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The goal of the University of Vermont James Marsh Professors-at-Large Program is to bring to the University outstanding individuals of international distinction in the arts and humanities, sciences, social sciences, and applied fields. Professors-at-Large may work in or come from any intellectual field. They do not have to be academics, though typically most are affiliated with teaching and research institutions. Professors-at-Large are non-resident faculty with six-year terms of office who come to the campus three or four times during that period, each time for residencies of one to two weeks. Each year, up to four new Professors-at-Large may be appointed, but no more than twenty individuals may hold this extraordinary appointment at any one time.

The program is named for James Marsh, the University’s fifth president, a major figure in nineteenth-century American intellectual life. President Marsh was the first college leader to promote the elective system of course work for undergraduates that has become the norm in the United States and throughout much of the world, and it is thus fitting that a program designed to enlarge intellectual and cultural opportunities for undergraduate students, and for all members of the University community, should bear his name.

There is no set program for residencies by Professors-at-Large. Their sole mandate is to invigorate the intellectual and cultural life of the University. Selected not only for their high accomplishments, but also for their broad-ranging interests and their personal and professional accessibility, Professors-at-Large typically offer public lectures; hold office hours with undergraduate and graduate students; collaborate with students and faculty colleagues in scientific research, scholarly projects, and creative activities; conduct seminars and colloquia, generally with cross-disciplinary emphases; consult with students on undergraduate research projects and honors theses as well as on graduate theses and dissertations; and take part in informal conversations with students and colleagues.

The Office of the President handles all the logistics of the visits. Faculty sponsors depend on the President’s Office staff to provide such services as: scheduling visits; the obtaining of visas; provisions for ID cards and UVM network IDs; payment of honoraria, travel reimbursement, and any other expenses; organizing the schedule of activities; room scheduling and publicity; and the management of public lectures. The President’s Office also assists Professors-at-Large directly while they are in residence to ensure that the visits go smoothly. Dr. Gary Derr, chief of staff to President Fogel and to Provost John M. Hughes, serves as Director of the James Marsh Professors-at-Large Program.

Professors-at-Large are considered honorary members of the faculty of the University. They receive a pro-rated salary and the program pays for travel to and from Burlington; housing; meals, and other in-residence expenses; as well as a reception for students and faculty during each visit. The program is funded primarily by the income from an endowed presidential position, the Daniel Clark Sanders Professorship, named for the first president of the University.

Last modified November 15 2006 06:15 PM