Where Did they Go? A Survey of Recent Faculty Sabbaticals
Higher Education
By Rachael Kuper '20
Sabbaticals are a bit of a mystery to non-academics. Historically, sabbaticals were a religious break from agricultural work, and then a respite for clergymen. In today’s educational institutions, sabbaticals serve a more productive purpose. As paid breaks at regular intervals, sabbaticals are an opportunity specific to educators. Professors here at Salem State take sabbaticals for varied personal and professional projects which enliven their departments and enrich their pedigree.
The process to take a sabbatical is more complex than some might imagine. Before leaving, candidates must present a proposal with their indicated purposes and outcomes. This must be approved by the department head, department dean, and then the university dean. Once the professor returns, they must again defend their leave. Some give full presentations, others summaries of their work, and others still conduct meetings with their supervisors. These measures are meant to prove the utility of the sabbatical to the department and school.
Arthur Riss, of the English Department, returned from his sabbatical last fall. He had spent the previous semester researching and outlining chapters for his next book on the debate surrounding the end of slavery in America. There are obvious connections to his curriculum on campus (he teaches African American Lit I & II), as well as to his other published works Race, Slavery, and Liberalism in Nineteenth-Century American Literature. Riss envisions his work eventually becoming a trilogy.
Donna Seger, of the History Department, spent her most recent sabbatical writing a book, too. Seger found the transition invigorating for her first venture into writing for a general audience, instead of a textbook. Writing on her specialty, Medieval life, she focused on the day-to-day realities of the time, such as recipes and agriculture. Seger had also spent time before her sabbatical compiling research, and was able to split her time during her sabbatical between writing her book and sending out pitches for publication.
Regina Flynn, of the English Department and Red Skies faculty advisor, took a traveling sabbatical in 2015. She walked a historically, culturally, and religiously significant path in Spain, the Camino de Santiago. Upon her return, Flynn gave a formal presentation of her travels, wrote an article (published in the university’s Sextant), and created a course curriculum based off her experience. The course, which connects the act of walking to the art of writing, was held over the summer of 2016 with great success.
Lastly, Elizabeth Blood, of the Languages Department, took a sabbatical to apply her French skills. She worked with a writer and publisher to translate his book on the migration of Quebecois immigrants to the South Shore. The book, Je me souviens: Histoire, culture, et littérature du Québec francophone, was Blood’s first non-academic book and very popular with locals. The resultant book signing and awareness event was well attended. The content of her work even better informed her knowledge of the Quebec influence in New England, which correlates directly to her teaching in the classroom.
Hopefully through these professors’ revelations about their research and writing outside of the university, we’ve demystified the sabbatical process, and can appreciate how valuable they are to our school, students, faculty, and the community at large.