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Regents Professors (A-38)

Original Implementation: October, 1979
Last Revision: April 28, 2005

Recognition by the Board of Regents as a Regents Professor is the highest honor that the university has in its authority to bestow upon a member of the faculty.  This honor is reserved for faculty members who are well-rounded and exemplary in teaching, research, and service and who serve as role models to the university community.

  1. Only tenured full professors who have served for a minimum of ten years at SFA and who have been in rank for a minimum of five years are eligible for nomination.

  2. Faculty members may be nominated on the basis of extraordinary merit in Teaching or Research. In either case, however, the nominated professor should be a well-rounded and exemplary member of the faculty.

  3. A faculty member may be nominated by a department chair, a dean, or a Regents Professor.

  4. The department chair is normally responsible for convening a panel of at least three full professors. (In the event that the nominee is a department chair, the dean will appoint a senior professor to convene the appropriate panel.) All dossiers should include: a current curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy, copies of all student evaluations for the past 3-5 years, and grade distributions. In addition, service to professional organizations, to the campus, and to the community should be documented. Nominations in the research category should include a detailed history of grant activity and publication as well as a narrative that traces and projects the nominee's research career.  Further, research nominations should normally include at least three external letters of support from researchers in the field who are asked to review the nomination. Nominations in the teaching category should include peer reviews of teaching as well as student evaluations.

  5. The panel will write a narrative in which the worthiness of the case for Regents Professor is assessed. This narrative is added to the dossier. The dossier then proceeds to the department chair, who makes an independent recommendation with regard to the nomination. The chair's recommendation becomes part of the dossier.

  6. The dean will convene a panel of at least three full professors to review the dossier and make a recommendation on behalf of the College faculty; the panel recommendation becomes part of the dossier. Subsequently, the dean reviews the dossier and all accompanying materials and makes an independent recommendation. The dean's recommendation becomes part of the dossier.

  7. The individual colleges submit nominations to the Provost. The Provost has the responsibility of constituting a review committee from the ranks of former Regents Professors.  In order to ensure active participation, the Provost will poll Regents Professors about their interest and willingness to serve on such a review panel. A ballot will be constructed from the names of willing persons, and the Regents professors will vote to elect a pool of potential reviewers.

    The Provost will annually name a review committee that includes five Regents professors. The committee should be constructed with some attention to disciplinary balance and to balance of research/teaching strengths. The committee may not include any person who is from the home department of a current nominee.

    The review committee will examine the dossiers; then, the committee meets and selects one nominee in the research category and one in the teaching category. However, on account of the distinction and achievement required of Regents Professors, the committee may forward only one name or no name in any given year.

  8. All of the dossiers will be reviewed by the college deans. The deans' review takes place independent of the review by Regents Professors, i.e., neither group is apprised of the other's recommendations. The deans will vote by ballot.

  9. The Provost receives the nominations from the committee of Regents Professors and the ballots from the deans. The Provost then makes a recommendation to the Board of Regents, through the President, for up to two awards annually - one in teaching and one in research. However, on account of the distinction and achievement required of Regents Professors, the Provost may forward only one name or no name in any given year.

  10. The designation as Regents Professor may be made only by the Board of Regents.

  11. Faculty members who are honored as Regents Professors receive a medal at commencement, a one-time stipend, and are invited to address the campus community during their year as Regents Professor.

Source of Authority :Board of Regents, President, Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Cross Reference : None

Contact for Revision : Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Forms:   None