NUMBER: ACAF 1.21
SECTION: Academic Affairs
SUBJECT: Appointment and Review of Endowed Chairs and
Named Professorships
DATE: February 1, 1995
LASTEST REVISION: November 10, 2004
Policy for: Columbia and Regional Campuses
Procedure for: Columbia and Regional Campuses
Authorized by: Mark P. Becker
Issued by: Provost's Office
________________________________________________________________
I. Policy
Endowed chairs and named professorships have been established to attract and
retain outstanding faculty who have distinguished themselves through their teaching,
research and creative works. Appointment to an endowed chair or to a named
professorship is intended to be the University's most prestigious recognition
for continuing scholarly achievement and distinction. In the selection of an
individual for these appointments, teaching ability, character, industry, dedication,
promise, research, creative writing and the best interests of the University are
taken into consideration. To perpetuate and ensure the honorific nature of these
appointments the Provost of the University reviews nominations for all new
appointments and conducts periodic reviews of all incumbents. These reviews are
consistent with the highest standards envisioned with the establishment of the
chairs and with the original intent that no individual should retain an appointment
without periodic review and reaffirmation.
A. Criteria for Appointment and Reappointment
1. Endowed Chairs and Named Professorships
a. Quality and number of scholarly and/or creative works;
b. Enhancement of the University's reputation through regional, national
and international recognition of the professional work;
c. Quality of University teaching;
d. Service to the University and to the profession which distinguishes the
individual and University. Appropriate professional and personal conduct.
e. Normally, recipients must be full professors at the University of South
Carolina or eligible for initial appointment at that rank. In the former
case, it is particularly important that the same high standards be adhered
to for selection as in the latter. Appointment or reappointment to a
endowed chair or named professorship not be made merely as a reward for
long service, however devoted.
2. Carolina Distinguished Professors
a. Recipients must be truly distinguished scholars in their field. Although
this criterion is highly dependent on the breadth of the area of scholarship,
a nominee should generally rank among the most distinguished scholars in
the field in this country and shall usually possess an international
reputation;
b. Recipients must have established reputations as distinguished teachers,
combining excellence in scholarship with a commitment to students and
their intellectual development;
c. Recipients should have proven records of interest and concern with the
growth and success of this (or a previous) institution and their colleagues,
with particular attention to the mentoring of junior colleagues. They
should demonstrate some breadth of interest in activities in other fields
and departments related to their own, and in participation in University
affairs generally;
d. Normally, recipients must be tenured full professors at the University
of South Carolina or eligible for initial appointment at that rank. In
the former case, it is particularly important that the same high standards
be adhered to for selection as in the latter. Appointment or reappointment
to a Carolina Distinguished Professorship must not be made merely as a
reward for long service, however devoted.
B. Terms of Appointment
1. Endowed Chairs and Named Professorships
a. For a limited number of existing chairs, the appointment period of the
chairholder is unspecified in accordance with the agreements which
established these chairs. This type of appointment will be designated
an "open.ended" appointment; however, chairholders are subject to review
every five years as specified below.
b. Beginning August 16, 1983 any new appointment or reappointment to a chair
will be for a specific term not to exceed five years except where the
memorandum of agreement which established the chair precludes a specific
term. This type of appointment will be designated a "term" appointment.
c. For chairholders with "term" appointments, the appointment period will
run from August 16 of the initial year through May 15 of the final year
of the appointment. Each year of an appointment is an academic year.
This means that for a nominal 5-year appointment the term will actually
consist of 4 years and 9 months. The ending date of May 15 creates a
break in service from May 16 through August 15 in the final year of the
chairholder's term.
i. During the break in service, the chairholder is authorized to continue
using the chair title, but does not receive a stipend.
ii. During the final year of a term appointment a review, as specified
below, will be conducted.
d. Chairholders who resign from the University or retire automatically
terminate the remainder of their term.
2. Carolina Distinguished Professors
a. Recipients are appointed or reappointed to a term of 5 years.
b. The appointment period will run from August 16 of the initial year
through May 15 of the final year of the appointment. Each year of an
appointment is an academic year. This means that for a nominal 5-year
appointment the term will actually consist of 4 years and 9 months.
The ending date of May 15 creates a break in service from May 16 through
August 15 in the final year of the recipient's term.
i. During the break in service, the recipient is authorized to continue
using the title, but does not receive a stipend.
ii. During the final year of the appointment a review, as specified below,
will be conducted.
c. Carolina Distinguished Professors who resign from the University or retire
automatically terminate the remainder of their term.
C. Stipends for Chairholders, Named Professorships, and Carolina Distinguished
Professors
1. Stipends are set at the time of appointment and are paid annually in December
in one lump sum. Stipends are paid for service during the academic year.
Stipends are pro-rated for that part of the academic year served if a chairholder,
named professor, or Carolina Distinguished Professor should end his/her
full-time employment with the University during an academic year.
2. The payment of stipends is coordinated by the Office of the Provost in
conjunction with the Office of Business and Finance and the Payroll Department.
3. In addition to providing an annual stipend, certain endowed chairs and
professorships provide other perquisites which are prescribed by the Memoranda
of Agreement that established the chairs. Coordination of the perquisites is
effected by direct interaction of the chairholder or professorship with the
office that manages the account.
