ENDOWED CHAIRS AT SKIDMORE

Endowed Chairs were established through the generous donations of friends of Skidmore. The goals of the respective chairs vary according to the intentions of those donors and the needs of the institution at the time of their establishment.  Nominations for endowed chairs are submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who will consult with the Dean of the Faculty and the Committee on Appointments, Promotions & Tenure in making a recommendation for appointment.   The nomination and selection processes that lead to such appointment as well as the terms of the different chairs vary depending on the intended goals of each chair.  The majority of chairs were established to recognize the considerable talents and accomplishments of members of the Skidmore faculty across a range of disciplines and departments. In some cases, faculty are drawn from particular departments or recruited from outside the College for appointment to endowed chairs.

One of the most significant values of an endowed professorship is the honor it bestows upon the recipient. Holders of endowed chairs have fulfilled substantial accomplishments in their respective fields. For most chairs, those appointed have also shown distinguished leadership at the College that warrants such acknowledgment. A second benefit is the ways in which these scholars enhance Skidmore’s presence and reputation in the world of academia. Holders are thus also selected in recognition of the ongoing promise their work offers in that regard. In that sense, the chairs themselves as well as those who occupy them are enormously valuable to this institution.