The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, has recently launched the Future Faculty Institute, a new program for prospective faculty from underrepresented populations to learn about the college and the faculty hiring process.
Led by the college’s Office of Justice, Equity, Belonging, and Identity, the institute provides participating members with professional development workshops, research discussions, and networking opportunities to prepare them for faculty hiring committees and successful interviews. According to Holy Cross, the program and its facilitators “are committed to addressing the lack of representation of minoritized groups in academia and acknowledge that diverse perspectives enhance the richness of intellectual discourse.”
“Holy Cross is trailblazing in this area,” said Tomicka Wagstaff, the college’s vice president for justice, equity, belonging, and identity. “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.”
The pilot cohort of the Future Faculty Institute concluded its four-day session in fall 2024. While still in its planning stage, the 2025 program aims to include community engagement events with local businesses that serve or are run by people of color.
