Campus Life and Services

This page contains information about many aspects of life at Detroit Mercy: student organizations, sports, libraries and research facilities, life in the residence halls, health and safety, and more. For more, see the Detroit Mercy "Live" site.

Students at Detroit Mercy are invited and encouraged to become fully engaged in the life of the University community which occurs beyond the classroom. Programs and services are offered on the McNichols campus and open to students.

Student handbooks and brochures which describe the specific policies, regulations, services, organizations, activities, hours of operation and events are available and distributed on campus and available on Detroit Mercy's Student Life Office (SLO) site. Additional information may be obtained from the Student Life Office or the appropriate office providing the service.

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    Student Organizations and Activities

    The University offers year-round activities and opportunities for social, personal, intellectual and professional growth and involvement. Special events such as lectures, picnics, receptions and athletic contests offer the opportunity for students, faculty and administrators to gather and meet informally. From orientation through commencement, a wide range of events are available to all.

    More than 55 organizations welcome student involvement. Fraternities and sororities, honor societies, pre-professional clubs, international and ethnic associations, etc., promote the growth of their members and offer both social activities and informational/educational programs open to the campus community at large.

    Campus media include a student newspaper (The Varsity News), magazines, literary journals and an on-campus radio station. These organizations inform the campuses while providing relevant professional experience to those who participate.

    Co-curricular programs are offered by the offices of Residence Life, Student Life, International Services, University Ministry and other university organizations. Lectures and seminars offered on campus are of personal, professional and academic interest.

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    Intercollegiate & Intramural Athletic Opportunities

    Intercollegiately, the Titans are the only NCAA Division I program in the city of Detroit and have a proud tradition of athletic and academic excellence. Currently, men's teams compete in basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, soccer and tennis. Women's varsity teams include basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, softball, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, soccer and tennis. Both the men's and women's teams compete in the Horizon League. For the latest on Detroit Mercy teams, visit DetroitTitans.com.

    Any full-time student is encouraged to try out for a varsity team if he or she so desires. Opportunities also exist for participation in the Titan pep band or on the cheerleading and dance squad. Tryouts are held prior to each varsity season and further information is available from the respective head coach or by calling the Athletic Department at 313-993-1700.

    Detroit Mercy students are also encouraged to enjoy Titan Athletics by attending games. Admission to all home athletic events is free to students with a valid Detroit Mercy ID card. Further information is available by contacting the Calihan Hall ticket manager.

    For recreational enthusiasts, the Fitness Center and Intramural Sports offers a number of facilities for students. Located on the McNichols Campus, the Fitness Center is a option for both students in on-campus living and for commuter students. Whether participating in a game of basketball, pumping iron, doing yoga, running on the indoor track, or enjoying a fruit smoothie, this hot spot affords a place to socialize with friends and relieve the tensions of the day through exercise.

    Depending on interest, numerous team sports, intramural competitions and physical fitness activities are offered, including aerobics, softball, volleyball, basketball and soccer. For further information, contact the Fitness Center and Intramural Sports Department at 313-993-1240.

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    Facilities

    The Student Center offers a variety of services for use by students. Dining facilities provide a wide range of choices from a snack to a full meal. The fully-stocked bookstore carries both new and used texts, supplies, apparel and snacks. Lounge areas are available for conversation or quiet study. Games rooms offer pool, ping-pong and table games for those who wish to pass the time in recreation.

    Many buildings have study lounges and food vending areas for students on a short break between classes. The McNichols Library provides excellent environments for quiet study, reading, writing and research.

    Fitness Center

    The Fitness Center is a great addition to on-campus living. Whether participating in a game of basketball, pumping iron, doing yoga, running on the indoor track, or enjoying a fruit smoothie, this hotspot affords a place to socialize with friends and relieve the tensions of the day through exercise. The Fitness Center is free to all Detroit Mercy students and employees.

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    Libraries/Instructional Design Studio

    The McNichols Campus Library, School of Dentistry Library, the Instructional Design Studio, and the Kresge Law Library provide access to print, media, and electronic collections and Knowledge (Blackboard) course development and design services to the University community.

