Current Students

University Ministry will celebrate world interfaith harmony at an interfaith panel and dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 6-8 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom on the McNichols Campus. All Titans are invited.

Participants will share food together, hear personal stories from a panel of speakers of various religious perspectives on sustaining hope and enjoy a cultural drumming and singing group that includes one UDM graduate student.

Free food for all in attendance includes halal, kosher, gluten-free and vegetarian options.

It is a +1 spiritual opportunity for UDM students in leadership, and students can volunteer at the event as well to count toward service hours.

For more information, please contact Director of University Ministry Anita Klueg at kluegag@udmercy.edu.

The Center for Career & Professional Development will hold the 2026 Winter Career and Co-op Fair on Thursday, February 19, from 2-5 p.m. All majors are welcome to attend.

The fair will be held in the Student Union Ballroom and is open to all current students as well as recent UDM graduates.

Sponsored by Alliance Catholic Credit Union, the fair will feature more than 60 organizations and is a great opportunity for students to meet and share their resumes with a variety of employers and graduate schools to discuss full-time employment, graduate school options and co-op and internship positions, as well as volunteering opportunities.

Students will have the opportunity to take free professional headshots and be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card for attending.

For more information or with any questions, please visit the Center for Career & Professional Development directly or call 313-993-1017 or email careerlink@udmercy.edu.

Current students may pre-register and view list of participating organizations through their Handshake accounts.

Mission Week (Feb. 1-7) celebrates the gathering of our community to honor, reflect on and learn more about our Detroit Mercy mission and identity through our Mercy heritage and Ignatian traditions.

A number of activities designed to acknowledge and teach us more about our mission and identity will take place during Mission Week from Sunday, Feb. 1, through Friday, Feb. 6, as follows:

• Sunday, Feb. 1, at 8 p.m., Sunday Mass (St Ignatius Chapel)
• Monday, Feb 2, at 3:30 p.m., Rosary for the monthly intentions of Pope Leo (Holy Spirit Chapel)
• Tuesday, Feb 3, from 12:45-2 p.m., M.U.G. Hour and Conversation (Ministry Office)
• Tuesday, Feb 3, at 7 p.m., Adoration (St. Ignatius Chapel)
• Wednesday, Feb 4, from 6-8 p.m., Interfaith dinner and panel discussion (Student Union Ballroom)
• Thursday, Feb 5, at 12:45 p.m., Mission Mass, sponsored by Office of Mission Integration (St. Ignatius Chapel)
• Friday, Feb 6, from 1-3 p.m., Jummah Prayer and Social, Theme: The Legacy of Black Muslims in America (Student Union, Fountain Lounge)

Class of 2026, Commencement is just over three months away with the McNichols Campus ceremonies taking place on Saturday, May 9 at Calihan Hall.

Please take some time and visit with some of the campus departments that will be available to you as you move towards graduation at this year’s Grad Fair, set for Thursday, Feb. 19 in the Student Union Lower Level from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

No RSVP is required, just stop by anytime and gear up for the 2026 Commencement.

Among the featured tables in attendance on Feb. 19:

• Herff-Jones — The University’s vendor for academic regalia will be available for students to order caps, gowns and tassels, as well as class rings, announcements and diploma frames.
• Grad Images — Detroit Mercy’s Commencement photographer will be at the event to photograph seniors in a cap and gown (which will be provided) or take a professional headshot for future career endeavors! Dress attire is business or casual, your choice.
• Alumni Relations, Senior Class Gift tables — The Alumni Relations Department will be featuring a spin-and-win wheel for seniors to take home some alumni-branded prizes, such as wine glasses, license plate holders, travel mugs, business card holders, notepads, playing cards and more. Seniors who sign up in advance or in-person for the alumni website, Forever Titans, will also be entered to win a special Detroit Mercy diploma frame in addition to getting some on-the-spot prizes.
• #DetroitMercy2026 Photographer — There will also be a photographer with a fun photo station to make it easy for grads to share accomplishments on social media. These photos will be displayed in Calihan Hall prior to the ceremony for family and friends to view and will be joined by any photos sent to #DetroitMercy2026 between now and the week leading up to Commencement.

Representatives from the following departments will also be available to answer questions and provide information to candidates for graduation:

• Center for Career and Professional Development
• Office of the Registrar
• Student Life Office
• University Ministry
• University Recreation

Swing by the Lower Level in the Student Union for much more.

