Regents Professorship
Regents Professor Nominating Guidelines
Updated: April 16, 2026
Introduction and Purpose
These guidelines provide criteria and nominating procedures for the award of the rank of Regents Professor to Montana State University faculty members, in accordance with applicable Board of Regents policies.
Background
Montana State University may advance recommendations to the Montana University System Board of Regents to grant the rank of Regents Professor to a faculty member who:
- is a full professor, with at least five years of tenure-track service at Montana State University,
- exhibits extraordinary and sustained distinction in scholarly activity and teaching that has demonstrably advanced the quality of the University’s teaching, research and service missions,
- has achieved clear and convincing evidence of earned national/international recognition outside of Montana State University,
- will serve as an exemplary scholar, teacher and mentor for faculty colleagues, students and public constituencies.
The Regents Professor rank is intended to recognize the most distinguished faculty scholars at MSU. With this distinction, there is an expectation that Regents Professors will participate prominently in campus life. Expected activities could include regularly presenting public lectures in their field of expertise, willingly serving on high-level task forces when asked, organizing and teaching special topics courses, recommending strategic opportunities, providing brief remarks at formal campus gatherings when invited to do so, and similar roles of importance and esteem.
Procedures
In consultation with Faculty Senate and the MSU President, the Provost will establish and promulgate an annual nomination process that specifies submission requirements, nomination dossier contents and deadlines. It is anticipated that a call for nominations from the Provost Office will occur by the middle of the spring semester, with nominee recommendations forwarded to the President by the end of the spring semester. Presentation to the Board of Regents would then likely occur the following fall semester, either at the September or the November Board meeting. Nominations are considered confidential.
Faculty Senate, in consultation with the Provost, will establish a nomination review committee consisting of one tenured full professor from each tenure-granting academic college, and up to three additional faculty members who are current Regents Professors. The nomination review committee will perform a thorough confidential evaluation of each candidate’s documented accomplishments and distinguished recognition. The review committee may recommend up to three candidates as finalists for consideration by the university President.
Final selection of the nominee(s) will be made by the university President from the recommendations of the nomination review committee, in consultation with the Provost. The President will then recommend the selected nominees to the Board of Regents in accordance with BOR policy.
In keeping with the highly distinguished category of recognition, the number of active Regents Professors at MSU has historically not exceeded 12 at any point in time.
The Regents Professor title is permanent, unless the faculty member relinquishes the position (e.g., resignation from the university), or the title is rescinded through due process. Upon retirement and granting of emeritus status, the individual may carry the title Regents Professor Emerita/Emeritus.
Regents Professors shall receive a special stipend ($15,000 per academic year) to supplement base salary. The stipend ceases upon retirement, relinquishment of tenure, or separation from the university.