As part of its continuing effort to maintain and develop its faculty, the University of the Philippines is seeking to establish at least 100 professorial chairs and faculty grants with the help of alumni residing outside of the Philippines.The Friends of U.P. Foundation in America (FUPFA) is in full support of this initiative and is inviting donors to help in UP’s drive for faculty development.

What are professorial chairs and faculty grants, and how will they help in UP’s faculty development?

1. A professorial chair is awarded to faculty members for outstanding work in the fields of teaching and research, and creative endeavors.
2. A faculty grant is given as an incentive to faculty members who wish to pursue research and creative work.

Aside from the honor of being recognized for outstanding work (the awardees shall add the name of the chair to his professorial rank e.g. Carlos P. Romulo Professor of International Relations), recipients of a professorial chair or faculty grant will also receive financial remuneration.

Who may set up a professorial chair or faculty grant?

Any person, group, or institution may set up either a professorial chair or faculty grant.

How much is needed to set up a professorial chair or faculty grant?

The donations for both the professorial chair and faculty grant will be held in perpetuity in an endowment fund, with only the income from the interest used to support the purpose of the donation.

For a professorial chair, an endowment fund of $30,000, or about P 1.4 Million, is needed. For a faculty grant, the endowment fund needed is at least $ 15,000, or P 700,000.

How does one set up a professorial chair or faculty grant?

Prospective donors may contact the University President or any other University official—the chancellors, vice-presidents, deans, department chairs, and faculty members. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) or Deed of Donation will be prepared with the donor/s and the university as the contracting parties.

The donor/s shall name the chair or grant, the campus, college, course, or field the chair and/or grant will be awarded to, and which institution shall manage the fund.

When the MOA or deed of donation has been signed, the University President will endorse the establishment of the professorial chair or faculty grant to the Board of Regents. The recipient of the chair or grant shall then be determined by the campus and college, following University-set criteria.

Options for Naming a Professorial Chair and Faculty Grant

Here are options to consider, when naming a professorial chair:

• A family whose parents, children and even grandchildren went to UP, may wish to contribute and endow a chair or grant to honor the memory of a member or members of the family. Examples would be the Professor Delfin D. and Marcela B. Samson Professorial Chair in Biochemistry and the Professor Delfin D. and Marcela B. Samson Professorial Chair in Pharmacy.
• A class may put up a chair name it either after their class, like the BSBA Class 1958 Professorial Chair in Business Administration, or after a favorite teacher to honor his or her memory.
• Businesses, corporations, and organization who choose to endow a chair or grant can name it after their organization, their owners or their benefactors.
• An alumni association chapter may also choose to set up a chair and name it after their chapter, as was done by the UPAA Berkeley Chapter.