    More than eight hundred twenty-five thousand volumes, 3,000 leading law, literary, health, social science, scientific and professional print journals, over 240,800 electronic journals, 10,700 audiovisual items, 190,800 ebooks, and a collection of over 73,000 U.S. Federal and State government documents comprise the libraries' collections. Media resources include DVDs, CDs, and multi-media kits.

    All library facilities and services are open to registered on campus and online students, faculty, staff and administrators. Librarians are available in each library to assist patrons in conducting their research. Librarians provide instruction in research techniques, and answer questions sent electronically to "email a Librarian" or "Ask a Librarian Online Chat." Research Tutorials videos covers how to search for, evaluate, and select appropriate academic information and how to cite references used in order to prevent plagiarism or copyright violations. To check out materials, a validated student ID/library card is required.

    Libraries/IDS maintains the Detroit Mercy Re:Search portal site of 55 academic discipline pages and four mission initiatives (catholic, social justice, sustainable communities, and diversity). Each page contains subject-specific resources including online databases of full-text articles, selected bibliographies of core materials owned by the libraries, links to resources available through the Internet, lists of new materials acquired, and links to professional associations. The portal provides access to Detroit Mercy's special collections, the catalogs of the Detroit Mercy and DALNET libraries' resources and services, and links to a number of other catalogs, including Jesuit and Mercy sponsored higher education institutions in the United States. Digital copies of required student theses, projects, and doctoral dissertations are available in the special collections institutional repository on the portal.

    The libraries' databases allow students to directly search online for full-text journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Electronic journal collections include biomedical, mental health, nursing, dental, engineering, education, science and technology, humanities, law, African American studies, women's issues, social sciences, and business titles. The databases also contain citations to dissertations, patents, technical meetings and papers and books covering current research in all the academic disciplines.

    The Kresge Law Library offers access to specialized collections in American, Canadian, and International law, with particular strengths in Michigan law and U.S. federal government documents. The Library's online catalog, Murphy, is accessible from each of the other University libraries. Access the law library Website (http://lawschool.udmercy.edu) to view policies and hours of service, or to access Murphy.

    The Instructional Design Studio provides leadership in the use of technology in course development and design. IDS services include website design, digital graphic and video production for classroom use, digital content conversion, audio development for web delivery, and distance learning classroom support. IDS serves as an active advocate for the use of media and technology for teaching and learning through training, providing access to tools and information on how to use technology, and creation of materials for teaching and learning. The Instructional Designers provide technical support for Knowledge (Blackboard) course delivery.

    The University Libraries are members of the Detroit Area Library Network (DALNET). The network includes a joint online public catalog of over two million volumes and direct access to three million additional volumes, circulation information, and image databases. Students and faculty from each member institution have access to the resources of the other institutions in person and through the use of the online catalog. The University Libraries also participate in MeLCat, the Michigan Electronic Library Catalog, an automated, statewide resource-sharing service, and offer interlibrary loan access to the collections of OCLC members throughout the world.

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    Information Technology Services (ITS)

    Information Technology Services (ITS) provides the computing, network, telecom, cable TV and audiovisual environment for the University community.

    ITS computing labs provide on-campus access to desktop computers for students to use the Internet or academic-related courseware. For students bringing a personal notebook to campus, wireless access is available in all classrooms and many other locations across the campuses. For resident students, high-speed connectivity is available in every dorm room, as well as limited wireless access. An on-campus Help Desk offers phone support, as needed.

    For the convenience of students, a web-based portal provides self-service access to many University services.

    Each student is eligible for a free University web-based email account, file storage account, and web publishing account. Email accounts are generally assigned upon entry to the University.

    Students are also eligible for hardware and software discounts from local and national businesses.

    Online and hybrid courses are offered through Detroit Mercy's local Blackboard server.

    For more information, please visit http://www.udmercy.edu/about/its.

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    Research Programs and Centers

    Special research facilities are available in Engineering & Science. Chemistry has extensive modern instrumentation, NMR, ESR, several UV-visible, infrared, and atomic absorption spectrometers; a differential thermal analyzer, a Gouy balance; a solution calorimeter; and equipment for photochemical and kinetic work.

    Biology is housed in the fully-equipped Life Sciences Building with teaching and research labs for faculty and students; preparation, animal, aquarium, isotope and instrumentation rooms; greenhouse, photographic labs.

