Fall Semester
Nov. 24: Fall classes end
Nov. 30: Reading day
Dec. 1-4: Remote finals week
Dec. 9: Grades due - Fall semester & Mini 2
Jan. 18: Incompletes due to Registrar
Spring Semester
Jan. 25: Spring & Mini 3 begin
Jan. 29: Student add/drop Spring & Mini 3
Feb. 1: Administrative Add/Drop Spring & Mini 3
Feb. 17: Break Day - No Classes
Feb. 19: Last Day to Declare Pass/Fail Mini 3
Feb. 26: Last Day to Withdraw Mini 3
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Mask Up, Lakers! With your contribution of $20 or more to the Mercyhurst Annual Fund and Student Scholarship Program, you will receive two limited edition Mercyhurst Masks. Learn more about our Old Main inspired masks at mercyhurst.edu/masks. (Make your contribution soon as supplies are limited!)
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Mercyhurst University’s Senior Class Gift is carrying on the annual tradition of leaving a gift to the school. The Class of 2021 has selected to endow the Kenny Robinson “Beat the Odds” Scholarship. The scholarship is named after Mercyhurst alum Kenny Robinson ’20 who tragically passed away in the spring.
Kenny’s spirit, kindness, and constant way of putting others first, is remembered in the scholarship. Kenny was an amazing teammate and friend and embodied what it means to be a Mercyhurst Laker.
The Class of 2021 has a $15,000 goal to reach by the end of the academic year but is working to reach a $2,500 goal by the end of the semester.
Donors can learn more and give online.
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Students who give $100 or more by the end of the year will receive Philanthropy Cords! |
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Top Donors (those who give $100 or more) will have their name listed on the donor plaque! |
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Christmas Eve Mass - Cancelled |
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Our annual Christmas Eve Mass is cancelled this year due to Covid-19. Students and families can expect to receive a special Christmas prayer video that invites members of the MU to join together in prayer and peace this Christmas. |
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The Student Mercy Emissary Program is underway!
The program's goals are to:
- Empower students as guardians of Mercy and Catholic Social Teaching,
- Develop and embody a whole new understanding of the Mercy mission
- Strengthen your connection to Mercyhurst, our history, and the Catholic intellectual tradition
- Foster humble leadership in service of Mercy
The program consists of 6 training sessions which began last week and will continue through April 2021.
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Recognized Student Clubs & Organizations (RSCOs) |
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RSCOs hosted 194 meetings between August 25th and November 24th. Of these events 52 were virtual and 40 were held outdoors. Our RSCOs have been resilient in the face of COVID-19 and have continued to build community through these important student organizations. Two new RSCOs were also recognized this semester: College Democrats and Mercyhurst Veteran Association (MVA). |
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Leadership Development Program |
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The Leadership Development Program welcomed 11 new students into Level 1 this year. Level 1 students focus on self-discovery and awareness and understanding their individual leadership style. The Leadership Development Program also introduced the LDP Branch Out Series as an extra opportunity for all levels of LDP to interact with each other to discuss additional leadership topics that are not covered in any of the Levels of LDP.
This semester the series covered "Leadership in Crisis" and "Leadership & Fear." Students have enjoyed these discussion based workshops and the chance to connect with students in other levels of LDP. Next semester, Level 3 students will host the Emerging Leaders Workshops. These students spent the Fall semester creating learning outcomes, researching activities, and practicing their facilitation skills in order to prepare for these workshops which are aimed at freshmen & sophomore students.
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This fall, the Campus Involvement Center and Multicultural & Student Activities Council took on the challenge of keeping students entertained and engaged every Friday and Saturday in a COVID world. Events included a mix of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Campus Involvement began the semester with a deeply detailed safety plan for all events that included the use and distribution of face masks, hand sanitizer availability, and social distancing in our outdoor and large indoor spaces. To do so, we worked closely with campus partners such as Athletics and Parkhurst (Mercyhurst Dining Services).
Virtual events included escape room simulators, movie nights, comedy shows, and game shows. In-person events included headphone discos, paint nights, glow in the dark events such as a 3K across campus and mini golf, and open mic nights. Hybrid events included activities that students could pick up from the Student Union and take back to their rooms such as bonsai trees and succulents to decorate and care for, and self-care kits to make at the Student Union and continue to use in their residence.
While students did not have the opportunity to participate in traditional events like Homecoming and Hurst Day, we were still able to provide them their favorite spooky events. Halloween weekend began with a Pumpkin Patch event that allowed students to pick their own pumpkin from the lawn in front of the Student Union and then pick up paint supplies to take back to their residence to paint with friends and grab their favorite individually wrapped fall treats provided by Parkhurst. This event was intended to give students the experience of going to a Pumpkin Patch with their friends.
The following night was our annual Haunted Hurst with new and spookier stories! Additional COVID-19 safety guidelines were set into place for this event. Students were able to sign up for Ambassador-led tours in groups of no more than 6 and were required to hold a rope with knots that kept them 6 feet apart. Tour guides were masked the entire time and those who were actors along the tour were masked, spread out along the tour, and were not permitted to come close to those on the tour. Our tours had two added aspects this year. Students checked in for their tour in the Performing Arts Center, which is where the tours began. The Performing Arts Center was decorated as a Haunted House and included theatrical effects such as lights, surround sound, and even an automated ghost that would fly across the theater. The tours concluded in the Student Union where the story of Louie the Laker’s death was told. This portion included a ghost statue with Louie’s head, rushing water sounds, and lights. Students were then able to receive a free mocktail from the Roost and take remaining pumpkins and paint supplies.
As the semester winds down we are moving to virtual events that students can take part in from campus or from home.
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This summer, groups of faculty and staff members across campus came together to continue the discussion on how Mercyhurst can promote diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on campus and provide outlets for students to safely and responsibly express their feelings and concerns regarding Mercyhurst culture and events and issues in our greater society.
Some initiatives that have come from these groups include a reporting system that let members of the Mercyhurst community report bias-based incidents. Faculty and staff are becoming trained in diversity and inclusion practices in small groups to better understand the livelihoods of their students and respond to the needs of an ever-changing student body.
The Campus Involvement Center and Multicultural Student Services has worked diligently to provide a wider range of cultural programming this semester. The semester kicked off with a month-long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which included events such as virtual salsa dance lessons, lunch & learns with campus faculty, trivia, and a grab and go luncheon with Hispanic foods. Following Hispanic Heritage Month and expanding Halloween celebrations, we offered an deeper look into Dia De Los Muertos, a Hispanic holiday that celebrates the lives of those we’ve lost. This event included partnerships with Parkhurst and Campus Ministry. Coming up, we will celebrate the traditional Indian holiday, Diwali, a celebration of light as it represents light vs. dark, life vs. death.
Multicultural Student Services is working with various academic and student life departments across campus to increase outreach, education, and conversations surrounding social justice topics. Cultural programming will continue in the spring to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and more!
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