“Sabbaticals are one of those things one should be very thankful for,” said Dean of Social Sciences Jon Fennell.
Dean of Faculty Mark Nussbaum explained that there is a common misconception that the absent professor is simply taking a vacation. This, however, is not what a sabbatical is about.
“The end goal is to improve the education that our students are getting,” Nussbaum said.
A sabbatical is a chance for full-time, tenured faculty to take either a semester or a full year away from their classes.
Sabbaticals not only provide an professors with the opportunity to recuperate, but also to study, research, and grow professionally, Nussbaum said.
“Everyone understands that what you do on sabbatical should have a positive impact on teaching,” Fennell said.
Fennell says he is using his first sabbatical to “read a lot more than normal and do some writing.” He also plans to rework courses he teaches each term.
“I hope I will be able to see them differently and make changes I wouldn’t have made,” Fennell said.
Associate Professor of English Justin Jackson is using part of this semester to focus on implementation of the new core. In addition, he is catching up on reading, writing essays, and working on a book project on the “Pearl Poet.”
“I also try to distract Drs. Smith and Kearney as much as possible,” Jackson added.
Professor of Theater and Speech James Brandon said he saw twice as many plays and read twice as many books while he was on sabbatical in the fall semester. He attended four conferences, spent more time with his kids, worked on a book, and was able to work as a critic for several plays.
Brandon explained that this time gave him more energy.
“In the first year after my [first] sabbatical, my scholarly output equaled that of the first seven years [of teaching at Hillsdale],” he said. “That energy lasted five to six years.”
Fennell described his break as a relief. He explained that there is a constant concern that haunts professors the entire time they are teaching.
“To not have that concern for a semester is a relief of sorts that opens up room for other things. It’s the whole point of a sabbatical,” Fennell explained.
Professor of Biology Anthony Swinehart said that he gets new ideas when he is not in the daily grind. He is currently using his sabbatical to write a book on paleontology.
“Science books are terrible to write because every statement has to be verified,” he said.
He is also writing peer-reviewed articles for journals.
“It is the responsibility of scientists to share data,” he said. “It is a waste of time to conduct science if you don’t share it.”
Professor of Biology Daniel York is also using his time away to write a book. He described it as a “classical guide to anatomical terminology.” He hopes to make it easier for students to learn these terms by giving the etymology, how they were derived, and what they mean so that students don’t simply have to memorize odd things.
“I have thought about it for years, but started three weeks ago,” York said.
He has also been working in the laboratory with several students on genetics.
“It’s nice to spend more one-on-one time with students,” he said.
Nussbaum explained that professors have the opportunity to take a sabbatical every seventh year. They are paid for one semester, but they may choose to take one semester or a whole year away from regular teaching duties.
The provost and the Sabbatical and Summer Leave Committee are primarily responsible for approving the applications for sabbatical. Professors submit a proposal of what they plan to do with their sabbatical, and “as long as it is reasonable for the long term good of the college, it will probably get approved,” Nussbaum said.
Hillsdale averages about six to 10 professors on sabbatical every semester, with nine currently on sabbatical.
“We are fortunate here at Hillsdale to have a traditional sabbatical leave program,” Nussbaum said.
Some schools have had to cut back on these offerings due to financial problems.
York explained that, especially in the sciences, most professors at state universities get “major government grants” for their research.
“It is great that Hillsdale comes up with the funding and supports its faculty just the same as government funded schools,” he said.
Hillsdale professors are not at any disadvantage, but just the opposite because they are granted more academic freedom to pursue their professional development, York said.
“Hillsdale found a happy medium,” Swinehart said.
Swinehart explained that most graduate schools have professors that typically research about 80 percent of the time, while professors in strictly undergraduate programs do all teaching and little research. Hillsdale professors have less of a teaching load so that they can also conduct research, which Swinehart says makes for better teachers.
“It is a wonderful practice; there are not many professions where this opportunity is available,” Fennell said. “We ought to treasure it.”
