Academic and Personal Services
Library
Busse Center is the learning resource center for the campus, housing both print and nonprint materials and a variety of electronic resources. The library’s online catalog, WorldCat, and full-text periodical indexes are available online. Library services include reference, interlibrary loan, and library instruction. The campus media center, computer center, curriculum center, and Mac lab also are housed in the Busse Library.
Computer Center
The Busse Computer Center is one of two campus computer labs. In the computer center, students have access to e-mail, the internet, the Microsoft Office Professional suite of software, and a variety of software designed for specific courses. Workshops and handouts are available to students. A computer classroom/lab is available in Basile Hall, and a Mac lab is also available in the Busse Library.
Academic Center For Excellence (ACE)
Academic assistance is available to all students to help build their capabilities in writing, reading, learning skills, and specific content areas. Classes and individual guidance are provided, along with workshops, study sessions, and course-specific discussion groups. The Peer Tutoring program provides tutoring in a wide range of fields with flexible scheduling. The ACE Writing Center provides drop-in writing support, with a schedule posted each semester. Disability Services are coordinated through the Center to help assure individual support, technology assistance, and alternative testing or other accommodations where needed.
Disabilities Contact Information
Mount Mercy is committed to equality of educational opportunity for all students. The Academic Center for Excellence, located in the University Center, houses and facilitates academic accommodations and services for students with disabilities. Core functions include:
- Establishing and communicating criteria for disability services at Mount Mercy
- Providing assessment to verify eligibility for services
- Facilitating academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities
- Supporting disability-related services and opportunities for students with disabilities
Students seeking academic accommodations first meet with Disability Services staff, who provide assessment, review documentation, and determine eligibility for services. Together they discuss academic needs, use of appropriate forms, and process for working with instructors and the Center.
Students who request accommodations but have not registered with the Center need to be referred to the office to complete the registration process before accommodations are arranged. If students suspect they might have a disability but have not been evaluated previously, they should contact Disability Services for referrals. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis. For further information regarding services available for students with disabilities, please contact ACE at 319-363-8213 ext. 1208.
University Center Information Desk
The University Center Information Desk is an information and service area dedicated to assisting students by providing programs, services, and general information. Located on the first floor of the Sisters of Mercy University Center, information and referrals are available regarding Mount Mercy programs and services. ID cards may be obtained at the Information Desk.
Academic Advising
Upon entering Mount Mercy, students are assigned to faculty advisors from their major program who meet with the students individually to help facilitate the transition to Mount Mercy and the ongoing progress toward degree completion. Students are expected to meet with their advisors prior to registration to discuss course selections and to consult with them as needed. Advisors serve as the most knowledgeable resource for students in their major programs of study.
Continuing Education
Mount Mercy seeks to identify and respond to the special needs of the non-traditional student. Evening class offerings, and two back-to-back day and evening summer sessions, are some of the many ways the institution serves non-traditional students. (See the section on the Accelerated Programs for additional information).
Health Services
Health Services is staffed by a registered nurse available for consultation and referral. Services include assessments, referrals, vaccinations, and health education programs. The programs are available to all Mount Mercy students, faculty, and staff. Most programs and services are offered free or available at a nominal fee.
Wellness Program
Mount Mercy’s Wellness Program is designed to encourage wise choices for a healthy lifestyle and is open to all students, faculty, and staff. Programs sponsored throughout the year include wellness week, walking programs, aerobics, yoga, breast cancer awareness, healthy eating habits, relaxation techniques, and massage therapy. A fitness center is located in the upper level of Lundy and is equipped with aerobic exercise machines, free weights, and weight equipment.
Residence Life
The mission of Residence Life at Mount Mercy is to enhance student success, personal development, and satisfaction with the total educational experience.
All residence rooms have cable TV and computer ports linked to a state-of-the-art network system. The department currently houses students in two residence halls, an apartment area, and our three-building complex of suites. Graduate Assistant Area Coordinators live in campus housing, administer the Residence Life program, and assist students as needed.
