Visiting Scholars

Appointment Responsibilities and Procedures

Note: No visiting scholar may begin to work until all of the following processes have been completed.

All visitors to whom the visiting scholar procedure applies must provide their own funding. No funding will be provided by Illinois Institute of Technology. This procedure is also applicable to the appointment of visiting researchers, as such are defined in Article IV of the Faculty Handbook.

Responsibilities and Activities of the Faculty Host

1. Submit “Request for Appointment” Memo: A faculty member who wishes to host a visiting scholar must send a written request for the appointment to their academic unit head (AU Head) in the form of a “request for appointment” memo (“memo”). The memo must state the name of the candidate as it appears on official documents (this is critical for international candidates), name of the research project, name of supervising professor(s), and the dates of appointment (must be specific calendar dates).
   Memo Template for Visiting Scholars (36.34 KB)
   • Submit CV: A curriculum vitae (CV) of the candidate, which includes their email address and academic degrees, must be included with the memo.
   • Submit Diploma: Visiting researchers must have at least a master’s degree. A copy of the diploma of the candidate must be attached to the memo that is sent to the AU Head.

2. Revised Appointments: If there is a need to revise an existing appointment caused by a change of dates or for any other reason, a revision must be completed. The faculty host would then follow the procedure described above, except that the CV is not required to be attached.

3. Reappointment Letters: If a faculty host intends to reappoint a visiting researcher, the above steps must be followed, with the exception of attaching the CV and the diploma. The letter must include the specific dates of the reappointment (reappointment can be made for a period of up to one year).

Responsibilities and Activities of the Academic Unit

1. Submit Memo to Dean: After the AU Head receives the appointment packet from the faculty host, they should write a memo to the dean of the college. This memo should be similar to the memo from the faculty host. The entire package (two memos and a CV) should be sent to the budget administrator of the college or school with which the faculty host is affiliated.
2. Draft Offer Letter: The budget administrator should draft an offer letter using the approved template from the Office of the Provost.
3. Approve and Forward to Provost: The budget administrator and the dean of the college, if the dean is not also the AU Head, should approve the memo and forward the package to the Office of the Provost (provost.office.documents@iit.edu).

Responsibilities and Activities of the Office of the Provost

1. Review Appointment Packet: The Office of the Provost will determine the completeness of the packet and check that the candidate has the required degrees.
2. Approve Offer Letter: The Office of the Provost will approve the draft offer letter before it is sent to the visiting scholar.
3. Distribute Letter: The academic unit will send copies of the letter to the faculty host, the Office of the Provost Office, and the academic dean’s office if it is different from the academic unit.
4. Create Credentials: Once the Office of the Provost receives the offer letter that has been signed by the visiting scholar, it will create credentials for the visiting scholar if credentials are needed.

Any official forms or agreements with outside entities related to visiting faculty appointments (Fulbright scholars, for example) must be reviewed by the Office of the Provost and signed by a university-level official with authority to do so (to be determined by the Office of the Provost).

Note: The Office of Global Services has updated the process for J-1 scholars. Please visit its website for more information.