“The University of Chicago should not aim to be a pantheon of dead or dying gods. Appointments to the University should not be made solely on the basis of past achievements but only to the degree that past achievements promise future achievement.” - The Shils Report
On 15 July 1970, the Committee on the Criteria of Academic Appointment was appointed by President Edward H. Levi. This Committee was charged with writing a report that would become the basis for evaluating faculty up for promotion. The Shils report dictates that faculty at the University of Chicago must display distinguished performance in each of the following criteria when being considered for promotion:
- Research
- Teaching and Training, including the supervision of graduate students
- Contribution to intellectual community
- Service
This Committee understood that unless such high standards existed and were used, the University would - indeed - become a pantheon for dead or dying gods incapable of attracting the best minds from around the world.
The Shils Report is available in its full form below. Understanding this report allows for a clearer understanding of the University itself.