The Spire

Charlotte Kerrigan ’29

News Editor

At the College of the Holy Cross, more than a third of our staff are contingent faculty and teach about 40% of courses every semester. Being contingent faculty means professors are often on year-to-year contracts with nonrenewal after 5 years, leading to job insecurity. In addition, there are often no internal promotion pathways, and contingent faculty earn significantly less than their colleagues on the tenure track. During the spring semester of 2026, a group called Justice for Contingents formed to express concern about the treatment of contingent faculty. To begin the process, the group brought a resolution to the Faculty Assembly which asked for support in their efforts to address their concerns in a meaningful way. The resolution passed by a vote of 137-3. In response, Provost Visconsi submitted a response to the Faculty Assembly request on Aug. 28. While there was some improvement, including earlier contract renewal, which happened in May instead of July or August, most of the response restated existing policies at Holy Cross.

On Tuesday, September 29, Justice for Contingents held an event called Labor Justice at Jesuit Institutions. This invited guests from other Jesuit institutions to highlight how their contingent faculty was able to overcome similar obstacles that Holy Cross contingent faculty face. This event not only emphasized the concerns contingent faculty have, but also that there is a way to fix the issues highlighted. Holy Cross compares itself to other Jesuit institutions, yet the way the college treats its contingent faculty does not align with its Jesuit values. Holy Cross emphasizes the importance of “cura personalis,” which refers to caring and treating everyone with equal respect and dignity, yet contingent professors claim they are given less than their tenure colleagues and treated as if they are simply replaceable. 

The first Jesuit institution representative that spoke at the meeting was Matt Williams from Loyola University Chicago. In reference to how contingent staff was treated before the faculty fought for better contracts, Williams stated “we are numbers on a spreadsheet; we are disposable.” He revealed how the college did not take into account the cost of living, and faculty had not had a raise in 10 years. After having strikes and building coalitions with students and tenure faculty, the college recognized the contingent faculty, leading to pay raises. William emphasized how things will not get better if action is not taken and he stressed the importance of student involvement in this matter.

Next, the audience heard from three speakers from Fordham University, Kari Evanson, Diane George, and Kasim Moultrie. Some improvements they stressed included salary increases, to gain seniority recognition, and job security. They also highlighted the stages they went through in order to achieve the contract they have today. For the second contract they received, they had a flexible savings account since they did not have health insurance, but they continued to push since they were not satisfied. Eventually they were able to secure pay raises, promotions within the contingent faculty, and longer contracts for job security. Some major points they underscored were working with administration rather than fighting against them. They also highlighted how their strike authorization was a turning point and the importance of gaining support amongst the community. 

The final speakers were not from a Jesuit institution but from a local Worcester college, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). The speakers Zoe Relinger and Jeff Fifer highlighted the grievances they held at WPI. They were not included in staff meetings, were on year-to-year contracts, and would not know if they were hired until a few months before the semester began. They helped form a community, which led them to meet with provosts in order to address their issues and formulate better contracts that met the needs of contingent faculty.

Many of the same needs highlighted by the other institutions are issues that impact contingent faculty at Holy Cross. The main improvements professors stated they wanted for contingent faculty were greater job security, proper resources, clear faculty regulations, recognition in their departments, and clear internal promotional pathways. On Nov. 10, the Faculty Assembly will have a vote to determine whether the Provost’s previous response was sufficient, and based on these grievances, it is expected the Faculty Assembly will vote “no.” Contingent faculty want further contract improvements the same way other Jesuit and neighboring institutions were able to achieve.

Justice for Contingents addresses the direct impact contingent faculty have on students. Specifically, first-year students are disproportionately taught by contingent faculty. About half of the Montserrat program is taught by contingent faculty. Students are promised long-lasting faculty and student connections, yet the professors teaching them are not promised to return. Contingent faculty overall want to stress the importance of educating yourself about the issue and spreading awareness.