UICA Investiture Guidelines

GUIDELINES

Investiture: Recognizing Donors and Faculty for Named, Endowed Chairs or Professorships

Effective Date: March 2012
Last Revised: November 2020
Guidelines Owner: Stewardship, Events, and Stewardship Services
Guidelines Contact: Vice President, Alumni and Donor Engagement

1. Purpose for Guidelines

These guidelines have been prepared by the University of Iowa Center for Advancement (UICA) and the University of Iowa (University) Office of the Provost to define the University’s preferred method of recognition for both donors to and faculty members appointed to named chair and professorship positions, as well as to create a consistent practice across campus. These guidelines provide the opportunity to recognize the generosity of donors to the academic enterprise, as well as to honor the academic achievements of selected faculty candidates, specifically by investiture ceremonies and similar recognition events. These guidelines further define the criteria and purpose for holding investiture ceremonies and clarify the roles and responsibilities among the various parties involved in staging these important events.

2. Scope

These guidelines apply to all investitures held by the University and the UICA.

3. Investiture Definition

An investiture is a significant, formal ceremony that recognizes the generosity of the contributor who has created a named, endowed chair or professorship by meeting established gift minimums and criteria, and the accomplishments and promise of the faculty member named to that chair or professorship.

4. Guidelines

4.1 Goals and Criteria for Investitures

Goals for Investitures

Enhance the institution’s stewardship of the donor and encourage future support.
Provide a meaningful recognition event for the donor and faculty member (and their families, if applicable).
Facilitate continued interaction between the donor and the faculty member who holds the endowed position.
Increase awareness among faculty member’s colleagues on the importance of private support.
Generate pride and appreciation within the faculty member’s department and college, and throughout the University as a whole, for faculty excellence that is deserving of philanthropic support and helps attract continued support in the future.

Criteria for Investitures

The primary donor(s) (contributed at least 50 percent of the named fund’s endowed investment) and/or close family member(s) must be able to attend.
The endowment should be fully funded at the time of the investiture. An investiture may be held if other funds are identified by the college or department on an interim basis prior to full donor funding.
The faculty member’s appointment to the position must have final written approval from the Office of the Provost before planning for the event may begin.
An investiture will only be held for the first appointment of a chair or professorship.

Recognition of Chair v. Professorship

An endowed chair reflects the University’s highest level of distinction for faculty members, recognizing past and potential contributions to his or her discipline, therefore the events planned for the faculty holding these prestigious positions and the donors who made them possible should reflect this. The University president or his/her designee will confer the endowed chair and participate in the program.
For endowed chairs, the ceremony includes a full academic processional (including faculty guests in regalia seated in the auditorium).
An endowed professorship represents a significant distinction of a faculty member’s body of work. Investitures for professorships shall also maintain a level of formality and will be presided over by the dean of the collegiate unit. The University provost will confer the endowed professorship and participate in the program.
The University president may elect to participate in select professorship ceremonies, especially when multiple professorships are invested at one ceremony.

4.2 Roles and Responsibilities for Investiture of Endowed Faculty Positions

University President – Serves as the presiding official at a chair investiture ceremony [or delegates this honor to the provost] and confers the endowed chair.
Provost – Notifies the dean and the UICA when a faculty member has been approved for a named position and outlines the expectations regarding the faculty member’s stewardship responsibilities to the donor (see Appendix A: Faculty Stewardship Guidelines). Serves as presiding official and confers the endowed professorship at investiture ceremony. Also, serves as presiding official at an endowed chair investiture ceremony if designated to do so by the University president.
Dean – At the direction of the provost, the dean informs the faculty recipient of his or her responsibilities to the donor, including but not limited to, coordinating with the UICA to send annual letters or schedule personal visits to report on the impact the support has made on the faculty member’s work. If the endowed position is a professorship, the dean will preside over the ceremony. The dean designates a staff member to work with the UICA on potential investiture dates, venue, and program, communicates with departmental faculty and staff to encourage ceremony attendance, and covers all event costs (estimated at $2,500).
Faculty Member to be Invested – Participate fully in the investiture ceremony including making comments. Work with the UICA representative(s) to ensure ongoing stewardship with the donor (see Appendix A: Faculty Stewardship Guidelines).
UICA President & CEO (or designee) – Serves as a resource to the University president, provost, vice president(s), and dean(s) regarding donor relationships. Participates in all investiture ceremonies representing the University’s philanthropic endeavors. Provides appropriate staff resources for the planning of all investiture events.
UICA Staff – Communicates with the donor and the presiding official (University president, provost, or dean) to confirm investiture date and details; handles all event logistics including venue, invitations, program, remarks, on-site photography, and medallions (to be presented to donor and faculty member).

