Titled Professorships

(IU coding: NDW) 

Titled professor nominations at IUPUI are reviewed by a Titled Professors Committee, as well as the Executive Vice Chancellor, and Chancellor. Please note that any external candidate is likely to be hired-with-tenure, and that process also involves six external letters (at least three at arms-length), as well as other steps. Please see this checklist.

A complete packet sent to ude[dot]iupui[at]rhdaca should include: 

• Nomination letter: this may be written by a chair but the dean must also concur.   
• Donor intent form: if you do not already have it, contact the IU Foundation.
• Candidate CV.
• Six external evaluation letters (please see below).

Please include the following information in the packet: 

• These points should be summarized in the chair’s letter, or in a letter from the dean or from a school committee.
• Supporting letters must address at least the degree of eminence of the candidate. Some can be written for other purposes (e.g. as reference letters for a position; see last point).

Purpose of the Titled Professorship 

• Include brief information on the intent of the titled professorship; if a donor intent document is available, include that.
• If a donor intent document is not available, provide a description of the professorship and some details as to its history and purposes.   

Degree of Eminence of the Applicant 

• The basic assumption is that the candidate is already a full professor. Almost all titled professors in the IU system are full professors. (280 out of 288; the rest are at associate level).   
• If someone is at the associate level but will be promoted to full (e.g. is employed at another university at associate level but will be hired at IUPUI as full), include a statement from the promotion and tenure committee of the school attesting to their satisfying the school criteria for the rank of full.   
• If someone is at the associate level and will not be promoted, provide an explanation of how this person is nationally qualified for that particular titled professorship; reference the donor intent.   

Search Process (particularly applicable for external candidates) 

• Please indicate if the endowed position was searched as such. For example, your unit may have an Endowed Professorship in This Specialty; you conduct a full national search for the most eminent available person in This Specialty.   
• Check the purpose of the reference letters. Six letters are required. At least two or three should specifically address the qualifications for the endowed position; that is, not all of them should be routine employment-letters-of-reference. At least 3 should be at arms-length. You may begin with the references the candidate supplies but three must be arms-length.  

Special Notes: 

• There are funding distinctions between titled professorships and titled ‘chairs’. Please consult with IU Foundation or the school’s development officer.  
• School of Medicine follows a separate procedure. Contact ude[dot]ui[at]nmdadaca for details.
  

The process for titled professorship approvals is under revision consideration. For questions, contact ude[dot]iupui[at]rhdaca.

Reviewed and revised: 6/2022.