Administration & Governance - Faculty Affairs - SoHE Named Faculty Appointments - Criteria and Process

Step 1.  Dean’s Nomination

The Dean, in consultation with the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and the department chair(s), will nominate an eligible candidate(s) for the Named Faculty Committee Review process.   The Dean’s office will communicate with each of the nominated candidates to submit their packet should they decides to accept the nomination.

Step 2.  Faculty Packet submission

Candidates shall submit the following materials to the Dean’s office:

Named Chair/Faculty appointments

•  An applicant statement
  • No more than 4 pages describing their accomplishments in the criteria of the preferred professorship or chair including Indicators of quality of scholarship (e.g. journal impact factors, citation rates, exhibition reviews, etc) with an emphasis on detailing future priorities and activities;
• A CV that clearly highlights those activities most relevant to the application; 

• Request for references

  • Candidates will be asked for the names of three external reviewers. These external reviewers should be distinguished scholars in the candidate’s field who are not and have not been UW-Madison faculty, did not mentor or collaborate with the candidate, and have no personal interest in the candidate’s promotion. In addition, candidates will be asked for three internal references who will be contacted regarding evidence of professional collegiality and citizenship. Committee may add additional external and internal names.  In some cases, external reviewer letters from tenure or promotion to full may be substituted if they are written within one year of the named faculty appointment.

Faculty Fellowship appointments

• An applicant statement
  • No more than 2 pages that address the specific expectations of the faculty fellowship
• A CV that clearly highlights those activities most relevant to the application; 
• Request for references
  • Provide letters of support as specified in faculty fellowship nomination letter.

Step 3: References contacted - (Named Chair/Prof appt. only)

The committee chair shall contact the applicants’ named references and solicit letters of support. Three external letters are required for a compete packet.

Step 4.  Committee Review

The Committee will review the nominated packet based on the criteria established by the MOA with the donor as well as the evaluation criteria established for named faculty appointments. 

Step 5.  Committee Recommendation

The Committee will recommend, recommend with qualification, or not recommend the applicant to the Dean accordingly.

Step 6.  Dean Decision and Notification

The Dean will make a final decision and notify the recipient and the donor.

A1.   The Vaughan Bascom Professorship in Women, Family and Community 

Faculty whose scholarship and leadership addresses quality of life issues for children, women, families and communities, with preference given to faculty whose work advances an understanding of the role of philanthropy in promoting and sustaining a civil and just society.   This award shall be administered in accordance with the University's guidelines on Bascom Professorships.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.  Not renewable.

A2.   Audrey Rothermel Bascom Professorship

Excellence and national reputation within at least two of the three types of scholarships: Teaching, Research, and/or Outreach. This award shall be administered in accordance with the University's guidelines on Bascom Professorships.    Eligibility: Tenured professors in SoHE. Not renewable.

B1. Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Distinguished Chair for Healthy Minds, Children & Families

The donors wish to support a faculty member in the School of Human Ecology’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies and the Center for Child and Family Well-Being specializing in the area family well-being and mind-body-relationships.  The Chair will also have an official affiliation with the Waisman Center and/or the Center for Healthy Minds in support of the healthy minds, children and families joint initiative.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors. Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

B2.   100 Women Distinguished Chair in Human Ecology

The purpose of this fund is to provide support for research-active faculty in the School of Human Ecology and to recognize faculty excellence, encourage faculty leadership, and to assist efforts to recruit, retain, and recognize top faculty in fields of study within the academic disciplines of human ecology. The 100 Women Chair in Human Ecology will rotate among all of the school’s academic departments, in a three-to-five year cycle. Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors.  Not Renewable, but may re-apply for the position after one cycle.

B3. Chipstone Design and Material Culture Distinguished Chair - pending

The Donor wishes to provide salary support for a tenured or tenure-track faculty position dedicated to the teaching, scholarship and outreach in design and material culture. The individual holding this distinguished chair would be the Executive Director of the Center for Design and Material Culture (CDMC) and would be expected to have the leadership role in advancing the mission and strategic goals of the CDMC as determined by the Dean of the School of Human Ecology.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors. Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

C1. Lynn and Gary Mecklenburg Chair in Textiles, Material Culture, and Design

The donors wish to support a faculty position in the Department of Design Studies whose expertise and scholarly work relates to the study of textiles and their cultural and aesthetic significance. This chair is to be awarded to a member of the Design Studies faculty whose area of expertise includes historic textiles and whose teaching, research and outreach activities enhance the integration of the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, the Ruth Ketterer Harris (RKH) Library and the Ruth Davis Design Gallery, three entities that comprise the Center for Textiles, Material Culture and Design, into the Design Studies curriculum for students in Textile and Fashion Design and Interior Architecture as well as other UW-Madison departments. Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors.  Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

C2.   Laura M. Secord Chair in Early Childhood Development 

The donors wish to support a faculty position in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) whose work relates to early childhood development and education, including scholarly activities leading to the dissemination of information to aid parents and family members in providing young children the skills and experiences needed for their physical, intellectual, emotional and social well-being. The faculty member holding the Laura M. Secord Chair also will serve as the faculty director of Human Ecology’s Preschool Lab. Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors.   Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

