Academic Sabbatical

This book gathers personal accounts that show how much sabbaticals matter to university faculty and, through them, to higher education as a whole. Drawing on a broad range of experiences and viewpoints, it offers considerable evidence that these leaves raise research output and the sharing of new knowledge.

According to the book, the self-directed, concentrated time of a sabbatical helps scholars renew their academic energy, which in turn deepens their involvement with their departments, graduate students and colleagues. The experiences described are not free of difficulties and friction, yet sabbaticals still help academics form closer and more lasting professional bonds.

The book can be read on its own, but it also serves as a sequel to The Academic Gateway, which looks at the tenure-track years, and Beyond the Academic Gateway, which looks at tenure. It is the third of three volumes in the Lives in the Canadian Academic Landscape series.