‘It is still unknown if any of these six departures are related’
Another diversity staffer at Quinnipiac University left this month, the sixth DEI official in one year, prompting questions about the turnover rate.
Sarah Hellyar, the interim Title IX coordinator, resigned in January and began a new job in the same role at Antioch University, the Quinnipiac Chronicle reports. Her resignation follows two others in December and three more since January 2023, all of them in diversity-related positions at the private Connecticut university.
Last week, new interim Vice President for Equity and Inclusion David Fryson said in an email that Hellyar resigned “for another professional opportunity,” according to the report.
Fryson wished her well in the new job, describing her as a “dedicated colleague” who elevated “the importance and visibility of Title IX on our campus.”
Hellyar worked at the university since October 2021 and served for one year as interim Title IX coordinator, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Meanwhile, the university has been searching for a permanent Title IX coordinator since March 2023, the Chronicle reports.
“It is still unknown if any of these six departures are related,” according to the newspaper. “But no matter the reason or relation, top diversity officials keep leaving Quinnipiac — and the broader impact of the recent turnover remains to be seen.”
In December, campus spokesman John Morgan told The College Fix that the university “remains committed to achieving the goals of advancing inclusive excellence” when asked about the first five diversity officials’ departures.
These included Wayne Gersie, the former vice president of equity and inclusion, and Dennis Kwarteng who served as Title IX coordinator prior to Hellyar. The Chronicle reported that Gersie left in December after only five months on the job.
Two individuals who served as director and assistant director of multicultural education and training also left last year, the report states.
Meanwhile, the campus spokesman told The Fix in December that creating a “full team” in the Office of Inclusive Excellence is a priority for the new year. Morgan said Quinnipiac also added a new position in the office to “increase retention of first-generation and diverse students.”
MORE: Five DEI officers have resigned from this university within span of a year
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