2008–09 Nominations for Hilldale Professorship Competition
Thursday, November 8, 2007
TO: Deans, Directors, and Department Chairs
FROM: Patrick V. Farrell, Provost
I invite you to nominate outstanding faculty for one vacant Hilldale Professorship, which is available
beginning July 1, 2008. In the past we also have solicited nominations for Vilas and campus-wide Bascom
Professorships in this competition, but there are no vacancies in those categories at present.
Hilldale Professorships are given to faculty who excel in scholarly activity. They have records of outstanding
research or creative work and show promise of continued productivity. The appointments are for five years with
the possibility of renewal until the individual leaves the university or retires. New appointees to the Hilldale
Professorship will receive $15,000 per year for research support, which also may be used for teaching release
during the academic year or for summer salary. In addition, each recipient will receive a temporary base
adjustment of $7,500 for the term of the professorship.
An academic department or interdisciplinary center/institute may submit one or more nominations for a Hilldale
Professorship. You may use the materials prepared for the WARF Named Professorship or similar competition in
the current or previous year for this nomination, but do not include the file of publications. If you are
re-nominating an individual, please update and submit the file as a new nomination. In cases of split appointments,
endorsement of both deans/directors is required. Individuals will not be awarded two "in perpetuity" professorships
(i.e., professorships that are renewable indefinitely) at the same time. Therefore, anyone who already holds such a
professorship (e.g., a Bascom) and is awarded a new one (e.g., a Hilldale) must give up the other. This does not
apply to limited-term professorships, such as WARF Professorships, Romnes Fellowships, etc.
Nominations should include six copies of:
- cover letter of endorsement from the dean/director(s)
- brief letter (1,000 words or less) of nomination from the department or center/institute executive committee(s) that explains how the nominee was selected and highlights the major features of his/her work. The primary criteria are the quality, significance, and productivity of the nominee's research or creative work, but indications of the quality and programmatic value of the nominee's teaching and service also are considered.
- up-to-date curriculum vitae
- letters of recommendation (no more than five of which two must be internal; 1,000 words or less)
All departmental nominations are due in the appropriate dean/director's office by Friday, January 25, 2008. The
dean/director should then forward to the Provost all nominations (unranked) by Friday, February 29, 2008, for
review by the Chancellor, Provost, and an ad hoc faculty committee of current holders of named professorships. A
recommendation then is made to the Board of Regents for final approval. We anticipate announcing the name of
the recipient by early May.