Tribute to Judi Trent

I first met Judi in the academic year 1971-1972. I had been hired a year earlier by Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and Judi’s husband, Jimmie Trent, was hired that year to chair my department. Judi found a position at the University of Dayton and commuted there from Oxford. Our friendship and our regular revision of our book kept Judi and me in constant contact as did many other projects and many mutual friends. Over the years we got to know each other very well. What began largely as a professional friendship grew into a personal one as well. While I have always considered Judi to be an excellent researcher and writer, I am most pleased to call Judi a good friend.

Queering the Marianist Charism

Experiencing disparities between the philosophical stance of the Marianist charism and its practical implications as they inform equity, inclusion, and diversity on the University of Dayton campus, the researcher engaged in a qualitative study gathering information to foster changes that benefit the greater University of Dayton community. By using the mixed methods, participant narratives contextualize diverse personal and professional experiences on campus. Results indicate that the Marianist charism, while complex in its interpretations, simultaneously draws people to the university and becomes a barrier to full equity; it further marginalizes women, persons of color, and LGBTQ+ identified people. This chapter concludes with a call to queer the Marianist charism and include the unheard voices of those marginalized to further these efforts.

Queering the Marianist Charism

Experiencing disparities between the philosophical stance of the Marianist charism and its practical implications as they inform equity, inclusion, and diversity on the University of Dayton campus, the researcher engaged in a qualitative study gathering information to foster changes that benefit the greater University of Dayton community. By using the mixed methods, participant narratives contextualize diverse personal and professional experiences on campus. Results indicate that the Marianist charism, while complex in its interpretations, simultaneously draws people to the university and becomes a barrier to full equity; it further marginalizes women, persons of color, and LGBTQ+ identified people. This chapter concludes with a call to queer the Marianist charism and include the unheard voices of those marginalized to further these efforts.