Reviewing Named Professorships and Endowed Chairs

November 1988. Revised May 2007

Faculty holding named fellowships, professorships and endowed chairs in the College of Commerce and Business Administration are subject to five-year reviews. To implement the reviews, the Department Head will ask the faculty member to prepare a dossier for review. The dossier should be completed and on file in the departmental office by February 1. In consultation with the Dean and the faculty member holding the named position, the Department Head may also invite individuals outside the University to review the dossier or those portions for which external evaluation is relevant. External review letters should be sent to the Department Head and should be added to the dossier by February 1.

At a minimum the dossier should contain the following information:

1. A statement or letter of application for reappointment from the candidate, which outlines the candidate's achievements in the dimensions of performance that are expectations for the position.  Typically, these include scholarship, teaching, and leadership.
2. An up-to-date Career Performance Report.
3. Copies of papers accepted or published over the term of appointment.
4. A summary of teaching evaluations and innovations for the term of appointment.
5. Evidence of leadership over the term of appointment.
6. Evidence of national reputation if this is an expectation of the position.

The candidate is also welcome to provide any additional materials that he or she wishes to provide.

All tenured faculty members in the department will serve as a Review Committee. The Committee should review the dossier and meet to make a formal recommendation concerning renewal of the position. The Committee should send its recommendation to the Department Head in the form of a letter that includes the Committee’s vote by March 1. The Department Head should promptly provide a copy of the letter to the candidate. The faculty member is then free to comment or submit a rebuttal which is due March 15.

The Department Head will review the dossier, the Committee recommendation, comments and all other pertinent information and make a formal written recommendation to the Dean no later than April 15. The Dean will make a decision concerning reappointment by May 1. Reappointment of professors and chairs must be approved by the Provost.

As part of the annual merit evaluations, Department Heads should assess the performance of holders of named positions relative to the expectations of the positions, except in years in which the faculty members are considered for renewal.  Faculty members should be informed of deficiencies in their performance and areas in which they need to improve in order to meet expectations.  These progress reviews should be provided to the Dean at the time the faculty members are reviewed for annual salary increases.