D. University Committee on Named and Distinguished Professorships
1. The University Committee on Named and Distinguished Professorships shall be a
committee of seven senior faculty appointed on staggered three-year terms
by the President.
2. Faculty eligible for appointment to this committee must be holders of chairs
or professorships.
3. The committee shall review nominations made by the deans for new chairs or
professorships, and nominations for reappointment to existing chairs or
professorships.
4. The committee shall also serve as an advisory committee to the President of
the University on all chairs and named professorships, including Carolina
Distinguished Professorships.
II. Procedure
A. Initial Appointment to Newly Established Chairs or Professorships
1. All endowed chairs or professorships are presently acquired through and with
the cooperation of the University of South Carolina Educational Foundation or
other fiduciary agent of the University.
2. The University of South Carolina Educational Foundation or other fiduciary
agent of the University shall advise the Provost of the availability of a
newly endowed chair or professorship and the department and/or college in
which an appointment may be made.
3. The provost shall solicit and receive nominations of candidates for the new
chair or professorship. All nominations must pass through normal academic
channels (e.g., department chair and dean following appropriate faculty
consultation) and each academic officer should attach a confidential
recommendation to each nominee's portfolio. (See also the addition procedures
in the Columbia Campus Faculty Manual under "Endowed Chairs and Named
Professorships")
4. Each nominee's portfolio must include the following:
a. a nomination statement delineating how the nominee meets the criteria
for appointment;
b. a current curriculum vitae;
c. a bibliography of the nominee's publications and/or creative works;
d. a listing of the nominee's scholarly presentations, performances and/or
exhibitions;
e. a listing of the nominee's professional, public and University service
activities;
f. a record of the nominee's teaching effectiveness;
g. confidential recommendations from academic officers.
5. Statements or endorsements from faculty or other sources may be included in
the portfolio if desired. The department chair or dean, as appropriate, will
ensure that each portfolio is complete prior to forwarding it to the provost.
6. The provost will review all nominations, make an evaluation to the University
Committee on Named and Distinguished Professorships.
7. The University Committee on Named and Distinguished Professorships will make
an additional evaluation and forward to the President.
8. The President will make the appointment to the chair or professorship.
a. The President's decision regarding all appointments is final.
b. Copies of the appointment letter will be distributed to the Provost, the
appropriate dean, and others as appropriate.
c. Deans will announce appointments to the faculty in their respective colleges.
B. Making an Appointment to a Vacant Chair or Professorship
When an existing chair is vacated for reasons other than the normal expiration
of a chairholder's appointment, the Provost will solicit nominations of candidates
for the vacancy as if the vacant chair were a newly established chair. Accordingly,
the procedures II.A.3-8 outlined above will be followed in filling the vacancy.
C. Periodic Reviews of Chairs or Named Professorships
1. Chairholders with "open.ended" appointments will be reviewed every five years.
2. Chairholders and named professorships with "term" appointments will be reviewed
during the final year of the appointment period. A "term" may run from one to
five academic years, but is normally five academic years in length.
3. Responsibility for coordinating all reviews rests with the provost. Chairholders
and holders of named professorships will be notified of the review process
during the Fall semester of the final year for "term" appointments and during
the Fall semester every fifth year for "open.ended" appointments.
4. The review will follow the same process described above under "Initial Appointment
to Newly Established Chairs or Professorships"; II.A.3-8. However, the greatest
emphasis of the review and subsequent evaluations will be on the accomplishments
of the chairholder or named professor during the period since he/she was last
renewed or appointed.
5. Reaffirmation and reappointment will be recommended by the provost and the
University Committee on Named and Distinguished Professorships only when it
is clear that the standards and criteria for holding a chair have been met.
6. The President of the University will make one of the following decisions for
each chair or professorship under review (as appropriate to the chairholder
under review):
a. that the chairholder be reaffirmed to continue in an "open-ended" appointment, or
b. that the chairholder or named professor be reappointed to another "term," or
c. that the chairholder or named professor will not be reappointed to another
"term," or
d. that additional candidates be sought for appointment to the chair or
professorship.
The President's decision regarding all appointments is final.
Deans will announce reappointments to the faculty in their respective colleges.
D. Revocation of a Chair or Named Professorship Appointment
1. An individual who is named to an endowed chair or named professorship may not
have the chair appointment involuntarily revoked prior to the normal expiration
of the term of appointment except for cause.
2. Cause includes, but is not limited to, the following:
a. personal or professional misconduct detrimental to the image of the University;
b. the failure to uphold high standards for scholarly work, teaching and service.
3. Responsibility for determining whether or not there is sufficient evidence to
recommend revocation of a chair appointment rests with the provost who may
employ any of the means outlined under Periodic Reviews of Chairs or Named
Professors in arriving at the recommendation.
4. The final decision to revoke a chair appointment rests with the President of
the University.
E. Policies and Procedures Governing Other Named Professorships
Whenever and wherever feasible, the procedures set forth above for making initial
appointments to endowed chairs shall also be followed with respect to other named
professorships.
F. Emeritus Designation
Those individuals who retire from the University while they are endowed chairholders
or holders of named professorships may have the title emeritus conferred. Designation
of this title requires the approval of the president and the University Board of
Trustees.
III. Reason for Policy Revision
This revision makes appointment and re-appointment term limits consistent for
Carolina Distinguished Professorships and Named Professorships.
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Mark P. Becker
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