Office of the Provost

Faculty and Unclassified Staff Handbook Chapter 3-- Faculty: Employment, Tenure, Promotion, and Merit

Regents Distinguished Professorships

Since Fiscal Year 1964 the Kansas Legislature has appropriated funds to the Kansas Board of Regents for the employment of outstanding professors as Regents Distinguished Professors. The purpose of the program is to attract to Kansas established scholars whose research projects augment the state's economic and industrial development. The following are the guidelines of the Board of Regents with reference to the selection and designation of Regents Distinguished Professors:

1. The Chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents shall appoint a Subcommittee composed of three Board members which shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Board in all matters pertaining to the funding, appointment, evaluation and continuance of Regents Distinguished Professors.

2. Nominations for the appointment of a Regents Distinguished Professor shall be preceded by the submission of a proposal by the chief executive officer of the host institution detailing:

a. the area of academic specialization for the position;

b. the mode of financing the position;

c. the institutional facilities and resources available to the incumbent of the position;
d. the institutional facilities and resources needed for the position;

e. the relationship of the position to the strengths and mission of the institution;

f. a description of how the position avoids the duplication of Regents Distinguished Professorships at other Regents institutions or, if the position duplicates such Professorships, how the position will be integrated with the position(s) and research activities at collaborating Regents institutions;

g. the contribution of the position to the economic development of Kansas;

h. service activities provided by host institution to other Regents institutions; and

i. the academic department or other unit to which the position will be assigned.

The proposal shall be circulated to each Board member and to the Executive Director of the Board at least two months prior to any Board action. An evaluation of and recommendation for approval of the proposal shall be made by the Board Subcommittee on Regents Distinguished Professors. Final Board approval of the proposal shall be contingent upon convincing arguments and evidence on points 2.,a.-i. provided by the proposing institution.

3. Nominations for the appointment of a Regents Distinguished Professor may be made by the Chancellor and the Presidents. An institution may submit a nominee for appointment to a Regents Distinguished Professorship once the position has been approved by the Board. The following precepts shall guide the Board in its appointment of Regents Distinguished Professors.

a. The Regents Distinguished Professor shall be a recognized leader in his or her field.

b. In the selection of Regents Distinguished Professors, emphasis should be placed on the capabilities that will enhance the economic and industrial development of the State. Regents Distinguished Professors should inform public policy and enhance the attractiveness of the State through their professional, social, and cultural contributions.

c. No person presently employed in the Kansas Regents system shall be designated as a Regents Distinguished Professor.

d. The nomination dossier shall be circulated to each Board member and to the Executive Director of the Board.

e. Upon receipt, the nomination dossier shall be referred to the Board Subcommittee on Regents Distinguished Professors. The Board Subcommittee is authorized to use a panel of consultants for advice and information in making a recommendation. The panel will be selected by the Board Subcommittee and shall be composed of educators in the nominee's field and not connected with the Kansas Regents system. Costs incurred by the use of consultants shall be borne by the nominating institution.

f. No nominee shall be appointed or submitted to the Board for approval until he or she shall have been personally interviewed by at least two members of the Board Subcommittee on Regents Distinguished Professors.

g. The recommendation for the appointment of a nominee to a Regents Distinguished Professorship shall be made to the entire Board by the Subcommittee on Regents Distinguished Professors.

4. The Regents Distinguished Professor designation is appended to a regular faculty line within the institution. The vacant position and the Regents Distinguished Professor allocation shall determine the salary of the Regents Distinguished Professor. Allocation of funds for Regents Distinguished Professors shall be limited to an amount appropriated by the Legislature for each professorship recommended by the Board Subcommittee on Regents Distinguished Professors and authorized by the Board of Regents.

5. A Regents Distinguished Professor is eligible for the same tenure privileges as regular faculty. Board designation as Regents Distinguished Professor and the stipend appended to it are subject to review and reaffirmation by the Board of Regents under the terms of this policy.

6. The Board Subcommittee on Regents Distinguished Professors will undertake a comprehensive performance evaluation in November of the third year of the Regents Distinguished Professor's designation and every succeeding fourth year of the designation. The following are the guidelines for the evaluation and continuation of Regents Distinguished Professors:

a. The chief executive officer shall submit an annual report on October 1 to the Board Subcommittee on Regents Distinguished Professors including: (i) a summary evaluative statement by the chief executive officer addressing past performance and expectations for the future; (ii) a listing of the professor's activities for the past twelve months as well as those planned for the next twelve; (iii) evidence of contributions to the state's economic development, including sponsorship of research activity; and (iv) a fiscal report including salary data, how the stipend was utilized, either as salary or OOE money, and, in the case of the latter, how the money was spent.

b. The report during the year of the Subcommittee's comprehensive evaluation, shall include commentary on the professor's academic work and contributions to the state's economic development. Commentary on the professor's academic work shall be provided by peer evaluators who are (i) chosen by the institution, (ii) educators in the professor's field and (iii) not connected with the Kansas Regents system. Commentary on the professor's contributions to the state's economic development shall be provided by persons who are credible observers of the economic outcomes of the professor's work.

c. The Professor will be allowed to submit any information to the Subcommittee for consideration not included in the reports submitted by the chief executive officer.

d. In its comprehensive evaluation, the Board Subcommittee shall review the available annual reports, peer evaluations and any other materials submitted by the Professor. The evaluation shall include a review of the Professor's professional activities and evidence of contributions to Kansas economic development. Evidence of effective performance shall include, but not be limited to, public or private sponsorship of research activity.

e. The Subcommittee shall recommend continuance or discontinuance of the Regents Distinguished Professor designation and stipend to the Board of Regents at the December Board meeting. If continuation is not approved by the Board, the designation and stipend will be withdrawn effective December 31 of the following calendar year.

7. When an appointment to a Regents Distinguished Professorship is terminated through action of the Board, the institution or the professor, the institution should initiate a proposal to the Board of Regents justifying the continuation or change in the area of academic specialization for the Regents Distinguished Professor's position.

Kansas Board of Regents: Policies and Procedures (01-21-93).

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