Authority: Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.

History: First Issued: November 14, 1986. Last Revised: February 3, 2026.

Related Policies:
UNC Policy 600.2.3 – Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund

Additional References:
N.C.G.S. §116-41.17
Professorships of Distinction: Recognizing Excellence, Building Excellence
List of Currently Active Professors of Distinction
Department Rules for Named Professors and Named Term Professors
Giving and Naming Opportunities
Example Memo from Dean to Provost requesting approval of review committee
Example for Memo from Dean to Provost recommending appointment

Contact Info: Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence (919-513-7741)

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1.  INTRODUCTION

1.1 This regulation defines the types of professorships of distinction with their associated titles and establishes uniform criteria and procedures for awarding these professorships.  This regulation does not apply to the Alumni Distinguished Graduate and Undergraduate Professor Awards.

1.2 The Office for Faculty Excellence, acting on behalf of the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, facilitates the implementation of this regulation.

1.3 Each college should designate a point of contact for distinguished professorships and provide the name of the designee to the Office for Faculty Excellence each fall.

2.  TYPES OF PROFESSORSHIPS OF DISTINCTION

2.1  Named Distinguished Faculty Chair and Named Distinguished University Faculty Chair

2.1.1  Supported at the minimum endowment level prescribed by NC State University Advancement.  May be supported in part by the Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund DPETF) or 100% by the donor.

2.1.2  Named Distinguished Chairs may be held by a tenured Professor as long as the recipient remains a full time faculty member or for a limited period as authorized by the Board of Trustees at the time of the original establishment of the Distinguished Professorship or when it is vacated.  The title will be “[Name] Distinguished Chair.”

2.1.3  If the recipient also meets the criteria for Distinguished University Professor this may be added.  The title will be “[Name] Distinguished University Chair.”.

2.2  Named Distinguished Professor and Named Distinguished University Professor

2.2.1  Supported at the minimum endowment level prescribed by NC State University Advancement.  May be supported in part by the DPETF or 100% by the donor.

2.2.2  Named Distinguished Professorships may be held by a tenured Professor as long as the recipient remains a full time faculty member or for a limited period as authorized by the Board of Trustees at the time of the original establishment of the Distinguished Professorship or when it is vacated. The title will be “[Name] Distinguished Professor.”

2.2.3  If the recipient also meets the criteria for Distinguished University Professor this may be added.  The title will be “[Name] Distinguished University Professor.”

2.3  Named Distinguished Scholar

2.3.1  Supported at the minimum endowment level prescribed by NC State University Advancement.  May be supported in part by the DPETF or 100% by the donor.

2.3.2  Named Distinguished Scholars may be held by a tenured or tenure track Associate Professor for a time-limited, renewable term during a faculty member’s full-time service at the rank of associate professor and as authorized by the Board of Trustees at the time of the original establishment of the Distinguished Scholar or when it is vacated.  The title will be “[Name] Distinguished Scholar.”

2.4  Named Distinguished Fellow

2.4.1  Supported at the minimum endowment level prescribed by NC State University Advancement.  May be supported in part by the DPETF or 100% by the donor.

2.4.2  Named Distinguished Fellows may be held by a tenure-track Assistant Professor for a time-limited, renewable term during a faculty member’s full-time service at the rank of assistant professor and as authorized by the Board of Trustees at the time of the original establishment of the Distinguished Fellow or when it is vacated.  The title will be “[Name] Distinguished Fellow.”

2.5  Named Legacy (Grandfathered) Professorships

2.5.1  As of September 30, 2010, the value of the endowment of the professorships listed in Appendix C was below NC State University Advancement’s minimum for a Named Professorship.  Thus, as of May 17, 2011 they are grandfathered as Named Professorships.  Incumbents of these professorships as of May 17, 2011 will retain their existing title, but when these are vacated they are no longer eligible to have the addition of ‘Distinguished’ to the title.  These professorships do not include “University” in the title.

2.5.2.  All Named Professorships must follow the processes and procedures outlined in the regulation.

2.6.  Named Term Professorships

2.6.1  Privately funded professorships at the Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor rank that are established by agreement between a donor and the university or an affiliated university foundation.  These are funded at the minimum level prescribed by NC State University Advancement on an annual basis for a time limited period and criteria are specified by the donor. The title must include “Term” (e.g. [Name] Term Professor) but cannot include “Distinguished.”

2.6.2 Appointments to Term Professorships should be shared with the Office for Faculty Excellence and NC State University Advancement prior to sending a letter of appointment to the Term Professorship to the identified faculty member.  Colleges should develop an internal process for awarding Term Professorships.

