By Student Leaders of LGBTQ+ Alliance, the Black Student Association and the Hispanic Organization and Latinx Awareness, Guest Writers

For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, student organizations serving marginalized communities at Xavier University are facing unprecedented, disproportionate budget cuts — some as high as 50%.

These cuts have primarily targeted University-Affiliated Organizations (UAOs) like the LGBTQ+ Alliance, the Black Student Association (BSA) and the Hispanic Organization and Latinx Awareness (HOLA).

UAO status is meant to protect student organizations, especially those that serve historically underrepresented students, by guaranteeing them consistent and equitable funding. Instead, what we have experienced is a betrayal of that promise with large budget cuts and reasoning that does not seem justifiable.

In response to these cuts, the LGBTQ+ Alliance President Georgia Larive met with other UAO organization leaders to discuss if they also had any significant budget reductions. Similarly they had major budget cuts and were eager to learn the rationale behind the Student Government Association’s (SGA) decisions.

A joint meeting with the SGA executives was suggested but immediately dismissed and deemed not possible, citing concerns about time and organizations learning each other’s funding allocations. 

All organizations consented to sharing this information, yet SGA still refused to have the meeting while insisting on meeting one on one. The LGBTQ+ Alliance executive board met with SGA President Jake Galvan and Vice President Nick Watts. Having asked directly why their budget had been slashed so dramatically, the LGBTQ+ Alliance received few clear answers. 

One rationale the executives provided was that summer events are not open and accessible to all students, referring to the LGBTQ+ Alliance’s participation in the Cincinnati Pride Parade — an event open to all LGBTQ+ students and allies, and one that costs the organization less than $50 to attend.

This year BSA, HOLA and Alliance had one of the most successful years engagement wise. That being said, funding is critical for the UAO organizations to offer the current programming to support its students.

These explanations feel like excuses meant to cover up a deeper truth: marginalized groups are being deprioritized and defunded by the very student government meant to represent us.

We are calling for the following changes:

• A clear and public rubric for UAO funding decisions, just like the one used for general clubs. Currently, no such rubric exists — making the process feel arbitrary, subjective and inequitable.
• Public access to a funding sheet that outlines how much each organization receives, alongside the rationale. This transparency is critical to ensuring organizations are not penalized for the populations they serve.
• A restructured funding process that does not leave budget decisions for historically marginalized groups in the hands of a few students. These decisions should be accountable, consistent and guided by principles of equity — not personal judgment.

Marginalized groups are being defunded by SGA. They want us to be silent. The Jesuit value Cura Personalis states that Jesuit education includes a deep respect for diversity and difference with an emphasis on holistic care for the mind, body and spirit. SGA’s actions imply a complete disregard of the Jesuit values.

If you believe this is unacceptable, please sign our petition to demand the process for budgeting to be changed for UAOs. The petition will be available on our social media platforms.