C3.   Elizabeth C. Davies Chair in Child & Family Well-being

The donors wish to support a faculty position in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) whose work relates to the research and application of mindfulness, contemplative practices and other methods to improve the well-being of children, parents and families. This chair is to be awarded to a member of the HDFS faculty with Extension and/or community-based teaching, research and/or outreach responsibilities. Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors.   Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

C4.   Fetzer Family Chair in Consumer and Personal Finance

The Donors wish to provide faculty support for a position focused on consumer finance, personal finance and/or behavioral economics. This chair is to be awarded to a research active faculty member whose expertise is in developing, implementing and evaluating innovative approaches related to financial education and financial and economic well-being for individuals and families locally and globally. Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors. Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

C5.   Kohl’s Chair in Retail Innovation

Kohl’s wishes to provide faculty support for teaching, research and outreach activities related to retail innovation and consumer insights. The individual holding this tenured track position is expected to work in close collaboration with the Executive Director and Assistant Director of the Kohl’s Center for Retailing. Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors. Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

D1. Dorothy A. O’Brien Professorship in Human Ecology

The donors wish to support faculty excellence and encourage faculty leadership of the School’s strategic initiatives and to assist efforts to recruit, retain and recognize top faculty in field of study within Human Ecology.   Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.  Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

D2.  Lorna Jorgenson Wendt Professorship in Money, Relationships, and Equality (MORE) 

The Donor wishes to provide faculty support for the teaching, research and outreach activities related to money, relationships and equality so as to advance an understanding of issues of equality and purpose-based living that enable individuals, couples and families to embrace the balance of interpersonal connection and self-fulfillment crucial to the well-being of all.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.  Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.  

D3.   Jane Rafferty Thiele Professorship in Human Ecology

The Donor wishes to support faculty excellence and encourage faculty leadership in areas of strategic importance to the School of Human Ecology. The Donor also wishes to provide the prestige of a named faculty position to assist efforts to recruit, retain and recognize top faculty spanning the broad fields of study within Human Ecology.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.  Not Renewable, but may re-apply for the position after one cycle, should the position made be available for an open call.

D4.   Ecology of Human Well-Being (EcoWell) Professorship 

The Donor wishes to support research-active faculty working to advance the ecology of well-being in all its facets within the academic disciplines of the School of Human Ecology. This professorship is to be awarded to a member of the School of Human Ecology faculty whose teaching, research and outreach responsibilities are devoted to understanding and promoting the ecology of well-being – social, emotional, cultural and/or economic. Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.    Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

D5.   Meta Schroeder Beckner Outreach Professorship

The Beckner Outreach Professorship provides support for a faculty member whose work focuses on research-based outreach with an ultimate goal of enhancing the wellbeing of families, individuals, and the community.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.  Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

D6.  Leola R. Culver Professorship in Nonprofits and Philanthropy  

  The Donor wishes to support an endowed faculty position in the School of Human Ecology, affiliated with the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies to be awarded to a member of the faculty whose areas of expertise include nonprofits and philanthropy.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee. Renewable, contingent upon a successful review.

E1.   Kay Vaughan Innovation Faculty Fellowship

The Donor wishes to support faculty innovation and/or faculty leadership of the School of Human Ecology’s strategic initiatives, and assist the Dean’s efforts to recruit, retain, and recognize top faculty in the fields of study within Human Ecology. Kay Vaughn Innovation Fellowship will rotate among the School’s program areas and be awarded every two to three (2-3) years to recognize excellence in research and/or teaching.   Dean may choose a different category each time at his/her discretion.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.

E2   Phyllis Northway Faculty Fellowship

The Phyllis Northway Faculty Fellow will provide leadership, direction, and outreach related to special initiatives of the Center for Child and Family Well-Being (CCFW) and/or the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (CommNS), beginning with the Prenatal to Five (P25) Initiative. The P25 Initiative is a statewide effort spearheaded by the School of Human Ecology.  The Phyllis Northway Faculty Fellowship was created to enhance the development of the School of Human Ecology as a hub for developing innovative multidisciplinary applied research and outreach projects.   (Dean reserves the authority to re-designate focus of this fellowship) Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.

E3.   Jane Rafferty Thiele Faculty Fellowship

The Jane Rafferty Thiele Faculty Fellow will provide leadership, direction, and mentorship related to one or more of teaching, research, and/or outreach as designated by the dean. The 1^st Fellowship (2019—2021) has been designated by the Dean to support teaching competencies in SoHE graduate students and may be renewed in the present form or redirected to meet the strategic needs of the School.  SoHE graduate students play a critical role in undergraduate education both in formal classroom settings (e.g., teaching assistants) and in informal ways (e.g., mentoring undergraduate research and creative projects). Developing excellence in teaching is a critical professional goal for many SoHE graduate students. The Pathways for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching and Jane Rafferty Thiele Faculty Fellowship were created to enhance the professional development of teaching competencies in SoHE graduate students.  Eligibility: Preferably tenured professors but exceptions can be made to advanced tenure-track (5^th or 6^th) with support from the oversight committee.  Not Renewable, but may re-apply for the position after one cycle, should the position made be available for an open call.