2.7 Endowed Faculty

2.7.1 Supported at the minimum endowment level prescribed by NC State University Advancement and established by agreement between a donor and the university or an affiliated university foundation.

2.7.2 Types of Endowed Faculty

a. Tenure/Tenure-Track Endowed Faculty may be held by a tenured or tenure-track Professor, associate professor or assistant professor rank. The title will be “[Name] Endowed [Professor/Scholar/Fellow] in [Discipline].” Professor will be used for full professors, Scholar will be used for associate professors and Fellow will be used for assistant professors.

b. Professional Track Endowed Faculty may be held by professional track faculty in any track (Clinical, Extension, Research, Teaching, and Of the Practice). The title will be “[Name] Endowed [Applicable Track] Professor/Scholar/Fellow.” Professor will be used for full professional track professors, Scholar will be used for associate professional track faculty and Fellow will be used for assistant professional track faculty.

2.7.3 Process for Selection of Endowed Faculty

a. Tenure/Tenure-Track Endowed Faculty will be selected using an internal College process for identifying and selecting endowed faculty. Appointment to Endowed Faculty should be shared with the Office for Faculty Excellence and NC State University Advancement prior to sending a letter of appointment to the Endowed Faculty to the identified faculty member.

b. Professional Track Endowed Faculty will be selected using an internal College process but must be approved by the Provost prior to conferring the appointment. Appointment to Endowed Faculty should be shared with the Office for Faculty Excellence and NC State University Advancement prior to sending a letter of appointment to the Endowed Faculty to the identified faculty member.

2.7.4 Appointment terms should be included in the letter of appointment.  It is recommended that Endowed Faculty terms have a duration of 5 years with presumption of renewal and an opportunity for review at 5-year intervals.

2.7.5 If an Endowed Faculty member is promoted, the Professor, Scholar, or Fellow title will be automatically adjusted to match the new rank.  No additional review is needed for the change.  Colleges should notify the Office for Faculty Excellence and University Advancement of the adjusted title prior to initiating the use of the new title.

2.8  Distinguished Professor (unfunded, unnamed)

2.8.1  Recognition which has no specific funds associated with or supporting the honor that is bestowed on candidates meeting the intellectual criteria set forth in Section 4. The title will be “Distinguished Professor.”

2.8.2  The total number of unfunded, unnamed Distinguished Professors is capped for each college at 4% of the total number of tenured/tenure-track faculty, all fractions of a percent of the total number of tenured/tenure-track faculty will be rounded up to the next whole number on the official fall semester census date.  Exceptions to the cap may be approved by the Chancellor.  Each fall, the Office for Faculty Excellence will provide an update of the number of filled and unfilled unfunded,  unnamed distinguished professorships to the college liaison. College liaisons should inform the Office for Faculty Excellence when unfunded, unnamed professorships are vacated.   If the faculty member who holds an unfunded, unnamed distinguished professorship is selected for a named distinguished professorship, they will relinquish the unfunded, unnamed professorship.

2.9  Distinguished University Professor (unfunded, unnamed)

2.9.1 A Distinguished University Professor is defined as an exceptional faculty member who has demonstrated extraordinary academic achievement and leadership both within their discipline and across the broader university community. It is expected that those professors carrying the “University” designation have a national and possibly international level of notoriety. This title is reserved for recognition of significant contributions to the disciplinary field, the department, the college, and the university’s mission, including but not limited to, advancing institutional priorities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and enhancing the university’s reputation at a national and international level. A Distinguished University Professor is expected to engage in service that benefits the university as a whole, beyond their individual department or college.

2.9.2  Distinguished university professorships are a recognition that has no specific funds associated with or supporting the honor that is bestowed on candidates meeting the intellectual criteria set forth above.  The title will be “Distinguished University Professor”.

2.9.3 The total number of unfunded, unnamed Distinguished University Professors is capped for each college at 2% of the total number of tenured/tenure-track faculty, in hthe college based on the fall census data, with a minimum of two professorships.  All fractions of a percent of tenured/tenure-track faculty will be rounded up to the next whole number, or to 2%, whichever is greater, on the official fall semester census date.  Exceptions to the cap may be approved by the Chancellor.  If the faculty member who holds an unfunded, unnamed distinguished university professorship is selected for a named distinguished professorship, they will relinquish the unfunded, unnamed professorship but may retain the “university” distinction as part of the named professorship.