    Engineering, besides its own research facilities, is affiliated with the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan and local industrial research labs. Notable on-campus facilities include the magnetic resonance laboratory, the Manufacturing Institute, and an automotive center with both an automotive electronics laboratory and an engine laboratory.

    The Psychology Clinic serves the adult Detroit metropolitan community with psychotherapy on a sliding-fee scale. It also provides closely-supervised experiences for clinical Ph.D. students.

    The Psychology Laboratory provides facilities for experimental and observational research with individuals and groups, including full audio/video monitoring capabilities.

    The Child Psychodiagnostic Clinic provides diagnostic services and treatments for children with educational and behavioral problems. It also provides supervised experience for psychology students.

    The School of Architecture's Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC) is a multi-disciplinary, nonprofit architecture and urban design/research firm dedicated to creating sustainable spaces and communities through quality design and the collaborative process. The DCDC works with community-based development organizations, local governments, residents and stakeholders, private developers, students, and local design professionals to enhance local leadership capacity and to promote quality design. Utilizing broad-based community participation in conjunction with design technologies, the DCDC produces projects that respond to locally defined concerns while empowering residents and stakeholders to facilitate their own process of community planning, development, and building design.

    The Center for Cyber Security and Intelligence Studies (CCSIS) is an interdisciplinary center for research and education that marries information technology, law enforcement, homeland security, and national security. CCSIS offers eight degree programs (two all-online): Bachelor's degrees in Computer Information Systems and Criminal Justice; Master's degrees in Computer Information Systems, Information Assurance, Intelligence Analysis, Criminal Justice and Security Administration; and a new 5-Year Cyber Security degree in which students earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree. In 2009, CCSIS moved into the Briggs Building and renovated a wing on the second floor. The state of the art facility has advanced laboratories, innovative distance learning classrooms, and 24/7 security. Students in CCSIS degree programs can work beside professors on leading edge research like "Internet Predator Analysis" and "Mobile Device Security". Professors are highly published and have extensive real-world experience as leaders in their domains. They actively cultivate collaborative relationships at the national level which allows students to participate in important, relevant Cyber Security work.

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    Parking Facilities

    There are ample, lighted and patrolled parking facilities on the McNichols Campus. Parking permits, issued by the Titan Information Center (TIC) in the Student Center, are required of all students, faculty and staff. Parking rules and regulations are available from the TIC. Unauthorized parking may result in the issuance of tickets which result in holds on the student account which prevent registration and graduation. Repeated violations or unsafe operation of a vehicle may result in the loss of driving privileges on campus.

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    Residence Life

    Living on campus is an attractive option for many students. University residence halls offer a safe community environment which encourages academic success, personal growth and social development. Resident students are best able to become fully immersed in the academic, organizational and social life of the University community.

    The residence hall system can provide housing for approximately 900 students. The majority of our students live in doubles. There are single rooms that are offered on a space-available basis and cannot be guaranteed.

    The McNichols Campus includes six residence halls that offer both traditional and suite-style living arrangements. Our residential buildings are located on the south end of campus and are a short walk from all campus facilities. All residence halls feature furnished study lounges and social lounges, laundry facilities and vending machines. Titan-to-Go is a late-night store located in the main lobby of Shiple Hall that is open to all residents.

    The residence halls are staffed by Residence Directors and Resident Advisors (RAs). These professional and paraprofessional staff members are trained to support and assist the residents. Resident Advisors rotate duty responsibility to respond to the needs and concerns of residents. The paraprofessional staff are supervised and trained by a staff of full-time professionals and graduate students. In addition to the residence hall staff, a member of the University Ministry team also lives in the residence halls.

    Throughout the year, a variety of programs and social activities are offered in the residence halls. Movie nights, ice cream socials, personal safety seminars, time management workshops, Halloween and Christmas parties are among the many things offered.

    The First Year Experience program is designed for new first-year students in Shiple Hall. The program provides the support and attention often needed to help these students succeed and excel in their university careers. A specially trained and selected staff provides ongoing study skills and social and recreational activities designed to integrate students into the life of the University community.

    Board plans are required of all students living in the University residence halls except for residents of West Quad, which has cooking facilities. Board plan participants may eat in the designated facilities including the Titan Dining Room and the Loft.

