Submitting a Nomination
The Committee on Distinguished Professorships wishes to bring to your attention the opportunity for submitting nominations for Distinguished Professorships. A Distinguished Professorship is the most prestigious academic appointment at Indiana University, and may be held simultaneously with an endowed or named chair (please note that this latter point is a departure from past practices).
The deadline for submission of dossiers for consideration for the 2012-2013 school year is October 15, 2012. The nomination dossier, with full supporting evidence, should be submitted online on or before that date. Nominations should be submitted to the University Distinguished Professors Committee, Board of Trustees, University Ceremonies Office, IMU M005, Indiana University , Bloomington, Indiana 47405. If you have questions, or need additional information, please e-mail distprof [at] indiana [dot] edu, or call (812) 855-3761.
Procedure for Nominations for Distinguished Professorships
Due Date: October 15, 2012
Procedures for nominating and appointing individuals to this rank are outlined below.
Selection Criteria
Appointment to the rank of Distinguished Professorship is based on the following criteria:
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Distinction of Scholarship. Competence is assumed; evidence of real distinction is required. This includes evaluation by peers, especially recognized leaders in the discipline; recognition by national and international professional organizations in the form of awards, medals, honorary degrees, elected office, and other honors; invitations to hold prestigous lectureships and visiting professorships and to participate in high-level national and international conferences, symposia, and meetings; membership in honorary academic and professional organizations.
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Artistic and Literary Distinction. Evidence of outstanding quality is required, with evaluation by peers; representation of works in national and international exhibitions, shows, and museums, or performance of works by internationally-known performers and orchestras, or performances in major concert series or with internationally acclaimed orchestras.
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Other Forms of Distinction. In certain fields, the achievement of distinction may be based on criteria other than scholarship or artistic production; for example, extraordinary technical accomplishments or contributions to national or international education; or social, economic, or public-policy activity; or extraordinary success as a teacher as judged by evidence of a significant role in the development of students who have gone on to important success after graduation.
Successful nominees for Distinguished Professor are often those whose work has created, tranformed, or substantially advanced a field. Although Distinguished Professors are often acclaimed teachers and provide exemplary national and international service, the rank is based exclusively on scholarly, artistic, and literary accomplishment. Distinguished Professorships are normally not considered for emeritus faculty, nor are they intended to serve as rewards for lengthy service.
Appointments to this rank are made by the Trustees upon the recommendation of the President. The President, in turn, is advised by the University Distinguished Professsors Committee, which carefully reviews the nominations each fall and may recommend up to five nominees. Normally, the committee submits its recommendations in time for appointments to be announced at Founders Day. Announcements may also coincide with building dedications and other significant events.
Nominations for the rank of Distinguished Professor may be submitted by faculty, alumni, students, or other knowledgeable persons. All current faculty on any IU campus are eligible to be nominated, although most successful nominations are of colleagues holding full professor rank and often titled chairs or professorships as well.
Nominations have a three-year life span, after which an interim of at least one year is required before resubmission. Nominations should be updated each year. It is unusual for a nomination to be successful the first year in which it is reviewed.
The nominator is responsible for compiling the dossier. The nominations process is designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible, consistent with the significance of the award. Some schools and departments have created committees or processess for identifying likely nominees and compiling dossiers. Although not required, this often leads to more complete and persuasive dossiers.
Nomination Dossier Submission
The nomination dossier, with full supporting evidence, should be submitted online only on or before October 15, 2012 to the University Distinguished Professors Committee, University Ceremonies, Board of Trustees Office, IMU M005, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405. If you need additional information, please e-mail distprof [at] indiana [dot] edu or call (812) 855-3761.
