Jim Perley, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Millikin University and former AAUP National President : "Sabbaticals: Investment or Folly?"

Wednesday, November 6

4:30 in HMSU 421

Dean Perley addressed about 36 members of ISU's chapter, interested faculty and administrators. Speaking personally as a five-time recipient of sabbatical years over his long career as a biologist at Wooster University (Ohio) and incorporating his current viewpoint as an academic leader, Perley praised the professional merits of time dedicated to research and individual development. He stressed that sabbaticals were not "vacations" nor should they be mislabeled as terminal leaves before retirement.

He advocated clear standards for the granting and oversight of sabbaticals:

• a budgeted amount of money dedicated to fund a faculty member's work away from the campus
• a clear statement of the rules and expectations, so that applicants would know how to make the strongest case
• decisions should be made by faculty peers, not solely drawn from the applicant's disciplinary unit, but from an all-university body -
  clear and timely responses to applications, with supportive rationales for rejected applications
• the expectation of giving back to the academic and civic community a report and public talks conveying what the sabbatical participant learned

In answer to questions,

Perley argued that sabbaticals should be budgeted as an expression of an institution's priorities,. He preferred that approach rather than taking the money from general funds, which has the effect of making these leaves compete with other programs, especially during lean years.

Perley recommended that large departments should share the teaching load of colleagues on sabbatical, but small departments of less than six people, should be budgeted for replacement faculty.

He commented that he personally would resign from future service on an all- university sabbatical committee, if he found that the faculty's decision was reversed at a higher level without clear evidence that new information about the merits of the approved applications had come to light.

Furthermore, he advocated setting aside some sabbatical opportunities for pre-tenured junior faculty, because the institution would ultimately benefit from the enhanced experience of those people who were able to finish research projects and earn tenure. He understood the tensions involved in reducing the number of sabbatical places for senior faculty, but he preferred to invest in the next generation.

Perley acknowledged, finally, that even though sabbaticals were often misunderstood and sometimes taken advantage of, nevertheless, the academic tradition of re-invigorating one of a university's most precious assets--the faculty--was worth the time, expense, and planning needed to maintain a fair and open system.