The Public Affairs Professorship

About the professorship

An endowed Public Affairs Professorship position has been established at Missouri State University to recognize faculty who have excelled at enabling the University to carry out its Public Affairs mission.  (A brief description of the University’s Public Affairs mission is provided in the Addendum below.)  The Public Affairs Professor will receive a stipend from the Missouri State University Foundation in the amount of $5,000 over and above his/her base salary with an additional $1,000 for expenses to carry out the work of this position.  The parameters of this position will be outlined for the recipient in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from the Provost’s Office.

Eligibility criteria and desired qualifications

The recipient of the Public Affairs Professorship will be appointed from among current University faculty who are at the Associate Professor, Professor, or Distinguished Professor rank. S/he may hold rank in any academic discipline but must have a distinguished record of performance in all areas of professorship responsibility – teaching, research, and service.  In addition, the recipient of the Public Affairs Professorship should be able to provide evidence of distinctive work and accomplishments in support of the University’s Public Affairs mission. The intent is for the individual holding this position to have the experience and qualifications to raise the stature of Public Affairs on the Missouri State campus. Evidence of distinctive accomplishments in support of the University’s Public Affairs mission include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Demonstration of active engagement with the community for a sustained period of time in one or more aspects of his/her teaching, research and service.
• A successful record of working with students in enabling them to develop the motivation and skills to become responsible and informed citizens who are knowledgeable about public policy issues impacting our society.
• Utilization of new, creative, and imaginative approaches in making applied research and scholarship accessible to the public.  This will include a strong record of writings, presentations and other materials which have made a clear and positive impact on the community (region, state, nation, or beyond) and have expanded the public understanding of some specific problem or problems facing society and its institutions.
• A sustained record of leadership in seeking solutions for an important Public Affairs issue such as active involvement in addressing public policy, educational, cultural, health, economic development, or environmental issues.
• Good working relationships with community members and organizations as equal partners and in various forms of collaborations in carrying out Public Affairs initiatives. 
• Provide effective leadership within the University in support of priorities and projects that demonstrate the University’s Public Affairs Mission in action.
• Exemplified the highest standards of citizenship and ethical behavior.

Regulations and procedures

• Candidates may apply or be nominated.  Nominations can be made by academic colleagues, administrators, students, and/or community members.  Letters of nomination should fully describe how the nominee meets the criteria and desired qualifications outlined above.
• Applicants/nominees must provide a curriculum vitae or portfolio that highlights their accomplishments that especially address the selection criteria.  In addition, candidates must provide five letters of references (in addition to their own department heads and deans) who can speak to their accomplishments in Public Affairs, three of whom must be community members, i.e. individuals not employed by the University.
• Applications and nominations will be reviewed by a committee appointed by the Provost and will provide an analysis to the Provost of each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses for the Professorship, along with copies of all letters of support.
• Letters of support from each candidate’s department head and dean will be required and will be submitted to the review committee for consideration. 
• Final selection for the Public Affairs Professorship will be made by the Provost in consultation with the President.
• Appointment to this position will be for a three year time period contingent on positive annual reviews and continued public affairs performance.  Candidates may reapply.

Annual plans and evaluations

The person holding the Public Affairs Professorship position will report annually, in the same manner as other faculty and administrators, through his/her department head and dean to the Provost.  In addition to reporting on accomplishments of the previous year, the annual report prepared by the Public Affairs Professor will describe how s/he plans to initiate various teaching, research, and/or service projects that will be highly visible, support the work of his/her academic discipline or multiple disciplines across the campus, further expand and strengthen the University’s implementation of its Public Affairs mission, and raise the understanding and stature of Public Affairs on the Missouri State University campus.

The report will also include information on how funding was utilized and a projected budget for the coming year.  After the annual plan is reviewed by the Provost’s Office each year, notification of approval or disapproval will be sent to the Public Affairs Professor and to his/her college dean.

Addendum

The University’s public affairs mission

The University’s statewide mission in Public Affairs was officially recognized on June 16, 1995, when Senate Bill 340 was signed by Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan.  The mission defines a primary way in which a Missouri State education is different from that of other universities and one way by which we educate our students to imagine the future.  Public Affairs in higher education is not restricted to politics, humanities, or the social sciences. Rather, its presence is found in all areas that require critical thinking, participation, and the willingness to work for the common good.  

Missouri State’s Public Affairs mission is realized through three broad themes:  cultural competence, ethical leadership, and community engagement.  These themes are implemented not only in the public space of the classroom and through co-curricular activities on campus, but also outside the University through internships, field experiences, government service, volunteer programs, service learning programs, and a variety of other forms of community engagement and outreach.    

Students will have opportunities to immerse themselves in activities in cultural competence, ethical leadership, and community engagement, realizing the following goals:  

Ethical Leadership
              
      Goal: Students will articulate their value systems, act ethically within the context of a democratic society, and demonstrate engaged and principled leadership.
 
Cultural Competence
 
      Goal: Students will recognize and respect multiple perspectives and cultures.
 
Community Engagement
 
      Goal: Students will recognize the importance of contributing their knowledge and experiences to their own community and the broader society.
 
      Goal: Students will recognize the importance of scientific principles in the generation of sound public