George Mason University recognizes faculty whose exceptional contributions have made a lasting impact on their fields and the university community.
As outlined in George Mason University’s Faculty Handbook (sections 2.2.1.4 and 2.2.3), the Office of the Provost administers two distinguished faculty honors: Distinguished University Professor and Distinguished Service Professor, each recognizing a different dimension of faculty achievement and impact.
Distinguished University Professors
Distinguished University Professor is the highest faculty rank at George Mason and is reserved for eminent faculty whose careers reflect outstanding, sustained achievement in research, scholarship, creative work, or its equivalent. Distinguished University Professors are recognized for the significant impact of their work on their fields and for national and international distinction appropriate to their disciplines.
Criteria
Candidates should demonstrate outstanding, sustained research, scholarship, creative work, or its equivalent; a major impact on their field; and, generally, an international reputation. Evidence of distinction may take many forms and varies by discipline. Sponsored research funding and national or international visibility alone are not determining factors.
Distinguished University Professor appointments are normally reserved for full professors. Under the established nomination process, candidates should have held the rank of tenured full professor at George Mason for at least three years. Exceptions may be made in the case of election to a national academy.
Nomination
Each year, deans are invited to nominate eminent tenured full professors for consideration. Nominations should be kept confidential, and nominees should not be informed that they are under consideration.
Nominations include a current CV and a letter from the dean addressing the significance and impact of the nominee’s contributions and why the nominee should be considered among the top 10 percent of tenured full professors in their unit.
Selection
Distinguished University Professors are appointed by the president and the Board of Visitors, with the advice and consent of a standing committee appointed by the provost. Faculty members who are not selected may be nominated again in a future cycle.
List of Distinguished University Professors
Distinguished Service Professors
Distinguished Service Professor is an honorific designation recognizing faculty whose careers have had a major impact on their fields or the George Mason community that extends well beyond ordinary levels of service. The distinction recognizes an extraordinary level of impact through sustained contributions to the university and academic unit and/or significant contributions to the faculty member’s field that extend beyond the university.
This designation is honorific and does not change a faculty member’s rank, pay, benefits, employment terms, or employment status.
Criteria
Distinguished Service Professor appointments are normally reserved for full professors, although faculty members at other ranks may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Under the established nomination process, dean-nominated candidates typically have at least 15 years of service at George Mason.
Nomination
Each spring, the provost invites deans to recommend faculty members for consideration. Each dean may recommend up to two candidates, and the provost may also recommend candidates for consideration. Nominees should not be informed that they are under consideration.
Selection
The provost is responsible for selecting and appointing Distinguished Service Professors. Faculty members who are not selected may be nominated again in a future cycle.
List of Distinguished Service Professors
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Kenneth Walsh