By Jackson Hare, Education and Enrichment Coordinator

Xavier’s LGBTQ+ Alliance (Alliance) has begun the 2024-2025 school year without a dedicated faculty advisor as the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) faces an indefinite vacancy pending the conclusion of the “soft hiring freeze” tied to the Sustaining Excellence project. 

Last fall, former assistant director of the CDI Maria Merrill changed roles at Xavier, taking on a new position as Director of Student Wellbeing Services at the start of the 2024 spring semester. As part of her former role, Merrill was the faculty advisor for Alliance, and she also headed the staff-led LGBTQ+ student affinity group, Queeries. 

According to Alliance President Georgia Larive, Merrill provided invaluable support and guidance to Alliance and LGBTQ+ students. 

“She prepared us for the real world and taught us to take the initiative,” Larive said. “With her guidance and having seen the previous (executive) board, I feel more confident in being president.” 

Larive added that Merrill’s role change is bitter-sweet for Alliance. 

“Even though it is sad to not have her working with Alliance as directly, we know she will be making a larger impact on the Xavier community, bettering it as a whole,” Larive said. 

With Merrill no longer advising the student organization, Alliance has been awaiting answers for when the position will be filled again. 

In the meantime, the CDI’s Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, Tamara Serrano Chandler, has stepped in to support the Alliance executive board. 

“We’re all charged with helping support all marginalized students who are at risk at Xavier. All of us, regardless of our title, any student who walks in our office, that’s what we are all focused on,” CDI Director Samuel Terry said. 

“(Chandler) has been a great help in a lot of the logistical side of Alliance and helping give guidance in general,” Larive said. “But it has made it more difficult to not have a direct advisor we can go to. Maria was very helpful with Alliance because she is a part of the queer community and can share her lived experiences.” 

Additionally, this year Queeries, has to meet once a month instead of every other Tuesday as it did last year. In Merrill’s absence, Alvin Downing has been contracted to temporarily lead the affinity group. 

It is still unknown if and when Merrill’s former position will be refilled. This is due to what Terry called a “soft hiring freeze” as they await recommendations from the Sustaining Excellence project. 

The university began this project last year, selecting the consulting firm McKinsey & Company to conduct an eight-week investigation into the university’s performance in order to inform the university’s response to its $16 million budget deficit. 

According to Terry, the CDI is indefinitely awaiting recommendations from the Sustaining Excellence project before they can proceed with refilling the position, leaving them uncertain about when or if that will happen. 

“We definitely hope to have someone, but I can’t guarantee anything,” Terry said. 

“It has made it more difficult to not have a direct advisor we can go to,” Larive said. “There are still some items that the board will need assistance with and that is where it is crucial to have an advisor.”