University Distinguished Professor
The title University Distinguished Professor will be conferred on selected members of the Michigan State University faculty to recognize distinguished achievement in teaching, research, and public service. A University Distinguished Professorship will be held for the remainder of the recipient’s active service at Michigan State University; the title University Distinguished Professor Emeritus can be conferred, consistent with the Emeritum Policy. Individuals holding a University Distinguished Professorship will receive, in addition to salary, an average stipend of five thousand dollars for five years to support professional activities.
Assignments for University Distinguished Professors will be arranged with the dean, chairperson/director, and the Provost. The designation will be highly honorific and consequently very exclusive. Membership in this category will reflect the diverse scholarly dimensions of Michigan State University.
Criteria for Selecting University Distinguished Professors
In general, University Distinguished Professors will have been recognized nationally and usually internationally for the importance of their scholarly achievements. They will also have demonstrated the breadth of interest characteristically encompassed by the traditional role of professor as teacher and public servant. In addition, they will have brought distinction to Michigan State University as a result of their activities.
Specifically, a University Distinguished Professor will have achieved a record judged by peers to be superior and outstanding in preferably all but in at least two of the following areas: superior teaching skills of recognized breadth and depth in their discipline; scholarly, creative, and artistic achievements; and a distinguished record of public service exemplified by the application of scholarship and/or creative and artistic endeavors in addressing the needs of one or more external publics.
University Distinguished Professors will have already achieved an outstanding record comparable to that of scholars awarded named professorships at MSU and elsewhere. That record will have been recognized by the University at previous opportunities where merit is rewarded—such as salary increases.
University Distinguished Professorships will be conferred on members of the Michigan State University faculty whose achievement has already been recognized by the University with the rank of full professor; the title is not to be used for recruitment purposes.
The next call for University Distinguished Professors will be in December 2026.