Learn Farsi: استاد، آیا شما امروز به دانشگاه تشریف می‌آورید؟ - Professor, are you coming to the university today?

This is the core of the polite deferential system in Farsi. When addressing someone with respect, you use the plural pronoun شما instead of the informal singular تو, and the verb must agree by taking the 2nd-person plural ending -ید.

What does تشریف می‌آورید literally mean, and why aren't they just using the regular verb for coming?

While می‌آیید (you come) is grammatically correct, تشریف آوردن is a polite deferential verb used for respected people. It literally translates to 'to bring honor' or 'to bring nobility'. It is used when a respected person is coming, but you would never use it to describe your own actions.

Is the question word آیا strictly necessary here?

No, you could just use rising intonation without it, which is very common in conversational Farsi. However, آیا explicitly marks a yes/no question and elevates the formality of the sentence, perfectly matching the highly respectful tone used for the professor.

Why is استاد used by itself without a name or title like 'Mr.' attached to it?

In Farsi, academic and professional titles like استاد (professor), دکتر (doctor), or مهندس (engineer) are frequently used entirely on their own as direct, respectful terms of address. You do not need to add a name or a title like 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' when speaking directly to them.