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Bringing it together
University of Detroit Mercy's new president
sees cooperation as key to school's success

By Joe Kohn
Of The Michigan Catholic
Published Sept. 17, 2004

DETROIT – Fr. Gerard Stockhausen, SJ, is a highly educated man.

He has a doctorate in economics; master's degrees in divinity, social ethics and mathematics; and years of administrative experience at two universities.

Photo by Shawn D. Ellis With the landmark clock tower in the background, Fr. Gerard Stockhausen, SJ, strolls across the University of Detroit Mercy's McNichols Campus. He will be installed as president of the school Oct. 1.

But as Fr. Stockhausen prepares for his inauguration as president of University of Detroit Mercy – where he has been vice president for academic affairs and provost since 2000 – his plan for leading the school through a time of rapid change isn't quite as complex as some of the theories and mathematical formulas the Jesuit has studied or taught. In fact, it can be boiled down to three words... Bringing people together.

"For me, that's a very comfortable way of leading," says Fr. Stockhausen, 55, who will be inaugurated Oct. 1, capping a week of events at the Catholic university sponsored by the Society of Jesus and Sisters of Mercy. "You step up when you need to, when there's a need for a public face on the university – but for an awful lot of stuff, it's just a matter of getting folks together and saying 'Here's what has to happen. How do we want to do this?'"

Fr. Stockhausen is the first Jesuit president of UDM, which was established in 1990 when the University of Detroit and Mercy College merged. He replaced Sr. Maureen Fay, OP, who had been president since the merger. Sr. Fay retired.

Before joining UDM, Fr. Stockhausen was associate dean for the college of business administration at Creighton University, a Jesuit university in Omeha, Neb. He has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan, a master of divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif. and a master's degree in mathematics from St. Louis University.

UDM, Michigan's largest Catholic university, is in a state of transition. As part of a long-term plan drawn up under the presidency of Sr. Fay, the school is expanding two Detroit campuses and selling off a third, all while trying to boost its 6,000-member student body.

As Fr. Stockhausen talks about the school's future, cooperation is a key theme.

He talks about how a recent consolidation of colleges on two campuses has fostered better dialogue among faculty members.

He talks about the university's small class sizes allowing stronger mentoring relationships to develop between teachers and students.

He talks about bringing students, faculty and staff together for town hall-style meetings once a month.

And he talks about combining fields of studies to create interesting and useful majors – such as the merging of a computer information systems major with criminal justice to create a degree in informational security.

The goal, he says, is using what the university has available to it already.

"It's about pulling resources together and saying, 'How do we use what we have to offer something that students will find attractive – without saying we have to have more of everything?'" Fr. Stockhausen says.

There's another thing, too, he says – emphasizing the strengths that make UDM a Catholic school. According to the university's mission, that means educating the entire person.

"It's not just head learning," Fr. Stockhausen says. "It's also whole-person learning. A lot of that happens already – and we can do more. That's all a part of what it is to be Catholic in the way you educate people, paying attention to the whole person and not just the head."

For example, he says, faculty should encourage students while they're in classes or work-study programs to take account of what's going on in their hearts, to find out if their academic pursuits are helping them become the people that God wants them to be.

As a leader, those who know Fr. Stockhausen say he's down to earth, open and accessible. He's soft spoken, too – but his actions speak.

So far this year, he's opened the president's dining room, which typically is reserved for entertaining donors, to the university staff. He's served as guest chef in the student cafeteria. He enjoys bringing people together for late-night Masses at the residence hall. He lives on campus, and jogs around it in the morning.

And given that he has a passion for music – he was a member of the St. Louis Jesuits, known for writing such liturgical songs as "Here I Am, Lord," and "Be Not Afraid" – he may even take part in an upcoming campus singing contest modeled after the popular television show American Idol.

Fr. John Staudenmaier, SJ, a UDM dean who's spending the year as a visiting scholar at Santa Clara University in California, has known Fr. Stockhausen since he became a Jesuit in 1970.

Fr. Staudenmaier says the "quietly styled" Fr. Stockhausen brings special skills to the university's presidency.

"He has a very unusual combination of leadership qualities," Fr. Staudenmaier says. "On one hand, he is extremely smart, about process and about institutions. He's an economist. He understands the inner workings of what makes an institution succeed or fail.

"Secondly, he's calm. He's done his Jesuit homework of knowing his inner life. He doesn't have a lot of blind spots. He has great self knowledge – it's a huge strength in a leader."

Suzanne Mellon, dean of the college of health professions and the McAuley School of Nursing, was one of the first deans Fr. Stockhausen appointed as provost.

"I've known him very well and have found him to be a very strong leader," said Mellon. "He's very thoughtful, and he's willing to listen to any thoughts on any new initiative."

Fr. Stockhausen's been particularly responsive, she said, in building relationships with other schools and hospitals. For example, she said, he helped develop a program in which UDM cooperates with St. Mary Mercy Medical Center and Aquinas College, both on the west side of the state, to train students.

Students, too, see Fr. Stockhausen as an advocate, says Michael Simon III, president of the student government.

"One thing I can definitely see is that students are a very big issue with him," says Simon, a 21-year-old business administration major and a parishioner at St. Mary of the Hills in Rochester. "He holds the student body very highly. He wants to involve the students more with administration and decision-making. I really think he is going to cherish the voice of the students this year, and in years to come."

At UDM, the idea is a simple one. Getting students involved in the university encourages them to become involved in their communities. As Fr. Stockhausen says, that's the end-goal of the university.

"Part of our vision statement is to be known by graduates who lead and serve in their community," he says. "We've really tried to do that. The best way to give thanks for what you've got is to share it with other people. Giving back and serving in the community is an important part of what it is to be a graduate of this institution, and to be a student of this institution."

Inauguration Week at University of Detroit Mercy In honor of the inauguration of Fr. Gerald Stockhausen, the University of Detroit Mercy has scheduled a week of festivities. Here are some highlights (unless otherwise noted, all events are open to the public): Sept. 27: American Idol Winner and Titan Idol. Ruben Studdard, winner of the "American Idol" television show, and the winner of a University of Detroit Mercy singing contest will perform at 7:30 p.m. at Calihan Hall, 4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit. Cost is $25. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster online. Sept. 28: The Red Mass. Mass is open to all Michigan laywers and judges of all faiths. Fr. Stockhausen, SJ, will preside. Mass will be at SS. Peter & Paul (Jesuit) Church, 629 E. Jefferson, Detroit. Sept. 29: Leadership and Service in our Community. Students and faculty will gather throughout the day to volunteer at non-profit agencies in Detroit. Sept. 30: Academic Symposium. A discussion of Catholic Universities of the 21st century. Open to local educators. At Gesu Church, 17204 Oak Drive in Detroit. Sept. 30: Facility Dedications and Open Houses. Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the renovated Commerce and Finance Building at 7:05 p.m. Another ceremony, for the new College of Health Professions facility, will be at 7:30 p.m. Both buildings are on the McNichols campus, 4001 W. McNichols Road in Detroit. Oct. 1: Celebrate Spirit/Installation and Liturgy. Beginning at 10:45 a.m., Fr. Stockhausen will be installed as president of University of Detroit Mercy in Calihan Hall, 4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit. Cardinal Adam Maida will preside at the Mass. Oct. 1: Inaugural Gala. At 6 p.m., a black-tie preferred event with dinner and dancing will take place at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway, in Detroit. Tickets are $175. For more information on the presidential Inauguration Week, visit UDM's website.