Regents’ Professorships are bestowed on the most distinguished faculty of Georgia State University, whose scholarly achievements are recognized both nationally and internationally as innovative and renowned. The appointment is made by the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents on recommendation of the President of GSU as per BOR policy manual 8.3.2:

8.3.2 Regents’ Professorships

Regents’ Professorships may be granted by the Board of Regents to outstanding faculty members of the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Georgia, the Medical College of Georgia, Georgia State University, and, in special circumstances approved by the Board, other USG institutions. A Regents’ Professorship shall be awarded by the Board only upon the unanimous recommendation of the president, the chief academic officer, the appropriate academic dean, and three (3) other members of the faculty to be named by the president, and upon the approval of the Chancellor and the Committee on Academic Affairs (BoR Minutes, October 2008).

A Regents’ Professorship shall be granted by the Board for a period of three (3) years. Consideration of the renewal of the professorship for a second three-year period shall be given by the Board upon recommendation of the president of the institution, the Chancellor, and the Committee on Academic Affairs. After a period of six (6) years the Regents’ Professorship shall be renewed at the discretion of the president of the institution (BoR Minutes, August 2011).

Eligibility and Criteria

To be eligible for consideration, nominees must hold the rank of Professor. Normally, the nominee will have a record of at least ten years at the rank of Professor.

Criteria used in the evaluation process include:

1. Sustained, and recent, significant achievement in scholarship (or other creative activity appropriate to the discipline) that has earned high national and, as relevant, international citation and recognition. These scholarly contributions must be at a level that clearly exceeds what is expected for meritorious Professors.
2. A sustained record of highly effective promotion of learning. A Regents’ Professor is expected to excel in formal instruction, in the dissemination of knowledge to national audiences, and in the active and successful mentoring of master’s and doctoral degree students
3. Substantial contributions in service to the discipline and to Georgia State University, including a sustained record of significant positive involvement in the life of the university.

Nomination

Confidential nominations must come from the candidate’s Dean or a Regents’ Professor. The nomination materials must include the following, as three separate files:

1. A letter of nomination detailing the accomplishments of the nominee and how they meet the criteria for Regents’ Professor. If the nominator is a Regents’ Professor, the Dean must be a co-signatory for the nomination letter.
2. A curriculum vitae of the candidate; and
3. Names and contact information of at least 6 external referees who have a national or international reputation in the nominee’s discipline/field of research. External referees should have no more than a limited personal or professional relationship to the candidate, with any such relationship identified in the supporting materials. The Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs will contact the referees to obtain the minimum 3 confidential external letters of evaluation needed to complete the candidate’s dossier.

Renewals

For renewals of Regents’ Professorships, nominations need to include only #1 and #2 above. External letters are not required. The cover letter should highlight the achievements of the nominee since the initial award.

Where to Submit

Nomination packages should be emailed as 3 separate file attachments to [email protected] by the deadline listed above.

Review

Completed nomination dossiers will be reviewed by an ad hoc review committee appointed by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. This committee will consist of three current Regents’ Professors who represent the nominations received. The advisory committee will keep all information regarding the nomination and review confidential, will review the nominees’ credentials, and will provide their assessment and recommendations to the Provost. Taking into account the committee assessments and her own independent review of candidates, the Provost will forward her recommendations to the President for approval and transmittal to the Board of Regents.

Award

The Regents’ Professorship is granted for an initial period of three years. Regents’ Professor awardees will receive a salary supplement as long as they hold the Regents’ Professor title. The amount of the supplement will be set by the Provost.

A Regents’ Professorship is considered an appointment to a non-endowed professorship title and not a promotion. At the time of appointment, a new Regents’ Professor must not hold or must relinquish the title of Distinguished University Professor. However, a Regents’ Professor may simultaneously hold an Endowed Named Professorship. Consideration for renewal of the Regents’ Professorship for a second three-year period shall follow the BOR requirements.