Campus resources, support available; Ignatian Examen being planned for this week

Grounded in our Catholic, Jesuit mission, our Marquette University community strives to be a learning environment where people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives are welcomed and valued. This includes working alongside our students, faculty and staff through times of uncertainty and reaffirming our shared commitment to care for one another.

In light of recent events in Minneapolis and immigration enforcement activities around the country, counseling services and pastoral support are available to members of the campus community.

Yesterday, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, shared a message of peace, emphasizing the importance of coming together in dialogue.

In the spirit of dialogue, a group of university offices and members of the Society of Jesus are working on an Ignatian Examen for the campus community later this week, which will help us understand the times we are experiencing and find resources to guide the way we as individuals and a community respond to this moment. The event will help us to listen, to learn and to reflect on how our Catholic, Jesuit values can help us to find our way forward. The Examen will be followed by a communal Rosary for peace and reconciliation. More information will be shared in Marquette Today soon.

• Campus ministers, hall ministers and affiliated ministers are available to talk in a supportive setting.
• Marquette Counseling Center staff are available for drop-in visits and by appointment on the fourth floor of the Helfaer Wellness + Recreation facility. Visit or call (414) 288-7172. The Counseling Center is staffed in-person from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the week, and counselors are available 24/7 via phone.
• Marquette's Employee Assistance Program, LifeMatters, provides up to six free confidential, independent sessions with a master's-level counselor. Additional grief resources are available on the Human Resources website.
• Marquette's sacred spaces are readily accessible for prayer and/or reflection.
• The Office of Student Development is staffed with support resources. Email Kelly Albrecht, CARE Team case manager, or visit AMU 329 to speak with someone.

Members of the campus community should also be aware of our policy on outside law enforcement, legal rights, as well as available resources and support.

• If outside law enforcement comes to campus, it has always been Marquette's policy to direct non-MUPD officials to MUPD first to verify there is a legitimate, lawful request and then to respond as required under the law.
  • If you are in a Marquette building and are approached by an official from an outside law enforcement agency who requests access to university facilities, students or student education records, contact MUPD at 414-288-1911 and ask the non-MUPD law enforcement official to wait until an MUPD officer arrives or direct them to the MUPD office at 749 North 16th St.
• Do not physically block or interfere with their entry/enforcement action.
• Faculty and staff should be aware of their legal obligations to protect student information under the university's Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy. Student education records include any written or recorded information about students, contact information, grades or advising records, medical information, student life or behavior records, etc. More on FERPA.
  • Federal privacy laws (absent a health or safety emergency) generally prohibit the release of information from a student's records to law enforcement officers except pursuant to a valid court order or subpoena, both of which must be lawfully issued, as determined by the Office of General Counsel, or upon the written consent of the student.
• Be aware that there are no longer any specific protected areas or sensitive locations like schools, hospitals or churches. (The 2021 Guidelines for Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas memo was rescinded.)
• Faculty, staff and students should not respond on behalf of the university to reporters. Media requests for comment from the university should be directed to the Office of Marketing and Communication.