The David L. Boren Professorship is one of the University of Oklahoma’s highest honors, recognizing faculty who have made truly exceptional contributions to the mission of a public research university. To qualify for the Professorship, a faculty member must have consistently demonstrated outstanding teaching, research and creative activity, and leadership in professional and public service. The holders of this distinctive honor should demonstrate effective mentoring and engagement of students in advancing knowledge creation and making a positive difference in the world.
In the year of designation as a David L. Boren Professor, the recipient will receive a one-time award of $10,000 and a permanent salary increase of 10%, or a minimum of $10,000, starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
The term of a David L. Boren Professor is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.
Nominations are due to the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost by November 1, 2024, through the Faculty Awards and Honors Packets Dropbox.
To qualify for the Professorship, a faculty member must have consistently demonstrated outstanding teaching, research and creative activity, and leadership in professional and public service. The holders of this distinctive honor should demonstrate effective mentoring and engagement of students in advancing knowledge creation and making a positive difference in the world.
Criteria which will be considered are the degree to which the candidate:
Eligibility
Nominees must be full-time faculty members who hold regular faculty appointments. Nominees will normally hold the rank of full professor but associate professors may be considered. The faculty member must have been a University of Oklahoma employee during the period for which the outstanding contributions are being recognized; previous accomplishments at other institutions, if applicable, may be used in support of a continued outstanding performance. Recipients are not eligible in subsequent years for a Presidential Professorship. Recipients are eligible for a David Ross Boyd Professorship, George Lynn Cross Research Professorship, and Regents’ Professorship.
Initiation
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will solicit recommendations for the professorship by September 15 and announce appropriate schedules for processing the nominations. Furthermore, the solicitations will be posted on the appropriate campus website, for access by nominators and faculty on all campuses.
Recommendations
Nominations may derive from department chairs or unit directors, elected members of departmental/unit Committee A, a department's/unit's approved nomination committee, Center leaders, or a group of faculty who are familiar with the nominee's qualifications for the award. Only one nomination per academic unit or other nominating group of faculty is allowed. The nominating entity will be responsible for assembling the nomination packets, including supporting documentation.
Nominations will be forwarded to the respective dean of the college for review and endorsement. An optional letter from the dean, if included, will focus on evaluatory comments regarding the quality and significance of the nominee's impact on the broader OU mission. The dean's letter will not count toward the page limit below. The dean will submit all the nominations and supporting documentation to the respective Senior Vice President and Provost by November 1. The Senior Vice President and Provosts will forward these materials to the University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors.
Supporting Documentation
Recommendations are to be accompanied by specific evidence that the nominee meets the criteria for selection. Nomination packets must include the following, not to exceed 25 pages combined:
In addition, the nomination packet must also include letters of support from nationally or internationally recognized experts in the nominee’s area of expertise (minimum: two for research/creative activity, one for teaching, one for service/outreach). Letters must specifically address the criteria of the professorship. No more than five letters will be accepted. These letters of support will not count toward the 25-page limit.
The following sequence should be followed. Begin page numbering with the letter of nomination.
Any other supporting materials submitted will be removed from the dossier.
Submission
All materials listed above should be submitted as a single combined PDF from the appropriate Dean's Office to the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost via the Faculty Awards and Honors Packets Dropbox.
Review
The University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors shall consider only the formal nominations. The Council may seek additional data about the nominees from supplemental sources, as appropriate. The Council shall forward to the Senior Vice President and Provosts its recommendation(s) for the professorship for their review. The Council also shall transmit all substantiating materials pertaining to all nominees.
Selection
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will review the nomination materials and the Council’s recommendations, and will forward their recommendations by February 1, along with all nominations and all substantiating material pertaining to all nominees, to the President, who will make recommendations to the Board of Regents. The final selection of the recipient(s) will be made by the Board of Regents.
The final selections will be announced for Norman Campus at the annual Faculty Awards and Honors ceremony and for the Health Sciences Center at the Spring General Faculty Meeting.
In the year of designation as a David L. Boren Professor, the person receiving the award will receive a one-time award of $10,000 and a permanent salary increase of 10% on the University base salary or $10,000, whichever is greater, starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
The term of a David L. Boren Professor is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.
This award is hosted by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. For questions about this award, please contact the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost (facultyawards@ou.edu).