3.  ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS AND DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIPS

The endowed distinguished professorships are intended for full-time faculty members, not for persons whose primary duties are administrative.

3.1 If a Distinguished Professor subsequently is appointed to a senior administrative position, the holder of a professorship under this program may retain the professorship under the original terms of appointment to the endowed professorship.

3.1.1 Senior administrative positions are those at the dean, or equivalent level, and above. Distinguished Professors assigned to administrative positions shall retain the right to use Distinguished Professor funding for teaching and research purposes while in the administrative positions if, in the course of the administrative position, they have dedicated effort in teaching or research related to the purpose of the fund for the distinguished professorship.

3.1.2 New Distinguished Professor positions cannot be created and assigned to administrative positions at the level of dean/equivalent or above, and a faculty member sitting in a senior administrative position cannot be given a distinguished professorship title and retain the senior administrative position.

3.2. Department chair and program director positions, as well as associate or assistant deans, are not considered senior administrative positions. However, the ability to establish or to retain the distinguished professorship and title depends upon the expected duties. Administrative duties will not be more than 50 percent of the time and effort, and the duties of teaching and research must account for more than 50 percent of assigned effort.

3.2.1. Any new plan for establishing a distinguished professorship for the administrative positions identified in Section 3.2 must certify in the plan that the duties will be at least more than 50 percent faculty duties of teaching, research/creative activity, and nonadministrative service.

3.2.2 If an established Distinguished Professor is being elevated to the administrative positions identified in Section 3.2, the faculty member’s assigned effort in teaching, research/creative activity, and non-administrative service must constitute at least 50 percent of the faculty member’s duties.

4. CRITERIA

All named distinguished professorships (all titles) established in fiscal year 2024 and beyond and supported in part by the DPETF shall be in a STEM subject area approved by the System Office. Existing distinguished professorships (all titles) can remain in the academic area in which they were establishedt unless the university requests additional state matches to upgrade the level of the professorship. In those instances, the subject area must be in a STEM subject area approved by the System Office.

4.1  Named Distinguished Faculty Chair, Named Distinguished Professor and Distinguished Professor

4.1.1  The candidate must be an outstanding current or potential tenured professor who has achieved recognition well above the criteria for the rank of professor and be considered one of the best scholars in the discipline.  Named Distinguished Faculty Chairs and Distinguished Professors will be known and respected nationally and internationally by scholars in their field.

4.1.2  In the case of Named Distinguished Faculty Chairs and Named Distinguished Professors the candidate must also meet the criteria established by the donor as set forth in the Memorandum of Agreement if 100% donor supported or in the Plan for the establishment of the distinguished professorship submitted by the Chancellor and approved by the President if supported in part by the DPETF.

4.2  Named Distinguished University Faculty Chair, Named Distinguished University Professor and Distinguished University Professor

4.2.1  The candidate will have attained all the criteria for a Distinguished Professor and, in addition, have improved the quality of NC State and served its mission through service and involvement in the campus community.

4.2.2  The “University” title recognizes an individual’s contributions and hence transfers between any Distinguished Professor or Chair titles that the individual may hold at the university.

4.3  Named Distinguished Scholar

4.3.1  The candidate must be an outstanding current or potential tenured associate professor who has achieved recognition well above the criteria for the rank of associate professor and be considered one of the top emerging scholars in the discipline.  Named Distinguished Scholars will be known and respected nationally and potentially internationally by scholars in their field.  The candidate must also meet the criteria established by the donor as set forth in the Memorandum of Agreement if 100% donor supported or in the Plan for establishment of the distinguished professorship submitted by the Chancellor and approved by the President if supported in part by the DPETF.

4.4  Named Distinguished Fellow

4.4.1  The candidate must be an outstanding current or potential tenure-track assistant professor who has achieved recognition well above the criteria for the rank of assistant professor and be considered to possess a strong potential to become one of the best in the discipline.  The candidate must also meet the criteria established by the donor as set forth in the Memorandum of Agreement if 100% donor supported or in the Plan for establishment of the distinguished professorship submitted by the Chancellor and approved by the President if supported in part by the DPETF.

4.5  Named Term Professorships and Named Professorships

4.5.1  The candidate must be an outstanding current or potential tenured faculty member who meets the criteria of the privately funded professorship.

