Congratulations to all on such a successful fall 2023 semester! As we look to the new year, let’s take a moment, in the practice of radical hospitality, to consider our past to inform our present and plan for our future. This newsletter captures all three moments and does so using a format that empowers us to share information more quickly. Thank you to Alex Hichel for her leadership in transforming the newsletter into this dynamic new format akin to Campus Connection.
We started this academic year strong! University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) is currently ranked #2 in the state of Michigan (only behind the University of Michigan), 52nd in the nation, and in the top 13% nationally according to the new 2024 The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse rankings of Best Colleges in the U.S. This ranking includes students’ return on their college investment in terms of mobility and career preparation. The U.S. News and World Report rankings place UDM at 185 out of 435 schools nationally – this is up from 202 in 2022. Such rankings reflect your dedication to our students’ success. Congratulations to all!
Please continue to share these rankings out via social media and other networks. This is excellent information for prospective students and their parents/guardians/communities and bragging rights to share within your professional networks as well.
Applications at UDM skyrocketed in fall 2023. On Nov. 1, when we begin accepting applications, our numbers increased from approximately 500 in fall 2022 to more than 2,000. Each fall 2023 Visit Day saw record-breaking attendance as around 900 students and their families/guardians came to campus. In the College of Liberal Arts & Education (CLAE), Briggs 317 was standing-room-only for the Dec. 2 Visit Day. CLAE’s new Student Ambassador Program, starting in January 2024 and spearheaded by Associate Dean Greg Grobis, will propel our recruitment efforts even further.
CLAE is on the move as we climb these rankings! This year, we continue to transition the new name of our College to the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. A formal announcement went out along with stories in The Varsity News and Spiritus. Visit our splash page for further information about the College renaming. To translate our new vision and mission into action, the Strategic Planning Taskforce will be announced soon and begin its work in January 2024.
We hosted many outstanding events this fall, including: a reading with Poet Laureate of Michigan Nandi Comer, the annual Law Day Fair, the opening of Detroit Mercy Theatre Company’s Season 53, the Great Lakes Detroit Bioneers Conference, the return of the Ethics Bowl, community meet ups with the African American Studies program and so much more.
Faculty, staff and students achieved outstanding accomplishments. Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer presented Jeremiah Steen, Communication Studies major, with the Spirit of Hope Award for inspiring young people to make a difference. The English Department brought the new Creative Arts kiosk, supported by a Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning grant, to campus as a public space for student writing and other creative content. The Detroit Mercy Theatre Company won three Wilde Awards for their production of Pride and Prejudice. Professor and Chair of Counseling and Addiction Studies, Nancy Calleja was awarded a $862,000 grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), which will provide enhanced specialized training to our graduate students to address the complex needs of the most vulnerable young adults in the region. More news about faculty publications and presentations appears in the Thumbs up! section of this newsletter. We will spotlight faculty-student research at our upcoming showcase, coordinated by Associate Dean Steven Huprich, in April 2024.
These accomplishments, initiatives and events, signal the vibrancy of our College community. Each contribution, from a big event to assisting a student find their classroom, makes our College exceptional. Thank you for all your efforts each day to make our students’ time with us transformational. Recall our practice of radical hospitality and that diversity is our strength as we maintain our unwavering commitment to delivering an outstanding liberal arts education.