In celebration of Black History Month, the School of Architecture & Community Development (SACD), in collaboration with the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences at Detroit Mercy, will host a month-long exhibition designed by Elgin Cleckley, NOMA. The exhibition will kick off with a public lecture and exhibition opening on Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. in the Warren Loranger Architecture Building Exhibition Space.

The exhibition revisits the drawings and methods British abolitionists once used to show the harsh conditions aboard the Brookes Slave Ship (1781-1804). It includes models representing each of the ship’s 11 voyages, along with full-scale sections from its third voyage, which carried 740 enslaved people, based on historical records. These models are paired with drawings that reflect the 43 days spent crossing the Middle Passage.

At the exhibition opening, Cleckley will join Detroit-based art historian Samantha Noël to discuss the research and creative process behind the exhibition and stories it highlights about the Middle Passage.

Cleckley is an associate professor of Architecture and the undergraduate program director at Detroit Mercy. He leads _mpathic design, a multi-award-winning pedagogy, initiative and professional practice, and has collaborated on multiple award-winning civic projects. Cleckley was a Muschenheim Fellow at the University of Michigan and has taught at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

The free exhibition will run from Feb. 6 through 27, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment.

Detroit Mercy’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) Program brings students from across campus together to learn with, from and about one another to better prepare for collaborative, real-world problem solving. The program offers courses, simulations, community partnerships and emerging international experiences. These offerings strengthen teamwork, communication, ethics, leadership and innovation across disciplines such as nursing, health sciences, architecture and dentistry.

We are expanding IPE opportunities across campus and want to ensure future programs reflect student interests, needs and goals.

A wide variety of events featuring award-winning poets, films, talks and workshops are being planned at all Detroit Mercy Campuses to celebrate Black History Month.

The events are designed to show the importance of Black history in the United States.

You’re sure to find something educational, inspiring and entertaining at these events. Please see full listing of events below. Check back regularly as new events and updates will be added periodically.

It’s time to nominate a phenomenal woman who makes a difference here at Detroit Mercy.

The selected faculty, staff or administrator will be honored at the Phenomenal Women’s Reception on Friday, March 20.

The 21st Phenomenal Women’s Reception is an evening dedicated to celebrating the lives of women at Detroit Mercy who make an impact on our community and empower one another. The Ashley Grey Legacy Award will be presented to a faculty or staff representative at Detroit Mercy.

Nominations will close on Friday, Feb. 20, to allow for the selection committee to review all nominations carefully.

Each year, the Detroit Mercy English Department honors Dudley Randall, the late poet, publisher and University of Detroit librarian and poet-in-residence, by sponsoring a poetry competition in his name.

Now in its 56th year, the prize continues Randall’s legacy of amplifying creative voices within the Detroit Mercy community.

Detroit Mercy undergraduate students are eligible to submit one poem of 55 or fewer lines. All topics and poetic forms are welcome. The winner of the first prize must be available to read the poem at the annual CHASS Honors Convocation on Sunday, March 22.

The deadline for submissions is Feb. 6. First prize is $150 with second prize of $100 and third prize of $75. The judges of this year’s contest are:

• Melba Joyce Boyd, MI Poet Laureate
• Joanna Fuhrman
• Molly Barlow

Find out more about the Dudley Randall Poetry Prizes and read winning poems from previous years here.

For questions or more information about this year’s contest, please contact Stacy Gnall, Detroit Mercy’s poet-in-residence, at gnallsc@udmercy.edu.

As part of Black History Month, Detroit Mercy student Cayden Brown, historian of UDM’s Black Student Union, will give a presentation titled Legal Rights in Police Encounters. This award‑winning lecture and training is designed to empower young people with clear, practical knowledge of their rights during police situations.

The lecture will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 6:30 p.m., in Room 124 of the Health Professions Facility. All are welcome to attend.

This engaging presentation offers a step‑by‑step walkthrough of what individuals—especially youth of color—are legally entitled to during police encounters. Brown outlines proven strategies for self‑protection without escalation and equips participants with a ready‑to‑use protocol they can carry into subsequent interactions.

Brown has delivered this training nationwide, including its debut at Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, and now comes to Detroit Mercy for this important campus conversation.

A native of Detroit, Brown is an American child rights defender and award-winning activist, known for his impact on juvenile justice at a notably young age. His work has been featured in Forbes and TIME, and his voice heard before the world’s largest platforms, including the United Nations.