Honorary Title: College Professor of Distinction

Revised: 13 December 2005

The honorific title College Professor of Distinction is reserved for scholars and artists of national and international distinction who are also recognized by their College peers as teachers and colleagues of exceptional talent.

Appointments to this honorary title shall be made from those holding the rank of Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. While there is no limit upon the number of College Professor of Distinction in the College at any one time, the expected level of accomplishment in all three areas of service, teaching, and research or creative work will likely limit the number of honorees to approximately 10% of the eligible Professors.

A. Criteria

A candidate for designation as College Professor of Distinction shall be judged by the following criteria:

  1. The candidate must be recognized nationally or internationally as a distinguished scholar or artist of exceptional quality. They should enjoy evidence of national recognition for their position in their discipline beyond individual testimonials, such as by prestigious lectureships, elected positions, awards, and honors.

  2. The candidate should exhibit evidence of superior accomplishment as a teacher and mentor to both graduate and undergraduate students, and should exhibit enthusiasm for teaching through their activities as a teacher-scholar.
  3. The candidate should exhibit a record of superior service to their discipline, their department, and their College and University.

  4. The candidate should exhibit a strong record in each domain, but a record that overall can be judged to be exceptional.

B. Nomination and Selection Procedure

  1. Candidates may be nominated no more than once every five years.
  2. Candidates must be nominated by at least two members of the Professorial rank of the College. At least one nominator must be from a unit in the College different from that in which the candidate is rostered.
  3. Pre-nominations, consisting of a current curriculum vitae and at least two nomination letters, shall be submitted to the Deans Office by November 1. It is desirable that this stage of nomination be confidential, and without the knowledge of the candidate.
  4. The College Personnel Committee shall review pre-nominations and recommend to the Dean a subset of candidates that should be considered for full review. The Dean shall then invite the Executive Committee (or equivalent) of the primary unit of each candidate to prepare a full nomination.
  5. A full nomination dossier shall consist of
    1. Internal nomination letters, one of which must be from a member of an A&S unit other than the candidate's primary unit.
    2. A current CV.
    3. Three sections, one each detailing the case satisfying criteria A1,A2, and A3 above.
    4. The names of two outside experts (referees) who will subsequently be contacted by the dean to obtain further information in support of the nomination. Referees should have high national and international stature. One should be selected by the Department's Executive Committee and the other by the candidate. These letters shall be shared with the nominating department but will be treated as confidential.
    5. A report of the recommendation by the primary unit executive committee, including the result of a secret vote of the primary unit full professors on the nomination.
  6. Nomination dossiers shall be submitted to the Dean's Office by March 1.
  7. Nomination dossiers shall be reviewed by members of the College Personnel Committee. By vote, the Personnel Committee shall make a recommendation to the Dean. Normally, no more than five candidates shall be recommended annually.

C. Conditions and Honors

  1. Selected candidates shall be authorized to use the honorific title "College Professor of Distinction" during the remainder of their career in the College.
  2. Each College Professor of Distinction shall present a public lecture to the faculty of the College and attend a reception in their honor in the inaugural year of their appointment.
  3. The College shall suitably honor and feature its Distinguished Fellows, including a public display of the roster of current College Professor of Distinction.