Academic and Personal Services

This is an archived copy of the 2022-2023 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.mtmercy.edu.

Library

Busse Library is the learning resource center for the campus, housing print and media materials.  The library’s catalog, WorldCat, and full text periodical databases are available online.  Library services include reference, library instruction, and interlibrary loan.  The library offers media equipment, five study rooms, and several classrooms.

Library Technology Resources

Busse Library offers 35 public access computers, all featuring Microsoft Office’s software suite.  The library provides campus wi-fi access, printing/copying services, and assistance with the campus learning management system (Brightspace).  The library’s lower level offers a PC classroom and Mac Lab, as well as offices for the Information Technology (IT) group.

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 Educator 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, also houses and facilitates academic accommodations and services for students with disabilities. Core functions related to accommodations and disabilities 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 319-363-1323 ext. 1204.

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, two back-to-back day and evening summer sessions, and online courses are some of the many ways the institution serves non-traditional students. (See the section on Accelerated and Online Programs for additional information).

Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry is housed in the Busse Center, along with the Chapel of Mercy. All students are welcome to stop in and take advantage of the Campus Ministry Lounge for studying, gathering, prayer, and relaxing. Campus Ministry promotes purposeful and merciful living according to the Gospel and our Mercy values.  As a Catholic/Mercy institution, we nurture visions by which to walk and live. Campus Ministry is part of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, a worldview 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:

  • Weekday Mass
  • Sacramental preparation
  • Reconciliation
  • Interfaith and interreligious educational and worship opportunities
  • Retreats and vocation discernment activities
  • Service and volunteer opportunities at home and away
  • Formation in social justice
  • Faith formation
  • Peer Ministry Organization
    • Campus Peer Ministers – Work-studies who assist with planning/implementing Campus Ministry events
    • Residential Peer Ministers – Assist with Campus Ministry outreach by being a constant presence in the residence halls
  • Music Ministry for worship and spiritual growth

Campus Ministry is open to all faiths and those with no faith. Campus Ministry engages in many activities that help empower leaders for the future and 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.

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: Handshake, a digital job posting site that employers and students can access via the Internet or digital device, 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 Recruitment and Integration

This office 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.  The office also works with students of every major who are considering 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 has information on study, intern, and volunteer opportunities, and on scholarships for study abroad.