasion for judges, attorneys, civic leaders and law students of all faiths to come together and pray for blessings and strength in the coming year’s work.

  This year’s Red Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger of the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Honorable Stephen J. Murphy III, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, will lead the Renewal of the Lawyer’s Oath of Commitment.

  A luncheon reception in the atrium at Detroit Mercy Law will immediately follow the service.

  Learn more and RSVP for Red Mass here.