Turyn Professorship

Description, Application Instructions, and Evaluation Criteria

The Andrew Turyn Professorship enhances the University Library’s services, programs, and reputation by recognizing and fostering significant contributions in research by University Library Faculty.   It is awarded following a review of applications by an Ad Hoc Turn Committee and runs for a five year term.

The Turyn Professorship is open to full professors, with a primary appointment in the University Library, pursuing innovative research in any scholarly area, including library/information science, the humanities, the sciences, the social sciences, area studies, the arts, or other fields.  A full professor is eligible to hold the Turyn Professorship once during his/her tenure at Illinois.  The University Librarian, Associate University Librarians, and those holding other named professorships or chairs are not eligible for the Turyn Professorship.

Income from Turyn endowment is distributed during the term of the Professorship.  One third is allocated to a salary supplement, one third to other documented activities in support of research (e.g. travel, graduate hourly assistance), and the final third for documented release time (e.g. to fund graduate or hourly “replacement” personnel in the unit of the Turyn Professor).

Application is made during an application cycle announced well in advance of the application deadline, which will normally be March 15 of the application year.  Applicants MUST submit the following materials to the Executive Committee prior to the application deadline.  Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.

1)      A research, librarianship, and service dossier, summarizing the importance and significance of past accomplishments.  The dossier should be prepared in narrative form and must not exceed four pages in length.

2)      A narrative description of research plans for the five year period of the Turyn Professorship, also including how the applicant intends to use the resources of the professorship.  The narrative should describe professional goals for this time period and include an outline of work and publication plans for research to be undertaken during the term of the Turyn Professorship.  The narrative must not exceed three pages in length.

3)      An up-to-date CV.

4)      The names of three external (to UIUC) referees capable of judging the applicant’s standing in the field and his/her record of accomplishment.  The Turyn Committee will also provide names and EC will solicit five letters similar in form and substance to those used in promotion and tenure cases from the submitted referees and other individuals suggested by EC members, with the majority of letters coming from those chosen by EC.

Applications will be evaluated by an Ad Hoc Turyn Committee of five individuals, composed of the University Librarian and four full professor.  The committee will include any full professors on EC who have not applied for the Professorship and (if necessary) additional full professors recommended by EC.

The Ad Hoc Turyn Committee will use the following criteria when selecting the Turyn Professor.

1)      Past professional recognition, as evidenced by honors and awards, invited papers, honorary degrees, major elected office in professional associations, and similar honors

2)      Accomplishments in librarianship and service at UIUC, as evidenced by external grant seeking, project development, new library services, election to governance committees, chair of major committees or task forces (including search committees.)

3)      Significance of past research accomplishments, as evidenced by publication of peer-reviewed articles, books, or a body of creative work, and by comments of external referees.

4)      Significance and clarity of research objectives and workplan for the five year period of the Turyn Professorship

Turyn Professors are required to submit annual interim reports to the Executive Committee  at the time of the normal annual reporting cycle and a final summary report of activities at the end of the five year Professorship.

Approved by the Executive Committee, December 22, 2005