Endowed Chairs and Professorships

Approved by The Board of Governors, on the recommendation of General Faculties Council, to be effective 18 April, 1991. The Policy supersedes the Policy on Chairs and Professorships adopted in 1984.

The Board of Governors also delegated its authority in the matter of establishing Endowed Chairs and Professorships to the President

• Definition
• Policy
• Selection, Appointment and Review
• Financial Guidelines

Endowed Chairs are endowment funded prestigious academic staff appointments established to recognize and/or attract to the University internationally recognized senior academics whose scholarly activity and accomplishments will enrich selected areas of research and teaching.

Endowed Professorships are endowment funded academic staff appointments made to facilitate cooperative research between the University and the contributing community, government, and/or industrial sponsors.

These appointments are distinguished from other sponsored academic appointments (such as those underwritten by the national granting councils, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, and others) by the manner in which appointees are selected, which is internal to, and determined by, the University.

Purpose - The University will establish endowed chairs and professorships as a means of selectively developing, promoting, and recognizing excellence in research and scholarship at the University.

Terms of Reference - Each Chair or Professorship shall have terms of reference setting out.

Name - The official name of the Chair or Professorship.

Purpose - The purpose and objectives of the Chair or Professorship including the Faculty(ies), disciplines, and/or specialization in which an appointment may be made.

Qualifications - The general and any specific qualifications required of candidates or nominees. Normally, Chair candidates will be required to have academic qualifications commensurate with an appointment at the rank of Professor and an internationally distinguished research and/or teaching record; normally, Professorship candidates will have academic qualifications commensurate with a senior professorial appointment.

Advisory Committee - The composition of an Advisory Committee which must include at least one external member from out side the Faculty, a nominee of the Vice-President (Academic) and a nominee of the Vice- President (Research). Normally, the Committee will be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Dean of the Faculty in which the appointment will be held and the Vice-President (Research & International). The committee will report to the Faculty Dean. In the absence of a designated Faculty, the Committee will report to the Vice-President (Research & International).

Term of Appointment - Normally, initial appointments are for three to five years terms. If renewal is permitted, it must be subject to a favourable performance review and the availability of funds.

Reporting Obligations - Appointees will report annually, in the same manner as other faculty, through their Department Head and Faculty Dean to the President and the Vice- President (Research). When the appointment includes an expense allowance, an annual work plan and budget may be required and subject to review by the Advisory Committee.

Annual Reviews - Normally, appointees will be reviewed in the same manner as other faculty. However, when desired in a particular case, the Advisory Committee may be required to undertake annual or periodic reviews including, as appropriate, an assessment of the appointee's success in carrying out the year's planned activities, the quality of the appointee's contributions and accomplishments, and such other unique requirements and objectives established at the time of appointment.

Other - Any other provisions unique to the appointment.

The terms of reference will be developed jointly by the prospective sponsor(s), host department and faculty, and the Vice- President (Research) and endorsed (approved) by the host department and faculty as consistent with department and faculty long term priorities and objectives. The Vice-President (Research & International) is responsible for coordinating the development of terms of reference.

Establishment - Following the approval of terms of reference, the Chair or Professorship will be established by the President acting with the delegated authority of the Board of Governors and the General Faculties Council. The Vice-President (Research & International) is responsible for obtaining approval to establish a Chair or Professorship.

Selection - Candidate's applications or nominations are reviewed by the Advisory Committee which shall make an appointment recommendation.

Appointment - The selected candidates appointment is recommended by the Faculty Dean through the Vice-President (Academic) for approval by the President. The President approves with the delegated authority of the Board. The Faculty Dean is also responsible for ensuring that the academic activities of appointees are appropriately integrated with the Faculty plans and activities.

Annual Review - Appointees will be reviewed annually in the same manner as other members of faculty. When the Terms of Reference so require, the Advisory Committee will also carry out a review reporting, as specified, to Sponsors, the Faculty Dean, and the Vice-President (Research & International). The Faculty Dean is responsible for initiating and coordinating annual reviews and, where required, obtaining the advice and recommendations of the Advisory Committee.

Reappointment - If applicable, a timely reappointment review will be undertaken by the Advisory Committee. The Committee will consider the appointee's activities and accomplishments over the full term of the appointment up to the date of the review. The review report will include a recommendation on reappointment. If the recommendation is to reappoint, the reappointment is made in the same manner as the initial appointment. If the recommendation is not to reappoint, the Committee will seek a new appointee.

Procedures/Criteria - The Advisory Committee will use the same selection and review procedures as the Faculty would use for the selection and review of appointees at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor (as appropriate). The criteria used by the Committee will be the same as, or more demanding than, those used for the selection and review of regular appointees. These criteria are found in the terms of reference specific to each Chair or Professorship.

Chair Endowments - The expendable income from a Chair endowment (determined in accordance with the University's policy on endowment income and expenditures) should be sufficient to pay the appointee's full initial term and prospective reappointment salary and benefits. In addition, whenever possible, the amount should also include an expense allowance for general secretarial, research, and research and appointment-related travel costs.

Named Professorship Endowments - The expendable income from a Named Professorship endowment (determined in accordance with the University's policy on endowment income and expenditures) should be sufficient to pay at least one-half of the appointee's initial term and prospective reappointment full salary and benefits. In addition, whenever possible, the amount should also include a contribution to an expense allowance for general secretarial, research, and research and appointment- related travel costs.

Fundraising - Community and/or corporate fund raising, if required, may be carried out with the Board's approval of a fundraising proposal, coordinated and supervised by the Development Office. Approval/allocation of any matching funds for which the proposal may be eligible is also sought/obtained through the Development Office.

Financial Viability - If the expendable income is insufficient to meet continuing appointment and expense costs, the Dean will consult with the Vice-Presidents, the Director of Fund Development, and if appropriate, the Sponsors. A decision will then be made to leave the position vacant intermittently, supplement the income from other sources, initiate additional fund-raising, or some combination of these measures.

Financial Responsibility - The Vice- President (Finance and Services) has responsibility for the financial administration of the endowments and, in particular, for timely information and advice on the adequacy and availability of funds for budget purposes. In determining the annual budget, the Vice-President (Finance and Services) will consult the Vice-President (Research & International) and the Dean of the Faculty in which the appointment is held.