Tenured faculty in The University of Memphis College ofCommunications and Fine Arts will soon be offered a newprofessorship to reward their contributions to The U of M and thesurrounding community.
The Benjamin W. Rawlins Jr. Meritorious Professorship will befunded through a $400,000 endowment by Union Planters Bank. Theprofessorship honors only full-time and associate professors in theCCFA. Recipients not only have to be excellent professors andresearchers but also have to be involved in community outreachwork, CCFA Dean Richard Ranta said.
"The professor needs to be a well-rounded person who hits allthree pegs," Ranta said.
Depending on the endowment's growth, Ranta could be acceptingrecommendations as early as fall 2004, he said.
The professorship recipients are lauded with a $5,000 minimumstipend professorship title. The stipend is renewed every year fora three-year term.
Only tenured faculty who have served eight years at The U of Mare eligible for the award, Ranta said. Two professors are slatedfor an award in 2005.
"New professors get bonuses and incentives for coming to TheUniversity, but people forget about the professors who have servedThe University for a long time," said Brad Champlin, executive vicepresident for Union Planters. "The professorship stabilizesseasoned professors and inspires them to become better professorsbecause they will be able to get the financial means to fund theircause."
Union Planters named the award in memory of Benjamin W. RawlinsJr., former Union Planters CEO who served on The U of M Board ofVisitors until his death in September 2000. The endowment ispermanent, Champlin said, and will continue to award CCFAprofessors as well as reduce faculty attrition.
"The generosity of Union Planters Bank will be extremelyimportant in helping the college reward and retain some of our bestprofessors, especially in this time of severely limited statesupport," Ranta said in a statement.
Only faculty, department chairs or administrators will be ableto nominate professors, who will then be chosen from a committee offaculty members and two Union Planters representatives.
The CCFA, as well as other U of M departments, routinely rewardsoutstanding professors for their dedication with awards such as theDean's Creative Achievement Award and the Dean's Research Award.Any monetary awards are privately funded through alumni gifts andendowments, Ranta said.
In addition, a U of M professor will receive the Eminent FacultyAward April 22. The award carries with it a one-time $20,000 prizeand will be awarded at the Spring Faculty Convocation.