4.3 Recommended Investiture Event Details

All Investitures

Time of day will typically be late afternoon to allow for a brief ceremony and subsequent reception for guests.
Preferred venue will be small auditorium within the chair or professorship-holder’s college or other comparable campus venue.
Invitees will include the donor(s) and his/her family and friends, University president, provost, dean, and other senior-level administrators in the college, holders of other chairs and professorships in the college, faculty and staff of the honoree’s department or unit, UICA president & CEO, leadership, and development officer(s) for the college, and select alumni and donors to the college.
The ceremony will include a presentation of medallions to the primary donor(s) and faculty member.
A reception will be held following the ceremony.

Ceremony for Chairs

All individuals on the platform/dais will be in full academic regalia.
The ceremony includes a full academic processional (including faculty guests in regalia seated in the auditorium).
Remarks will be made by the primary donor, University president and/or provost, dean, UICA president and CEO (or his/her designee), and the faculty recipient.
The University president or his/her designee will confer the endowed chair.

Ceremony for Professorships

The decision to incorporate full academic regalia at a professorship ceremony will occur in the early planning stages and depend on the specific nature of the event, the honoree(s), etc.
Remarks will be made by the primary donor, dean, provost, UICA president & CEO (or his/her designee), and the faculty recipient.
The provost will confer the endowed professorship.
When multiple professorships are eligible for a ceremony and occur in a proximate time frame, it is suggested that the college consolidate recognition for the professorships into one large ceremony.

4.4 Other Options for Donor/Faculty Recognition

If the position has been filled previously and if the primary donors are living, the UICA and the college will work together to find an opportunity to recognize both the donor and faculty member at one of the following events (medallions to be presented to faculty member at that time):

Repeat of formal investiture ceremony as described above without medallion presentation to donor(s)
UICA board of directors’ meeting
Existing collegiate event (e.g., faculty meeting, Dean’s Club dinner, Advisory Board meeting, commencement, etc.)
University-wide or collegiate outreach event
Personal visit on campus or at the donor’s home

If any of the following situations occur, the college will identify an opportunity to recognize the faculty member at an existing collegiate event (e.g., faculty meeting, Dean’s Club dinner, Advisory Board meeting, commencement, etc.), or may be recognized at the University convocation ceremony, if approved by the provost:

If donor(s) is either no longer living or not interested in participating in an investiture
or
If the position is funded through the University or is in name only.

If the position is to be funded through a deferred gift, the UICA and college will work together to identify an opportunity to recognize donors through a small lunch/dinner at the president’s residence (102 Church Street), at the donor’s home, or at some other social event. Events held at 102 Church Street require the University president’s attendance and are reserved for deferred gifts for endowed chairs. Regardless of the location, the invitation list for such events will include the donor(s), the University president, provost, the UICA president & CEO, and the dean.

5. Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all staff and volunteers of the UICA to abide by the guidelines in this document to ensure consistency. The UICA Stewardship, Events, and Stewardship Services Department is the Responsible Department for these guidelines and for answering any related questions.

6. Related/Reference Information

Resource Link

Guidelines for Named Faculty Positions at the University of Iowa
Faculty Stewardship Guidelines See Appendix A to these Guidelines

7. Guidelines History

APPENDIX A: Faculty Stewardship Guidelines

In consultation with the UICA staff (departmental development officer and/or Alumni and Donor Engagement staff), faculty members should participate in the following activities to ensure sound stewardship practices and strengthen the relationships established with the donor and his/her family:

Prepare appropriate acknowledgement correspondence for gifts to the endowed fund.
Prepare a report to the donor on an annual basis (either as part of the annual UICA donor report process in September or at another time of year) regarding their accomplishments for the year.
Provide intermittent communication when appropriate such as the sharing of pertinent news articles about the faculty member’s work, activities, or qualifications.
In partnership with the college’s development officer, faculty members are encouraged to visit the donor (either on campus or at their home).
Faculty members may be asked to participate in events when the donor may be in attendance.
Invite donors to attend campus activities such as lectures or departmental functions.
Consistently utilize the formal name of the endowed chair or professorship in all communications including published works, collegiate/departmental websites, business cards, etc.

Note: This document will be sent from the Office of the Provost along with the letter of appointment to the dean.