5.  SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR NAMED DISTINGUISHED FACULTY CHAIR, NAMED DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY FACULTY CHAIR, NAMED AND UNNAMED DISTINGUISHED AND DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, AND NAMED DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS AND FELLOWS

5.1  The donor agreement for professorships funded 100% by the donor or the plan required from the Chancellor for the establishment of a professorship with partial funding from the DPETF will describe the academic department or other unit to which the professorship will be assigned, whether it will be filled by an external or internal appointment or by either, and whether the appointment may be time limited.

5.2  The Dean shall recommend a number of faculty members sufficient to allow the Provost to select a committee which shall be comprised of no fewer than five persons including a chair, with a majority being professors of distinction whenever possible, and with representation from the candidate’s discipline, as appropriate.

5.2.1 When evaluating a candidate’s qualifications for the “University” distinction, at least one member of the committee must have the “University” distinction.

5.2.2 The representative from the candidate’s discipline should be identified as such in the Review Committee Approval Request submitted by the Dean to the Provost.

5.2.3 The committee shall consist of tenured faculty, but, in special circumstances where the distinguished professorship supports a Center or Institute, a representative from the Center/Institute who holds a faculty title may also serve as an additional member on the committee.

5.3  The committee shall obtain and review information on the qualifications of the nominee and make a recommendation to the Dean.  The Dean makes a recommendation to the Provost who then makes a recommendation to the Chancellor.

5.4  The Chancellor’s decision is final.

5.5  For professorships in this category that are to rotate across colleges, the Dean of the college in which the professorship has become vacant shall inform the Provost of the vacancy.  The Provost shall determine which college may next fill the professorship, including reassigning to the current holder.

6.  SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR NAMED TERM PROFESSORSHIPS AND LEGACY GRANDFATHERED NAMED PROFESSORSHIPS

5.1  This section pertains to Named Term Professorships created after September 30, 2010 and those Named Professorships approved prior to September 20, 2010 as designated in Section 2.5.

5.2  The Dean of the College in which the professorship resides will determine the procedures to be followed for selection.  Such procedures shall be consistent with the criteria and procedures, if any, specified by the donor and agreed to in writing by the university.

5.3  The Dean informs the Provost and Chancellor of awards.

7.  PROCEDURE UPON PROMOTION OF NAMED DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR OR NAMED DISTINGUISHED FELLOW

7.1 Transition upon Promotion

Distinguished professorships are awarded to faculty members based on their current rank and achievements. These titles do not automatically carry over when a faculty member is promoted to a higher rank (e.g., from Associate Professor to Professor). The following process will be followed when a faculty member holding a distinguished professorship is promoted:

7.1.1 Evaluation for Continuation of Distinguished Title: Upon promotion, the faculty member’s eligibility to retain or be considered for a new “Distinguished” title must be reviewed. The faculty member will not automatically carry their “Distinguished” title into the new rank. A formal review will assess their qualifications and contributions at the newly promoted rank.

7.1.2 New Appointment to Distinguished Professorship: If a faculty member has been promoted and still meets the criteria for a distinguished professorship at the new rank, they may be reappointed to a new distinguished professorship title consistent with their promotion (e.g., from Distinguished Scholar to Distinguished Professor). The department head or Dean may nominate the individual for review by the distinguished faculty committee.

7.1.3 Review Process for Reappointment: A review committee will be formed, consistent with the procedures outlined in Section 5, to evaluate the faculty member’s continued or new eligibility for a distinguished professorship. This evaluation will consider the faculty member’s achievements at their newly promoted rank, ensuring they meet the standards for the “Distinguished” title at that level.

7.1.4 Final Decision: Based on the review committee’s recommendation, the Dean will submit a recommendation to the Provost for final approval of the “Distinguished” title at the new rank. If approved, the faculty member will receive the appropriate distinguished professorship title for their new rank.

7.2 Distinguished Fellow and Distinguished Scholar Promotions

7.2.1 Distinguished Fellow: If a Distinguished Fellow is promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, the title will remain “Associate Professor and Distinguished Fellow” untila review for promotion to a Distinguished Scholar can be conducted.  The process for this promotion will follow the criteria outlined in Section 4.

7.2.2 2 Distinguished Scholar: If a Distinguished Scholar is promoted from Associate Professor to full Professor, the title will remain “Professor and Distinguished Scholar” until a review for promotion to Distinguished Professor can be conducted. The review will follow the guidelines outlined in Section 4 for distinguished professorships.

8.  REVIEW OF PROFESSORS OF DISTINCTION

8.1 For professorships that are awarded for a set term and allow an incumbent to be reappointed, the Dean will appoint a committee to review and recommend whether or not to reappoint.  The Dean’s decision is final and shall be communicated to the Provost.

