Welcome back to the Winter 2026 semester! I hope that your holiday break was peaceful and provided time to connect with family and friends. The electric buzz of anticipation and activity now begins to fill our classrooms, buildings, and walkways across campus as faculty, students, and staff return from a well-deserved respite.
This newsletter outlines just some of the exciting events scheduled for this semester. The Detroit Mercy Theatre Company will present Poor Clare in February. The English Department’s annual Triptych series kicks off with poet Cate Marvin on Thursday. Black History Month will feature historian Kendra D. Boyd who will discuss her award-winning book Freedom Enterprise in February. The Discover Detroit Series will gear up as well. The Honors Convocation will celebrate our students’ achievements in March, followed by graduation in May.
As we hurtle through another fast-paced semester, let’s hold moments to reflect, reconnect with our purpose, and reframe how our daily endeavors manifest in meaningful change. It is a privilege to journey with our youth, one of the Jesuit’s Universal Apostolic Preferences, through their academic experience at UDM and often well beyond. Advancing liberal arts education remains fundamental to the pursuit of knowledge and the capacity to constructively critique society, a cornerstone of democracy.
In the face of growing fear and uncertainty given our current geopolitical context, our collective endeavors in CHASS and at UDM offer hope – a transformative path forward. We draw strength from our diverse community of belonging as we bravely meet our students where they are and continuously reach for the magis, the more.
I recognize your dedication and commitment to our students, each other, and our community. I wish you an adventurous semester filled with wonderment and surprise!