Each Presidential Teaching Professor will receive upon appointment an increment of $5,000 to base salary. A grant of $5,000 will be provided during each year of a four-year award period following the non-renewable appointment to be used for any legitimate activities directly related to the improvement of the professor’s teaching (e.g., equipment, graduate assistants, supplies, travel, secretarial help), except for personal salary. In addition, the professor will be released for one semester (or the equivalent in part-time releases) from teaching, research and service responsibilities during the last half of the four-year award period to permit the generation of new course materials or the development of new instructional methods. (When designated as a Presidential Teaching Professor, the faculty member should consult with the department chair and college dean if necessary, to identify the particular semester the faculty member will be gone and how the regular assignment will be covered internally. Colleges will receive $4,000 toward the cost of that one semester release.) These provisions are to be over and above any tangible resources or released time that these individuals may obtain through grants or other sources during the award period.
Presidential Teaching Professors will be formally appointed in the spring of the year prior to the starting date of their appointment. At this time they will each be presented with a medallion intended for wearing with academic regalia.
To be considered, individuals must have tenure and rank of full professor and have at least six years of service at NIU. Nominees should be acknowledged to be among the most notable teachers at the university with demonstrated continuous excellence in the teaching of under-graduate and/or graduate students. Individuals who have received the Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor, Presidential Engagement Professor or Board of Trustees Professor Award may also be eligible for appointment as a Presidential Teaching Professor. However, nominees may only apply for one presidential award per year. Professors nearing retirement from the university are eligible. If appointed, these individuals will receive the benefits and support fixed by the award for that part of the appointment period they are fully employed at NIU. Sitting members of the Selection Committee are not eligible for the appointment.
Presidential Teaching Professors are expected to carry out a continuous program of activities related to the improvement of instruction during the four-year award period. At the conclusion of the award period, each Presidential Teaching Professor will be required to conduct a seminar for the NIU community on a topic derived from their work. To ensure the smooth functioning of their respective departments, each professor will consult with the department chair, the college dean and the provost, as necessary, before scheduling the released time related to the award.
When the Presidential Teaching Professor completes the four-year award period, his/her title will become Distinguished Teaching Professor.
Representatives of faculty from each of the seven instructional colleges and representatives of the Alumni Association will be appointed annually by the president to form a Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will be chaired by the provost or a designee.
The Presidential Teaching Professorships were established in 1990 to recognize those outstanding teachers who have demonstrated over time that they
Nominations may be made by any individual, including the nominee, who is a current or former member of the university community (alumni, faculty, staff, students, administrators). External scholars and practitioners knowledgeable about the nominee’s qualifications may also nominate.