8.2  For professorships awarded for the duration of a faculty member’s career at the university, colleges may, at the time of award, stipulate the review of an incumbent’s qualifications on a specific frequency (no more frequently than every five years).  Such reviews shall utilize a committee as defined in Section 4.2.  The committee shall obtain and review information on the qualifications of the incumbent and make a recommendation to the Dean.

8.2.1  The Dean’s acceptance of a committee recommendation to continue the appointment is final and shall be communicated to the Provost.

8.2.2  If the committee, the Dean, or both recommend the discontinuation of an appointee’s distinction, then the Dean shall make a recommendation to the Provost who then makes a recommendation to the Chancellor.  The Chancellor’s decision is final.

8.3  For exceptional circumstances, such as an incumbent being subject to the imposition of serious sanctions as defined in Section 8 of NCSU POL05.20.01 Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Permanent Tenure, a Dean may recommend to the Provost at any time the review of a professor of distinction using the procedure described in Section 8.2.

9. Process for Removal of a Distinguished Professorship

9.1 Grounds for Removal.  A faculty member holding a distinguished professorship may have the title removed under the following circumstances:

9.1.1 Failure to Meet Performance Expectations: If a faculty member no longer demonstrates the level of scholarly, teaching, or service excellence that initially warranted the “Distinguished” title, they may be subject to removal.

9.1.2 Professional Misconduct: Instances of serious misconduct, including violations of university policies or ethical standards, may lead to the removal of the “Distinguished” title.

9.1.3 Institutional Realignment: The university may, as part of a strategic realignment, reassign or remove a distinguished professorship due to changes in programmatic or institutional priorities.

9.2 Review Process for Removal.  The removal of a distinguished professorship will follow a formal review process to ensure fairness and transparency:

9.2.1 Initiation of Review: A review must be initiated by the faculty member’s Dean based on performance evaluations or incidents of professional misconduct. The Dean will notify the Provost in writing of the recommendation to remove the “Ddistinguished” title.

9.2.2 The college and department will prepare information for the Provost to review and make a determination regarding removal.

9.2.3 Final Decision: The Provost, upon reviewing the prepared documentation from the college, will make a final determination. The decision will be communicated to the faculty member, the Dean, and relevant university offices.

9.3 Exceptional Circumstances

In cases of serious violations or misconduct, the Provost may immediately recommend to the Chancellor the removal of a distinguished professorship.  A copy of the recommendation will be served on the faculty member via the faculty member’s NC State email.  The faculty member may submit a written response to the Provost’s recommendation within 10 business days of service of the Provost’s recommendation, or, if the faculty member is a nine-month employee and the recommendation is served during the summer, within 10 days of the beginning of the new academic year.  Any written response will be provided to the Chancellor via the Chancellor’s NC State email. . The Chancellor will make the final decision, and the Provost and the faculty member will be informed of the outcome.

10. Funding Considerations

10.1 No funds may be drawn from the specific endowment for use when the position is vacant, with the exception of specific recruitment incentives to secure a replacement Distinguished Professor.

10.2 A portion of the spending budget for a distinguished professorship should be allocated to the faculty member who holds the professorship as an honorific supplement.

10.3 No endowment funds shall be used before the distinguished professorship has been accepted into the DPETF queue.

10.4 Funds generated from the distinguished professorship should be paid as a salary supplement to the faculty member’s existing salary and not incorporated into the base salary.  In extenuating circumstances, Deans may request an exception in writing to the Provost.  The Provost’s decision is final.

10.5 The Office for Faculty Excellence should receive a copy of the spending budgets and supplement allocations each year for use in an annual report to the Provost.

11. Other Considerations for DPETF Distinguished Professorships

11.1 The selection process for a professorship that will be matched by the DPTEF shall not commence until the professorship has been approved by the UNC System Office and the professorship is in the funding queue.

11.2 Distinguished professorships may not be established with the intent to allow for more than one faculty member at a time to hold the professorship.  However, if the endowment reaches a level where more than one professor can be supported in a financially comparable manner, a request to split the professorship can be made using the process outlined by NC State University Advancement.  NC State University Advancement will initiate the process with the UNC System Office to request the split of the professorship.

