University Executive Directive #00-21 - Endowment Chair Policy

Objective:

The strength of a great university resides in its faculty. The identification, recruitment, and support of that faculty are therefore a major priority for the institution. The endowment of a faculty Chair is one way to respond to that priority. Such endowments at San Francisco State University require a gift of one million dollars, with the interest earned from an investment of the principal used to support the occupant of the Chair. A Chair may be established after three-quarters of the endowment principal has been received by the University. 

Statement:

Endowed Chairs bring with them several benefits. First, professors honored by appointments to a Chair are accorded prestige and recognition within the University and in the wider academic community. Second, donors gain the satisfaction of knowing that their names will be linked in perpetuity to a commitment to academic excellence through the achievement of the occupants of the Chair. Third, the University will be able to secure and sustain high-quality faculty even in the face of stiff competition from other academic institutions.

Process:

The individual faculty member who occupies a Chair must be chosen carefully, based upon recognition of the individual’s academic achievement and leadership in a chosen field. The promise of an endowed Chair can help attract senior scholars, teachers, or distinguished visiting appointees to the campus. 

Identifying and recruiting occupants to an endowed Chair is a collective responsibility of the University faculty and administration. Therefore, the recruitment and hiring of an occupant of an endowed Chair will be conducted by a hiring committee composed of a combination of faculty plus individuals appointed by the President or his designee. While a donor may suggest potential candidates, the University retains the responsibility and authority to name the occupant. Consultations with faculty in the field of appointment, including HRTP committees of the Department and College, along with recommendations of the Chair, Dean, and Provost, are necessary and will further build the foundation for the long-term success and University integration of the holder of the Chair. 

The base salary of a faculty member who occupies a Chair is ultimately the financial responsibility of the University, the funding of which is established by the institution. The income generated from the endowment may be used over time to supplement the institutional portion of the base salary or provide assigned time or summer support for the occupant of the Chair. Further, and among others, the income may be used to fully or partially support clerical, administrative, or research personnel, provide travel funds, or pay other costs to further the academic mission of the occupant in the context of the goals of the department, college, or other unit of the University.

Decisions regarding the use of the income generated from the endowment will be determined by the University and stated in the appointment letter or be recommended by the Dean to the President and Vice President for Academic Affairs subsequent to the Chair appointment. 

Occupants of endowed Chairs may be visiting or permanent. In either case, the individual is subject to the normal faculty review procedures established by the University. Thus, consideration for tenure, promotion, post-tenure review, and merit funds must follow appropriate campus policies and procedures as well as any CSU policies that govern faculty responsibilities. Additionally, while occupants of endowed Chairs may be tenured as faculty, there is no automatic tenure associated with occupying a Chair and thus all holders are subject to a five-year cumulative review of accomplishments to determine the appropriateness of continuing to occupy the Chair. Length of appointment for all Chair holders will be determined at the time of initial appointment, and evaluation criteria and scheduling will be stated in the appointment letter. Normally, appointments to the position of Chair will be for five years. 

Because of the importance of academic and fiscal planning at the University and the commingling of funds from the endowment and other potential sources, it is important that planning begin early. Thus, to initiate an endowed Chair, it is necessary that the Department Chair, Dean, Provost, Vice President for Advancement and the Associate Vice President for Advancement and Development be informed early to ensure the establishment of the faculty position in the unit and for consultation with faculty involved in the recruitment and appointment process.

[Archived Approved University Executive Order for reference: University Executive Directive #00-21 - Endowment Chair Policy]