The Distinguished Teaching Chair Program

The core business of San Juan College is to ensure that high quality learning is taking place. This program provides incentives and rewards to talented and dedicated individuals whose life work is teaching. This gift is a way to enhance the College’s ability to hire and retain the very best faculty who will help us provide energizing and effective learning experiences for our students – a living gift to the future of our community.
– Dr. Carol J. Spencer,
President, San Juan College

The Distinguished Teaching Chair was established by the San Juan College Foundation to:

• Recognize excellence in teaching
• Remain competitive in recruiting qualified faculty
• Retain and reward quality teachers

This program is made possible by the generosity of our donors. Since 2001, four chairs have been funded to help the College recruit and retain highly qualified faculty. Each fully funded teaching chair requires an endowmentof $250,000. Faculty are always encouraged to be innovative, but the Chair program rewards themfor putting in extra effort. Past projects have included developing a weekend and evening nursing program, launching an international study/exchange/travel program (global service learning), establishing a pre-college summer institute for students with learning disabilities, strengthening ties with part-time instructors through monthly programs and seminars, and developing a Four Corners Creative Writing Project and writers workshop

How does it work?
Chairs can be created by individual donors or by combining gifts to support chairs in specific fields of study or departments. Each chair will be named to honor the donor or his or her designee in a specific discipline. Faculty will be awarded chairs according to selection criteria recommended by a College-wide committee. Earnings from the endowment will be used to supplement faculty compensation. This incentive program is specifically designed to attract and keep the best and brightest faculty at our College. Each endowment of $250,000 will fund a salary stipend for an outstanding faculty member. The stipend includes a personal award as well as monies earmarked for their project. The following chairs have been funded or commitments made:

• Chair in Nursing, funded by Thomas A. Dugan, Sherman and Sally Dugan in memory of Mary Dugan
• Chair in General Studies, funded by Annabelle Friddle
• Chair in Literacy, funded by Citizens Bank
• Chair in Native American studies funded by BHP Billiton in honor of its Native American employees