11.3 Spangler Matched Professorships.  For Distinguished Professors selected to fill the professorship funded through the C.D. Spangler Foundation Challenge Grant, they must be appointed only at the full professor (Distinguished Professor) or associate professor (Distinguished Scholar) ranks and levels, with a preference for full professor.  The following professorships are funded through the C.D. Spangler Foundation Challenge Grant:

Goodnight-NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Distinguished Professorship in Social Sciences

William T. Kretzer Distinguished Professorship in Humanities

LeRoy B. Martin, Jr. Distinguished Professorship

Jenkins Family Distinguished Professorship of Economics

Lampe Distinguished Professorship in Biomedical Engineering #2

ABB Enrique Santacana Distinguished Professorship

11.4 Vacancy in an Endowed Professorship. When a vacancy occurs in an endowed professorship established with the DPTEF, the university shall notify the UNC System Office and begin preparation for filling the position as soon as possible. The Chancellor shall consult with the Board of Trustees.

Processes and associated activities to fill the professorship must begin within 60 days of the vacancy, and the university should make every effort to fill the vacancy by the end of the semester following the semester in which the vacancy occurred. The university shall notify the UNC System Office if, and provide the reasons why, the position will not be filled within this timeline.

12. Reporting Requirements

Colleges should update the Office for Faculty Excellence when distinguished professorships are vacated.  College representatives/liaisons should provide the Office for Faculty Excellence with information for regular reporting to the UNC System Office, the annual report to the Board of Trustees and preparations for the Professors of Distinction recognition event. Information reported should include the level of each professorship, the name of the professorship, whether the professorship is vacant or filled, and the professorship’s college/school and (if applicable) department and academic specialty/area. For filled professorships, the name of the professor shall be included. For vacant professorships, the date the position was vacated shall be included.

13. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Hires for Distinguished Professorships

When a college seeks to appoint an external hire (a faculty member not currently employed by the university) as a Distinguished Professor, the following prescribed process should be followed:

13.1 Prior to the Search:  The distinguished professorship must be accepted into the DPETF queue for matching (if matching funds are sought) prior to posting the position publicly if the position is advertised as including consideration for a distinguished professorship.

13.2 Search Process: The college must follow the university’s formal faculty hiring procedures, ensuring compliance with university standards during the search. The search committee should ensure that the position is advertised as including consideration for a distinguished professorship.

In addition to the formal faculty hiring process, the candidate will need to be approved by the distinguished professorship review committee. It is advisable that there be some overlap between members of the search committee and members of the distinguished professorship review committee.  The committee must be composed of a majority of distinguished professors, with at least one faculty member represent the discipline of the professorship.  When evaluating a candidate’s qualifications for the “University” distinction, at least one member of the committee must have the “University” distinction.

13.3 Review of Qualifications: During the hiring process, the search committee should evaluate the external candidate’s qualifications against the university’s criteria for a distinguished professorship (as outlined in Section 4), ensuring that the candidate demonstrates excellence in their field and meets the academic and leadership expectations for the “Distinguished” title.

13.4 Recommendation for Appointment: After the search committee has made its selection, the Dean will recommend the external candidate’s appointment to the distinguished professorship. This recommendation must include documentation of the candidate’s qualifications and how they align with the distinguished professorship criteria.

13.5 Approval and Offer: Once the Provost and the Chancellor approve the recommendation, the formal offer will be extended to the external hire, including the distinguished professorship as part of the faculty appointment. It is recommended that, along with the faculty offer, the external hire be offered the distinguished professorship for a presumptively renewable 5-year term.  This allows the opportunity to reallocate the distinguished professorship if there are productivity or other personnel matters that may impact the suitability of the professor for the distinction or if other considerations exist.

13.6 Reporting: The Office for Faculty Excellence should be notified once a formal announcement has been made about the selection of the professorship.  Colleges should also provide a copy of the faculty designation memo with the accurate start date of the appointment.

Appendix C. GRANDFATHERED NAMED PROFESSORSHIPS

The following professorships are grandfathered as Named Professorships effective May 17, 2011.  If awarded after May 17, 2011 no additional modifiers may be added to the title.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

• Philip Morris

College of Education

• William Dallas Herring

College of Engineering

• Alcoa
• Alton & Mildred Lancaster
• Camille & Henry Dreyfus
• Celanese Acetate
• INVISTA
• James T. Ryan
• R. J. Reynolds
• Walter Clark

College of Natural Resources

• Alwin Schenck
• Edwin F. Conger
• Elis & Signe Olsson
• E.J. “Woody” Rice
• Reuben B. Robertson

College of Sciences

• Drexel

College of Textiles

• Charles A. Cannon
• Ciba-Geigy

College of Veterinary Medicine

• Burroughs Wellcome Fund