Faculty Titles Dictionary – Honorary and Endowed Appointments

For all Faculty and Staff in the AAUP Bargaining Unit.

Emeritus Status

The By-Laws of the University of Connecticut state that when particular conditions are met, faculty will be nominated for emeritus status. In these instances, once faculty have retired, Human Resources provide information to the Provost’s Office who present recommendations for approval by the Board of Trustees. No action is required by faculty members, Department Heads, or Deans, for these cases to move forward for approval by the Board of Trustees.

University By-Laws on Emeritus Status:

Section XIV.K.2

The faculty member holds the rank of Associate Professor or full Professor or equivalent titles for clinical, in-residence and extension (CIRE) at the University of Connecticut.
The faculty member has served at the University of Connecticut for at least five years.

There shall be a standing University of Connecticut Emeritus Committee. Faculty members who do not meet both conditions described in Section 2a and Section 2b above may become emeriti by vote of the Board of Trustees or the Health Center Board of Directors following recommendation of the President and the Emeritus Committee. Other professional staff are also eligible for this designation following recommendation of the President and the Emeritus Committee.

Section XIV.K.4

Emeritus status is a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked at any time at the request of the President and/or Retirement Committee with approval of the Board of Trustees.

Distinguished Chair, Endowed Chair, Named Professorship

Distinguished Chair

A Distinguished Chair is a new position with a budget targeted at recruiting exceptional faculty to the University. By supporting the establishment of a Distinguished Chair a donor would enable the attracting of stellar faculty. Appointment to such a Chair should fill an identified need in an established strategy for the improvement of specific programs. Distinguished Chair holders would be individuals who, when given appropriate financial support and a sufficient “start up” capability, would provide the University with the margin of excellence needed within a particular academic endeavor. A combination of teaching and research and the ability to contribute to the economic well-being of the State of the Connecticut are among the sought-after qualities of faculty who would hold Distinguished Chairs.

Each Distinguished Chair requires a significant contribution of resources on the part of the University in partnership with the donor in order to establish the chair and to provide the ongoing salary, benefits and program support necessary to accomplish the chair’s purpose. The University commitment would be derived from a combination of resources from the Chancellor, Dean, and Department Head.

The selection of Distinguished Chair holders would be overseen by a Standing University Search Committee whose purpose would be to ensure a consistently high standard among Distinguished Chair holders across the University as well as to assure Chair caliber and quality within the discipline.

If a donor wishes to create a Distinguished chair in an area not targeted within the strategy for improvement of academic programs at the University, the proposal will be reviewed by the Provost and the applicable Dean(s) and Department Head(s). Acceptance of the proposal may be approved contingent on the donor providing full funding, or upon development of an alternative funding plan. Interested parties should coordinate the establishment of a Distinguished Chair with the University of Connecticut Foundation.

Endowed Chair

An Endowed Chair is intended not to enable new initiatives but rather to improve existing programs by providing supplemental monies to be used, most frequently, to attract a new faculty member into an existing position. It could, however, be used to retain or reward an individual of exceptional accomplishment who is already on the faculty.

Supplemental monies might be used in areas such as salary enhancement, professional travel and expenses, program costs (newsletters, conferences, visits to colleagues), and administrative and research support personnel.

The holder of an Endowed Chair will be a full professor who will most likely hold the position for life, although term awards are not without possibility. Interested parties should coordinate the establishment of a Endowed Chair with the University of Connecticut Foundation.

Named Professorship

A Named Professorship has characteristics similar to those of an Endowed Chair with two exceptions: funding level and faculty rank. It would provide supplemental monies to attract a new faculty member or to reward or retain an existing faculty member; it would be aimed at improving existing programs. However, tenured associate professors (or above) would be eligible to hold a Named Professorship. Interested parties should coordinate the establishment of a Named Professorship with the University of Connecticut Foundation.

Faculty Fellowship

A Faculty Fellowship is intended to retain, to encourage, or to attract young or junior faculty and its holder will be from among those faculty ranks. Further, it will be a term award, the funding being made available for a finite period of time. Otherwise, the characteristics of a Faculty Fellowship are consistent with those of other endowed positions inasmuch as the intent is to improve existing programs through providing supplemental monies for the retention or recruiting of junior faculty of accomplishment. Interested parties should coordinate the establishment of a Faculty Fellowship with the University of Connecticut Foundation.