Nomination for College Professor of Distinction

Nomination and Selection Procedure 

  • Candidates must be nominated by at least two members of the professorial rank of the college, each of whom should write a separate letter of nomination. Nomination letters should be directed to the chair of the candidate’s department (or associate chair, if the chair is the nominee).
    • The College strongly encourages nominations that are made without the knowledge of the nominee. 
  • A letter supporting the nomination must come from the chair (or associate chair) of the candidate’s department. Accompanying this letter should be a confidential list of names and contact information for ten senior scholars at institutions other than CU Boulder who might be asked by the Dean to be external reviewers should the candidate be selected for nomination. 
  • The chair’s letter must use data available to the chair (web-based databases, FRPA, annual merit reviews, etc) to build a case for the nominee.
    • Each of the four criteria above needs to be explicitly addressed, particularly those components of the nominees record that are not fully represented or explained in the CV.
    • The chair’s letter will typically be several pages long. 
  • A file consisting of the following shall be submitted by the chair of the candidate’s department to the dean's office by March 31. It is desirable that this stage of nomination be confidential, and without the knowledge of the candidate. 
    • Current curriculum vita
    • At least two letters of nomination
    • The chair’s letter in support of the nomination
    • Current letters from randomly solicited students
    • The list of potential reviewers  
  • A Professor of Distinction Selection Committee, appointed by the Dean and consisting of current Professors of Distinction, shall review nominations and recommend to the Dean a subset of nominees for full review. 
  • The full review will include letters from external reviewers, who will be contacted by the Selection Committee, with a deadline of approximately August 1 for return of letters. 
  • Nomination dossiers and external letters shall be reviewed by members of the Professor of Distinction Selection Committee.
  • By vote, the Committee shall make a recommendation to the Dean.
    • Typically, 0.5% of the faculty shall be recommended annually. 

Candidates whose nominations have received full review by the Committee may be considered more than once during a three year period. Previously nominated candidates whose files did not receive full review by the Personnel Committee may not be nominated again for at least three years. 

 

Reviewed 26 February 2024