Holy Cross Seeks to Diversify Academia Through its Future Faculty Institute

It was the pride flags that sparked a conversation.

“That we had pride flags and pronoun pins at our table surprised some people,” said Patricia Feraud-King '15, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion for faculty and staff at Holy Cross. She was running the College’s table at the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in New Orleans, a four-day conference designed to support scholars from underrepresented communities who hope to one day join the faculty at a college or university.

Feraud-King and colleagues attended the conference to recruit potential members for the second cohort of the College’s Future Faculty Institute, a new program that invites prospective faculty from underrepresented populations to explore Holy Cross and Worcester, as well as learn about the faculty hiring process in higher education. 

Participants in the program’s inaugural cohort spent four days on campus in September 2024, attending workshops and speaking sessions and connecting with faculty and academic departments.

“What we’re providing is an opportunity for informal networking and mentoring,” said Tomicka Wagstaff, Holy Cross vice president for justice, equity, belonging, and identity. “It’s a cohort of 12 people that you’ve gotten to know, that you can tap into and go to for support and advice.” 

Participant Kizzy Davis is an adjunct assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development at Philadelphia’s Temple University. Members of the inaugural cohort forged strong connections, she said: “The fact that we all wanted to be there and partake in this opportunity made us mesh really well as a group.” 

Members even created a group chat to stay in touch. 

Feraud-King said that people of color perceive Catholic colleges and universities as primarily white institutions, which is why conversations like those at the Future Faculty Institute are vital for schools that want to attract and retain diverse faculty. 

The institute serves as a way to dispel preconceived notions, said Catherine Boozang-Hill, associate director for diversity education at Holy Cross. “We’re highlighting what it means to have Jesuit values and making sure the participants understand they don’t have to be Catholic or a particular religious identity to participate,” she said.

“We want to diversify Holy Cross faculty and ensure that there’s representation,” Feraud-King said. “People say, ‘I just can’t find diverse candidates,’ so we’re proving that’s just not true.”

'This goes beyond Holy Cross'

While members of the inaugural cohort have applied for open faculty positions at the College, the institute's success is not defined solely by those numbers. Members of the College's Office of Justice, Equity, Belonging, and Identity (JEBI) said they hope to spur long-term change throughout academia. 

In giving professionals the tools to succeed, they will go on to diversify academia, Feraud-King said. 

“I want to emphasize that this goes beyond Holy Cross,” she added.

Participants in the Future Faculty Institute praised the networking opportunities, the panel discussions about hiring committees and the interviewing tips provided. 

Participant Kareem Hayes is pursuing his doctorate in interdisciplinary leadership at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

“One of the things that sticks out to me is the power of networking and having that face time with different departments,” Hayes said. “Now in my application, I can put a face to a name.”

“They’ve had a wonderful experience with us at Holy Cross and are sharing that in their circles,” Wagstaff said. “They’re helping us expand our reach and get our name out there.”

With the pilot cohort concluded, the JEBI team will be using what they learned to improve and extend the program in years to come. Participants expressed an interest in engaging more with communities on and off campus, so plans are underway to offer more opportunities to explore Worcester and campus. 

Though still in the planning stages, the 2025 program may include an event in which businesses, nonprofits and organizations that serve or are run by people of color are invited to campus to demonstrate what Worcester has to offer future Institute participants.

“Holy Cross is trailblazing in this area,” Wagstaff said. “It’s an opportunity for us to say we are committed to academic and inclusive excellence and we’re doing that by bringing diverse individuals to campus and exposing them to careers in academia.”