Distinguished Professors

Purpose

The purpose of the Distinguished Professor Award is to recognize and honor East Stroudsburg faculty members who make outstanding contributions to the academic life of the University and its reputation. The award of Distinguished Professor is conferred upon an individual by the University President in recognition of exceptional achievement in teaching, scholarly/research/creative work, and service.

Recipient and Formal Presentation

One or two faculty will be honored with the Distinguished Professor Award at the first All University Meeting each September. The recipient(s) will also be announced and listed in all commencement programs of that academic year, and they will be identified in official university publications where appropriate, as Distinguished Professor after receiving the honor. The University President will formally present the Award(s) during the All University Meeting. An ESU Distinguished Professor Award Recipient is, in effect, a Distinguished Professor for the rest of his or her tenure at ESU and retains the honor after retirement, and can only be honored once for this award.

Committee

The Committee shall consist of two administrators appointed by the University President and seven faculty members. Five faculty members will be elected: One from each of the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, Health Sciences, Business and Management, and one representing all other faculty (those in University College and non-classroom areas). The other two faculty members will be appointed by the APSCUF President, with at least one of them coming from the ranks of Distinguished University Professors. Each committee member, appointed or elected, will initially serve for a 2-year or 3-year term. Committee members shall not be elected or appointed for two consecutive terms. All faculty serving on the Committee must hold the rank of full professor. The chair will be selected/elected by the committee members.

Award Criteria

The Distinguished Professor Award is the highest honor for ESU Faculty to receive. The Award is given for outstanding contributions in teaching, research/scholarship/ creative activities, and service. Candidates must have a record of outstanding teaching, quality research/scholarly/creative activities, and university service related to one’s discipline or profession. Candidates should continually have demonstrated engagement in research/scholarly/creative activities that advance the faculty member’s discipline or profession or the teaching of his/her discipline or profession. Only faculty who hold a doctorate or other terminal degree, have earned the rank of full professor, have sustained excellence as a professor, and have been full-time faculty at ESU for at least ten years can be nominated or considered for the award.

Selection Process

The process whereby a Distinguished Professor is awarded consists of four/five phases: Nomination to the Committee, Invitation to Apply, Review and Recommendation by Committee, Selection and Appointment by President, and Award.
A call for nominations is made to the university community by May 1 and any member of the university community (faculty, administrators, students, staff) can nominate a faculty member for the award by October 1 (Self-nomination will not be accepted). Nomination letters are to be sent to the attention of the Committee Chair. Nomination letters should be 1-3 pages in length with a rationale for the nomination clearly explained.

The Committee will review all nominations and will select finalists who meet the selection criteria by December 1. Finalists will be notified by the Committee and asked to submit their curriculum vitas and such relevant materials as supporting letters from experts in the candidate’s field, representative samples of candidates research/scholarship/creative work, representative samples of teaching excellence not limited to student course evaluations, and any additional evidence of exceptional performance by regional, national, and international standards of excellence. All supporting parts of the application must be received by the Committee no later than January 30.

Review Process

The Committee will review the completed applications after January 30. The Committee has latitude to seek additional information about candidates when necessary. The Committee shall recommend one or two award recipients with accompanying rationale in writing by March 30 to the Provost for final decision by the President. In the event the President does not accept the one or two recommended candidates, the President, at the committee’s request, will provide reasons for his/her decision at a meeting with the committee. The committee will have the opportunity to submit additional candidates for consideration by the President. The decision by the President, in any case, is final. The Committee is charged with writing the award citation that specifies why the individual(s) have been deemed worthy to be named an ESU Distinguished Professor.