Endowed chair
Definition
An endowed chair honors and recognizes the distinction of outstanding faculty while providing invaluable support above and beyond salary, for use in research, teaching or service activities. It can be a powerful recruitment / retention tool for faculty. It is established with a sizeable gift to an academic area designated by the donor, that is invested in an interest-bearing fund for which the principal remains intact and the interest provides a perpetual source of annual income. These endowments may be used to attract faculty members to a campus, or to retain faculty members who are being recruited by other institutions. The chair holder typically submits annual narratives of the past year’s activities and the use of the endowment funds to the department chair or research head. It is forwarded to campus administration for inclusion in an annual report to donors.
Endowed Chairs
Policy on Endowed Chairs and Professorships
University of California
This general policy statement outlines the parameters of endowed chairs in the UC system.
Endowed Chairs: Frequently Asked Questions
University of California San Diego
This file answers frequent questions about how an endowed chair works.
Music Industry Icon Mike Curb Pledges $10 million to Cal State Northridge
Department of Music, California State University Northridge
This article outlines the commitment of an alumni to endow a faculty position, a regional performing arts center, and an arts learning laboratory.
Dwight E. Stanford: Lawyer endowed chair at SDSU
Scharn, N. (March, 2010). Sign On San Diego
This article outlines a donation to support the Dwight Stanford Professor of American Foreign Relations chair at SDSU, by an alumni of the campus.
Outreach Mandated for New Sikh Studies Chair Holder
Kaur, A. (February, 2009). Sikh News Net
This California State University East Bay faculty member is the first endowed Sikh and Punjabi chair holder to focus on community outreach.
Haig and Isable Berberian Endowed Chair in Armenian Studies
College of Arts and Humanities, California State University Fresno
This webpage describes the work of the Center for Armenian Studies at CSUF.
Geological Sciences Establishes Endowed Chair in Hydrogeology
Inside CSULB online, Dec. 1, 2007
This article describes the formation of a geology chair at the Long Beach California State University campus.
Gerardo Rivera Ungson
Y. F. Change Endowed Chair of International Business, San Francisco State University
This curriculum vitae outlines the accomplishments of a San Francisco State University endowed chair.
Creating an Endowed Chair
Giving to HSU, Humboldt State University
This is one example of an appeal to donors to endow a chair at one California State University campus.
