Eminent Scholar Award

Nominees shall have met the following criteria:

• Service as a tenured full professor at the University for at least three academic years. Only when Eminent Scholar status is considered as a part of the initial appointment process may this requirement be waived.
• A scholarly publication record or stature in the creative arts which will have clearly established a national reputation as a scholar in the nominee’s discipline. Scholarly publications are recognized as those that have received peer review or have been otherwise recognized and critiqued by authorities in the discipline. A pattern of consistent scholarly contributions, invited chapters, scholarly books, invited lectureships, prestigious academic honors, scientific discoveries, officer positions in the individual’s discipline, editor of multi-authored books, organizer or coordinator of symposiums, and other similar examples would represent evidence that an individual is a contributing scholar of note to their discipline. It is expected that an individual meriting Eminent Scholar designation will have a long and consistent record of achievement in at least several of the above-noted categories. Moreover, the individual should be easily recognized by other eminent authorities in the discipline, with positive comments on their work. It is also important to note that new works in the discipline frequently cite the individual’s contributions. Their scholarly contributions or artistic achievements should have served, at some point, as a benchmark, reflecting the evolution of the discipline.
• Substantial success in obtaining external funding for research, in those disciplines in which such success is expected, and positive evaluations by scholars external to the University who will have been solicited by the department/school chair/director. 
• Only in exceptional cases can a candidate for a faculty position at the University be considered for Eminent Scholar status. Such candidates must be exceptional scholars in their disciplines, have held the rank of full professor for a minimum of three years, and receive endorsements and approval from the tenured department/school faculty, department/school chair/director, college/school dean, and a majority of members of the University Eminent Scholars Committee.
• Designation of persons as Eminent Scholars upon their initial appointment to the University can be made by the appropriate executive vice president after recommendation by the University Eminent Scholars Committee, based upon the procedures and using the criteria specified above.

Send submissions via email to ViceProvostforFacultyAffairs@odu.edu.