    There are six residence halls on the campus. Information on the various residence hall options may be obtained from the Office of Residence Life in Shiple Hall. You can also visit the Residence Life website

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    Wellness Center

    The University of Detroit Mercy maintains a Wellness Center in the West Quad on the McNichols Campus. The Wellness Center offers limited health care services to all students. Care is provided by Nurse Practitioners who work in conjunction with medical staff from Providence Hospital. Students are NOT required to have insurance to utilize the Wellness Center. Please call 313-993-1185 for an appointment or questions.

    All incoming freshmen students must complete and submit a TB questionnaire to the Wellness Center prior to the beginning of classes.

    The University of Detroit Mercy offers a comprehensive health insurance plan to all students who do not have sufficient coverage. Information on this insurance is located on the Wellness Center website and is emailed to residential students each summer. All residential students are automatically enrolled in the Student Insurance plan. To be removed from the plan offered by the University, each Fall students with proof of sufficient medical insurance must waive coverage at https://secure.visit-aci.com/insurance/uodm/. All students are welcome to enroll in the plan any time of the year.

    The Personal Counseling Office, staffed by licensed counselors, is available to assist students with a wide range of issues ranging from anxiety and stress to depression and relationship problems. To schedule a confidential appointment, students should call 313-578-0496 or 313-993-1170.

    Longer-term psychological assistance is available to students and the community through the Psychology Clinic. The Psychology Clinic offers psychological services to Detroit Mercy students, faculty and staff for a range of concerns with fees based on ability to pay. The clinic is open year-round, six days a week. Psychotherapy services are offered for a wide range of difficulties including anxiety, stress, depression, transitional life difficulties and relationship problems. Psychological and educational testing is available to assist in identifying and understanding emotional, behavioral, attention and learning problems in children, adolescents and adults. Academic concerns such as school readiness, identification of giftedness or learning disabilities and clarification of abilities and interests can also be addressed. Contact 313-578-0570 for further information and to schedule an appointment. All counseling contacts are treated as personal and confidential. Students who need assistance should contact the counselor or clinic directly.

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    Public Safety

    Public Safety operates on a 24-hour basis, year-round. Public Safety is charged with assuring the safety and security of all persons, property and facilities on University property. Public Safety personnel patrol buildings, walkways, parking lots, control access to campus by motor vehicles and respond to any safety emergencies. Campus Escort Services are provided in the evening hours by request. All patrol personnel are equipped with two-way radios.

    In addition to safety and security functions, the Public Safety Offices offer a number of programs and services each term to assist in crime prevention. Campus Crime Watch, auto etching, Operation Identification, as well as programs on self-protection and rape prevention, are among those offered to students.

    The University of Detroit Mercy Public Safety Department includes police-commissioned public safety officers, community service officers, parking attendants and student auxiliary officers. Public Safety officers have the same powers as any police officer. They may take preliminary crime and accident reports, make arrests and issue tickets for violations of state laws and city ordinances. Public Safety personnel work closely with the Detroit Police Department's Twelfth and Eighth Precincts and the Crime Prevention Section.

    Emergencies on either campus should be reported to the Public Safety Office by calling 313-993-1123. They will respond and summon Emergency Medical Services, Fire or Police as necessary.

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    Community Service Opportunities

    The Institute for Leadership and Service encourages students to learn in ways that are deeply-rooted in the University's Jesuit and Mercy traditions. This includes a call to live productive, effective lives that are inspired by an attentive connection with the world. The Institute provides students with opportunities to serve in the community and strengthen their sense of giftedness and mission.

    The Institute's learning model is Kolb's Learning Cycle that not only engages students in real-world experience and reflection, but in social analysis and opportunities to try to make changes in society while learning from the effort. Three Institute programs provide these opportunities: Service-Learning, Leadership-in-Service, and Learning for a Change.

    Many of the courses at Detroit Mercy have service as an integral part of the course. We have come to call these courses with a service-component, "Service Learning". Sometimes the service element is introduced as a way for the students to apply the knowledge they are learning in the course. At other times it provides a personal experience that sheds light on other things they are learning. At all times it provides an opportunity to learn as well as serve, and it allows students to take a more active role in the mission of Detroit Mercy.

