Titled Professorships and Chairs

(IU HR Coding: NDW)

Titled professorships and chairs are among the university's highest faculty honors. At IU Indianapolis, nominations are reviewed by the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor and require final approval by the Indiana University Board of Trustees.

Because Board of Trustees approval is required, a nomination does not become official until it has been approved by the Board at a subsequent meeting.

Nomination Process

Following the school's procedures for endowed or titled professorships and chairs, the dean should submit a nomination to ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca.

The nomination should include:

• Confirmation of the dean's support for the appointment;
• A detailed justification for the nomination;
• Information about the candidate's qualifications and distinction in the field; and
• Any supporting documentation required by the school or campus.

The Office of Academic Affairs will review the nomination and forward recommendations to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for consideration.

After campus approval, the nomination is submitted to the Board of Trustees for final action at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

For external candidates, titled professorship nominations generally assume appointment with tenure. Schools should consult the applicable hiring-with-tenure procedures and requirements.

Qualifications of the Candidate

Academic Rank

In most cases, candidates for titled professorships or chairs should already hold the rank of Professor.

Because titled appointments recognize distinguished achievement and national or international prominence, they are ordinarily awarded to faculty at the senior rank.

Candidates Currently at the Associate Professor Rank

In some cases, a candidate may hold the rank of Associate Professor at another institution but be expected to receive appointment as a full professor upon hire at IU Indianapolis.

In such cases, the nomination should include a statement from the school's promotion and tenure committee confirming that the candidate satisfies the school's criteria for appointment at the rank of Professor.

If the candidate will remain at the associate professor rank after appointment, schools should generally consider alternative title designations, such as Scholar of [Field], rather than Professor of [Field] or Chair of [Field].

Requests for exceptions should be directed to ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca and should include a clear justification demonstrating the candidate's qualifications and national standing.

External Candidate Searches

When a titled position is filled through an external search, the nomination should indicate whether the endowed position was specifically searched as such.

For example, a school may conduct a national search for the holder of a named professorship in a particular specialty area. In those cases, the nomination should explain how the search was structured and how candidates were evaluated for the titled position.

Reference Letters

For candidates who do not hold tenure being hired with tenure, three external reference letters are required.

At least two of the letters should address the candidate's qualifications for the professorship or chair itself, rather than serving solely as standard employment references. The letters should provide evidence of the candidate's distinction, reputation, and suitability for the titled appointment.

Special Considerations

Professorships and Chairs

Named professorships and named chairs may have different funding structures and endowment requirements. Schools should consult the IU Foundation and/or their development officer regarding specific funding and stewardship requirements associated with a particular title.

School of Medicine

The Indiana University School of Medicine follows a separate process for titled appointments. Schools and departments should contact ude[dot]ui[at]nmdadaca  for guidance regarding School of Medicine nominations.

Board of Trustees Approval and HR Processing

Once a nomination is approved by the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, it is returned to the school HR staff for final processing. The school's HR representative should then enter the appropriate administrative appointment associated with the titled professorship or chair. HR representatives should include documentation of campus approval to the eDoc. This action initiates placement of the nomination on the agenda for the next Board of Trustees meeting. 

The title becomes official only after approval by the Board of Trustees.

Guiding Principle

Titled professorships and chairs recognize exceptional achievement, distinction, and leadership. Nominations should clearly demonstrate the candidate's prominence in the field, explain why the individual merits the honor, and document that all applicable school, campus, and university requirements have been satisfied.