University Guidelines - James J. Stukel Presidential Endowed Professorships
In 2007, a fund was established to honor James J. Stukel, who served as the 15th president of the University of Illinois System from 1995 through 2005. Dr. Stukel dedicated 43 years of his academic career to the U of I System, holding various leadership positions at the system level and at its universities in Urbana-Champaign and Chicago. The funding is designed to support three endowed professorship positions for tenured faculty within the U of I System.
During Stukel’s presidency, the U of I System added a third university, the University of Illinois Springfield; invested over $640 million in capital projects that benefited all three universities; and more aggressively pursued an economic development mission that included research-based technology partnerships with private business and industry throughout the state of Illinois. Under his leadership, the system set new fundraising records that resulted in doubling the active and total endowment. Dr. Stukel also established Illinois Connection, a large, grassroots network of alumni and friends who advocate for the system.
Funding for the James J. Stukel Presidential Professorships, in the amount of $500,000 for each university, is provided from the University of Illinois Foundation, the President’s Office, and the Chancellor’s Offices at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois Chicago, and the University of Illinois Springfield. In accordance with the fund agreement, one-third of the funding was endowed by the University of Illinois Foundation ($166,666.67). Of the remaining two-thirds, half is to be funded by the Office of the President ($166,666.67) and the other half shared equally by the chancellor’s offices of the three universities ($166,666.67), through annual current use funds or through additions to the endowment pool.
Selection Process: The provost or designee, along with the chancellor or designee at each university, shall coordinate the process for appointing individuals who will hold the professorships. Upon the recommendation of the provost and the approval of the chancellor, the vice president for academic affairs will appoint and designate the individuals who will hold and occupy the professorships, in accordance with university policies and regulations. The individual who holds each professorship “shall have achieved significant stature in research and scholarship.” The chancellor may, but is not required to, reappoint the same individual to as many successive terms in each professorship as the chancellor deems appropriate, in accordance with university rules and regulations.
Funding: The net income from the fund shall be used to support the James J. Stukel Professorship at the each university, including but not limited to: supplemental salary, research and graduate student assistance, library materials, administrative services and other assistance, special equipment and supplies, and travel. Any excess income will either be added to the principal of the fund or used to fund professorships at a higher level in the subsequent year or years.
Appointments: It is assumed that individuals who hold the James J. Stukel Professorship will be granted the rank of professor with indefinite tenure. James J. Stukel Professorship designations accompany tenured status; they do not carry tenure in and of themselves. Any unused funding at the time of the professor’s retirement or departure from the university will revert to the President’s Office and the respective Chancellor’s Office.