    The co-curricular Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is designed to educate, engage, and empower all Detroit Mercy students. Using the "Social Change Model," the ELP offers you the opportunity to explore your leadership potential and abilities through involvement in programs, events, and activities that include learning, leadership, spirituality, and service, on and off campus. All Detroit Mercy students have the chance to experience and live the Detroit Mercy Mission. As you do so, you will be involved in community engagement and learn to exhibit leadership for the common good. Those students who choose to intentionally develop their leadership capacity will be recognized by earning a Leadership Pin and Medallion.

    The Leadership-in-Service Program provides students with several "Tracks" to combine direct community service with reflection and leadership skill development. By leading a social change program in their final year, Medallion winners leave Detroit Mercy not only with the requisite skills to lead, but the personal experiences that both inspire service and provide leadership experience in the company of other servant-leaders. Tracks include a two-year, campus-based program followed by a year of service leadership in a partner agency or community change project.

    Learning for a Change (LFAC) invites students and other members of the University to join with community partners in increasing the public and political will to end injustices through sustainable strategies for change. The first program in the series, the Shelter & Home Initiative (SHI), applies the LFAC model of focus, collaboration, real service, and real learning to the problem of homelessness. SHI provides Homelessness Service Opportunities, Homeless Exhibit Fairs, evening Social Analysis Seminars, and a closing Advocacy Partnership Engagement Workshop to provide students and others with ways of engaging in real change by joining those already working effectively in society.

    Viewpoints and Plunge Weekend Service Projects are group projects in late summer and on Saturdays in fall and winter that are planned and coordinated by The Institute. The Institute also supports and encourages Alternative Spring Break, Hunger Week, the Student Volunteer Center, and other service programs coordinated by other Detroit Mercy offices.

    Details on these and other Institute programs and services are available at udmercy.edu/institute or call 313-993-2003.

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    Conduct Code and Disciplinary Procedures

    Violations of University rules or civil laws may result in disciplinary action by the University. Academic violations are governed by policies and procedures in each of the colleges and schools. Non-academic misconduct is governed by the policies and procedures published in the annual Detroit Mercy Student Handbook online. Students charged with major violations of academic or student conduct codes may be expelled, suspended or given a lesser sanction.

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    Alumni

    The University's alumni are an important part of the foundation upon which the institution's reputation is built. Graduates can be found working in virtually every type of business and profession in every major metropolitan region in the United States. Many also live and work in rural areas and in more than 80 international locations.

    Alumni are represented in large numbers in management positions in the auto industry, serve as presidents and CEOs of major corporations, practice in law firms, accounting firms, dental and medical professions.

    Graduates sit on the Michigan Supreme Court, educate the next generation of leaders in our classrooms, design structures that alter the skylines of our cities and contribute to the quality of their communities through civic involvement.

    Approximately 71 percent of the University's 83,000 living alumni remain in Michigan. The Detroit Mercy Alumni Association provides opportunities for graduates to continue their connection to their alma mater. Alumni participate as advisors to the president, deans, administrators and faculty; provide career advice and mentoring assistance to students; attend social gatherings and enrichment opportunities; and alumni are present and vocal in cheering the Titan teams to victory. See the Detroit Mercy alumni online community site.

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    Campus Locations

    University of Detroit Mercy students are taught on three campuses located within the City of Detroit. Selected programs are offered at extended campus sites throughout Michigan. See the Campus location page.

    The McNichols Campus is situated on 70 acres in a northwest Detroit residential area. Located here are six student residence halls.

    The School of Dentistry is located on the Corktown Campus at 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, near downtown Detroit.

    The School of Law and the Kresge Law Library are located across from the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit on Jefferson Avenue.

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    Living in Detroit

    In what other city can you watch professional football, baseball, basketball and hockey? Travel to a foreign country for an afternoon? Ride in an elevated transit system? Enjoy a full range of intellectual, artistic, and recreational activities? University of Detroit Mercy students benefit from an environment which includes the rich life experiences only a major city can offer.

    Detroit offers a vast array of entertainment and cultural activities. Live music abounds in Motown ranging from rock to techno, soul to ethnic, to the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival and the world class Detroit Symphony. Greektown, the fabulous Fox Theatre, the Detroit Science Center and Institute of Arts are all "must see" attractions. With its 101 galleries, the Institute is the largest municipally owned museum in the country. See Detroit Mercy's Discover Detroit site.