Professorships and University Professors
This page serves as a central resource for recognizing academic excellence by providing comprehensive information and nomination guidelines for professorships and university professors.
Professorships
Faculty members are the cornerstone of our institution, and professorships are vital for the university to recruit, retain and celebrate outstanding educators and researchers. Professorships allow us to honor faculty at every stage in their career — from promising young scholars to senior leaders in their fields. By investing in our faculty, we ensure that CMU will continue to deliver exceptional research and education at the cutting-edge of innovation and collaboration.
Many of CMU’s professorships are made possible by generous donors who share our commitment to recognizing the profound contributions of our faculty to the university and society as a whole.
Types of Professorships
Deanships
Support for academic leadership of a college or school, or for administrative leadership that supports the quality of life for CMU students. A deanship is held for the duration of the recipient's tenure as dean.
Headships and Directorships
Support for academic and intellectual leadership at the department, center or school level. The title is held while in position.
Full Professorships
Support to attract and retain talented intellectual leadership at the senior faculty level.
Career Development Professorship
Support for junior faculty seeking tenure; awarded to faculty members of great promise.
Visiting Professorships
Support for visiting faculty, often awarded for one-semester or one-year terms.
Nominations and Selection
To nominate a faculty member for a professorship or chair, please fill out the faculty nomination form. Nominations must come from a dean or associate dean.
For questions regarding nominations, please contact the Provost's Office. If you have issues or questions regarding the nomination form, please contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty.
The provost must provide written approval prior to the awarding of all professorship and chair recipients, including the following circumstances:
- A new endowed chair or professorship is created and the first recipient has been selected.
- A new recipient is named to an existing vacant professorship.
- A recipient for a visiting professorship has been selected.
- The establishment of and the recipient announcement of a newly endowed chair created out of operating funds.
University Professors
The title of University Professor is the highest designation a faculty member can receive at Carnegie Mellon. University Professors are distinguished by international recognition and for their contributions to education, artistic creativity and/or research. View all University Professors
Nomination Process and Criteria
The University Professor nomination process is completed through Interfolio. Access Interfolio by signing in with your partner institution, Carnegie Mellon University. View the policy on the nomination process
To ensure representation across the university, nominees represent diverse thoughts, backgrounds, and experiences whose work shows substantial impact locally, nationally and/or globally. All candidates nominated for the position of University Professor are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional and collegial conduct. The criteria below outlines specific considerations for nominees by professorial track.
Tenure Track Candidates
The criteria include international recognition and distinction for contributions to education, artistic creativity and expression and/or research. Distinction may be demonstrated in a variety of ways consistent with the highest standards of the university. Recognition should reflect exceptional achievements at Carnegie Mellon that extend beyond the candidate’s department and college. Recognition may also be demonstrated in part by election to an academy or by the highest honors or awards given by the candidate’s professional organizations.
Research Track Candidates
At CMU, the criteria for progress on the research track are the same as the research component of the tenure track: national/international research reputation. Research achievements will be judged in terms of their validity, importance, and impact. Indicators include: peer-reviewed and other published papers, reports or books; patents or products of societal or economic importance; and professional recognitions like awards from professional societies or national governments. Financial support can indicate the significance of research contributions.
Teaching Track Candidates
At CMU, two distinct criteria of progress on the teaching track are recognized: "outstanding local teaching'' and "significant national/international prominence in education.''
“Local teaching'' refers to all educational activities associated with CMU. At the University Professor level, this involves outstanding development of significant educational innovations and leadership of transformative CMU educational initiatives. Attainment of excellence on this criterion might entail receipt of CMU’s Doherty Award or other teaching awards, and/or assessment of outstanding teaching impact in terms of student career success.
"Significant national/international prominence in education'' refers to educational publications, textbooks and instructional materials or outstanding educational development and innovations, which are nationally recognized. At the University Professor level, this prominence may be obtained via peer-reviewed research and development of educational innovations that impact the fundamental nature of educational practice (e.g., cognitive tutors, development of OLI-related pedagogy) and recognition via national and international awards from professional associations and national governments.
Librarian/Archivist Track Candidates
1) Librarianship and archival work, and 2) research, scholarly or artistic activities that lead to new knowledge, increased problem solving, best practices, and/or original theory.
"Librarianship and Archival Work'' refers to facilitating scholarly access to information in support of CMU’s research, artistic accomplishments and teaching missions. In the context of the election to University Professor, this criterion reflects innovation in methods of information sharing, interpretation and dissemination, and development of methodologies and standards for information use. National/international recognition of such contributions by professional organizations or national governments is evidence of such accomplishment.
"Research, Scholarly or Artistic Activities'' refers to peer-reviewed publications, reports and books advancing knowledge in information science, access, presentation, dissemination and use. Such publications can include, for example, a body of systematic reviews on important topics in the natural or social sciences or published work or products that advance the use of knowledge synthesis in general or in specific disciplines. National/international recognition of such contributions is evident in winning honors from a professional association or national government.