Each May, the Board of Trustees approves the nominations of teaching faculty to endowed professorships. Appointees hold the chair for the 10 academic years following their appointment. Each “class” of endowed professors is celebrated in October during a reception organized in their honor. Each newly elected professor offers a seminar to the community during the academic year following their appointment. In addition, each endowed professor receives:

• A $10k annual stipend
• A $2.5k discretionary fund
• A Bates chair with an engraved plaque that has the recipient’s name and title.

The selection of teaching faculty for endowed professorships begins in the fall of each academic year. The staff in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty (DOF)  identify which professorships are available and have faculty eligible (according to criteria below and the memoranda of understanding) to be named to them. The dean and the DOF staff review faculty against the criteria early in the winter semester. The dean then discusses the candidates with the president in March, deciding on finalists by April 1. The Faculty Personnel Committee is notified of the finalists in April and the Board of Trustees considers the nominations at its spring meeting (usually early May).

Teaching faculty must have the rank of Professor to be eligible for an endowed professorship. The evaluation criteria are summarized in a rubric, and include:

• Continued professional development
• Teaching excellence
• Scholarly or artistic excellence
• Excellent governance record
• Supportive engagement of Bates and the broader community