Regents' Professorship

Nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Be a full-time faculty member with tenure
• Must have been employed by the University of Oklahoma during the period in which the recognized contributions were made
• Previous accomplishments at other institutions may be considered as evidence of sustained outstanding performance

Additional eligibility considerations include:

• Individuals named Regents’ Professors are not eligible in subsequent years for a Presidential Professorship
• Recipients remain eligible for other distinguished professorships, including the David L. Boren Professorship, David Ross Boyd Professorship, and George Lynn Cross Research Professorship.

Nominations are evaluated based on evidence of extraordinary achievement in academic administration, professional leadership, or service to the university, academic community, or profession.

Supporting materials should demonstrate:

• Sustained and distinguished professional accomplishment
• Significant leadership contributions
• Impact on the university, profession, discipline, or broader academic community
• Recognition beyond the nominee’s immediate unit, department, or college

Nominators are expected to present evidence directly aligned with the purpose and criteria of the professorship.

A complete nomination packet must include the following materials in the sequence listed. Begin page numbering with the letter of nomination. 

NOTE: The letter of nomination, biography, and CV must not exceed 25 pages. Incomplete or noncompliant submissions may not be reviewed.

1. Faculty Awards and Honors Cover Page (pdf)
   
   
2. One-page table of contents that identifies with page numbers the following materials:
   
   
3. Letter of nomination (maximum seven pages)
   
   
4. A short biography (maximum 125 words)  
   
   
5. Curriculum vitae (customized)
   
   
6. Up to five letters of support (not including the Dean's letter)
   
   
7. Dean's letter (optional)

• Up to five letters may be included. Additional letters will be removed.
  • At least two letters must come from external colleagues. 
  • Letters must specifically address the criteria for the Professorship. 
• Letters of support do not count toward the 25-page limit. 

• Nomination deadline: November 2
• Only submissions made by the dean's office will be accepted.
• Check with your dean's office for college-specific deadlines.

• Nominations may be submitted by academic units or approved nominating groups
• Only one nomination per academic unit or group is permitted.
• The nominating person or group is responsible for assembling the complete nomination packet.
• The nomination packet must be submitted as a single combined PDF via the Faculty Awards and Honors Packets Dropbox.

Detailed procedural guidance is available on the How to Nominate page.

• The Senior Vice President and Provost issues the call for nominations annually in September.
• Nominations are reviewed through established university processes.
  • The University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors reviews nominations and forward their recommendation(s) to the Senior Vice President and Provost.
  • The Senior Vice President and Provost will review the recommendation(s) and forward their own recommendation by February 1 to the President, who will make the recommendations to the Board of Regents.
  • The final selection of the recipient(s) will be made by the Board of Regents.
• Recipients are announced at the annual Faculty Awards and Honors luncheon.

Each award winner will receive:

• A one-time monetary award of $10,000 
• A permanent salary increase of 10% or $10,000 minimum starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
• A framed certificate
• Recognition at the annual Faculty Awards and Honors luncheon

The term of a Regents’ Professorship is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.

For questions about this award, please contact the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost at facultyawards@ou.edu. 

The original Regents' Professorship was established on November 12, 1943, by action of the University Regents. The first four appointments were effective January 1, 1944. When President Cross retired from the University in 1968, the University Regents re-named the original professorship as the George Lynn Cross Research Professorship.