President Colleen Hanycz has pocketed millions since the beginning of her short stint at Xavier University (2021-present), making $778,732 in 2023 (projects.propublica.org). The university she leads has been bleeding students and betraying its values.

Our previous president, Father Michael Graham, a Jesuit priest, didn’t even take a salary his entire 20 years as president. He led with humility and service, values that once defined Xavier. Today, that legacy is being replaced by corporate greed and disregard for community (www.cincymagazine.com).

Enrollment is down by 17% since 2024, and 27% in the past 5 years. (fitchratings.com). Tuition has increased by 17.25% since 2021, even as programs are cut and resources shrink. Students are paying more for less (xavier.edu). Not to mention Xavier's new 3 year on-campus living requirement, draining students of even more (xaviernewswire.com).

This isn’t even the first time President Hanycz has overseen decline. During her 1 year long presidency at La Salle University in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania, enrollment fell by 17% and faculty dissatisfaction grew, with critics pointing to “strategic restructuring” that weakened the school’s academic community (web.archive.org). The pattern is clear. Xavier deserves better.

Our hardworking, passionate professors are getting fired, stripped of benefits, and forced to accept downgraded health insurance. Their salaries are being cut (local12.com). Furthermore, faculty members have expressed concerns about the administration's disregard for academic freedom, with new policies undermining their ability to teach and conduct research freely (xaviernewswire.com) (cincinnati.com).

Xavier University is lost. Our school has forgotten the central purpose of higher education; to foster an environment where knowledge can be pursued. To create a community where ideas are challenged, curiosity is encouraged, and truth is sought without fear or favor. Our administration has traded that mission for a culture more focused on appearances than inquiry. A university should be a sanctuary for questioning and discovery, not a corporation chasing prestige. The students have been left behind, attending a school that is wholly unconcerned with their well being, and only cares about money.

This isn’t leadership. It’s exploitation disguised as “strategic vision.” The legacy of our great university is worth so much more than the actions of one president. If Hanycz truly wants to lead, she must start by cutting her excessive salary, restoring faculty pay and benefits, and actually listening to the community she serves. Let’s make our voices impossible to ignore and reclaim the future of our university; hold President Hanycz accountable.