Residency Requirement
Mount Mercy has a two-year residency expectation. Students are expected to live in campus housing during their first four semesters of full-time college attendance. Students may be exempt from this requirement if: living with parents; if “independent” status with regard to federal financial aid regulations; or if they turned 21 years old before July 1st preceding their second year. An exemption request must be filed with the Office Residence Life, and approved, in order for an exemption to be made.
Athletics and Intramurals
Mount Mercy has a well-rounded athletic department. Athletic opportunities for men include: golf, basketball, baseball, track, cross-country, soccer, and bowling. Opportunities for women include: golf, volleyball, basketball, softball, track, cross-country, soccer, and bowling. The intramural program offers many activities such as co-ed volleyball and basketball for both on-campus and off-campus students.
Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry is a place where everyone is welcome. Campus Ministry is housed in the Busse building. Students can stop by and gather around the cozy fireplace for sharing, study, interactions, and fun times. Campus Ministry promotes purposeful and merciful living according to the Gospel and Mercy values. As a Catholic and Mercy university we nurture visions by which to walk and live. Campus Ministry is part of the Catholic intellectual tradition, a world view that inspires innovative thinking, probing inquiry, supportive interaction, and a strong belief in diversity – including religious diversity. Campus Ministry hosts a variety of student-generated activities that tap into people’s thirst for a healthy relationship with God, self, and others:
- Sunday evening and Thursday noon celebrations of the Eucharist
- Sacramental preparation
- Reconciliation
- Inter-faith and inter-religious worship services
- Retreats and vocation discernment activities
- Service and volunteer opportunities at home and away
- Formation in social justice
- Education for growth in one’s faith
- Peer Ministry Club & Team to reach out and support fellow students
- Music Ministry for worship and spiritual growth
Campus Ministry is open to all faiths and those with no faiths. Campus Ministry engages in many activities that help empower leaders for the future and also are transformative. Students, faculty, and staff experience the hospitable characteristic of the Sisters of Mercy who founded Mount Mercy. We are witness to authentic Catholic culture, its inclusiveness, its concern for justice and peace, and its keen awareness of the footprint of a loving Creator in the world around us.
Counseling
Confidential counseling is available during fall, winter, and spring terms at no charge to all registered students of Mount Mercy University. Counseling includes, but is not limited to, such areas as: personal and social growth, depression, interpersonal relationships, anxiety, stress, sexuality, sexual abuse, and family issues. Students learn self-management and coping skills. The type of counseling offered is brief in nature with referral to other professionals when deemed appropriate.
The Gerald & Audrey Olson Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic
Student interns in the Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program are able to address a wide range of mental health concerns, including (but not limited to): Depression, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Sexual Dysfunction, and Eating Disorders.
In addition to working with general mental health problems, student interns in the Gerald & Audrey Olson Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic provide assistance to those wishing to improve relationship functioning and/or parenting skills.
Mail and Telephone Services
The Public Safety Director coordinates the operation of the Mount Mercy switchboard. All mail services are coordinated through the mail room located in Lundy. Campus mailboxes for students are available through the mail room.
Career Services
The Career Services Office provides comprehensive career development advising and programming to assist students in every major from freshman year through graduation. The office’s services also are available to Mount Mercy alumni. The approach used in the career planning process is individualized and developmental. The office serves as a clearinghouse for a wide range of employment and internship opportunities and maintains ongoing communication with employers and graduate schools from all sectors.
Services include: CareerClicks, a digital job posting site that employers and students can access via the Internet, as well as the resources available on the Career Services web page; assistance in searching for full-time, part-time, and summer employment; internship assistance; career resource library; career counseling; assistance in deciding on a major; administration and interpretation of career interest inventories; graduate school information; resumé critique; interview preparation; career fairs and workshops.
International Student Services
The International Student Advisor consults with international students on their immigration status and serves as a contact throughout their enrollment at Mount Mercy. The International Club serves as a campus organization for all students interested in learning about different cultures and nationalities around the world.
Office of International Programs
The Office of International Programs encourages students of every major to consider studying abroad. Study abroad programs can be as short as ten days or as long as a semester. They provide students with an excellent opportunity to increase global awareness and experience personal growth. The Office of International Programs provides information on study, intern, and volunteer opportunities, and on scholarships for study abroad.