Sabbatical length quandary

[emprof]

I recently got tenure, and am eligible to apply for a sabbatical for next year. I can take it for 1 or 2 semesters (by combining it with a department leave) at full pay. Yes, I know how crazy unusual that is these days, and am VERY grateful.

I need to decide soon, though, whether taking a full year is in my best interests. Help me?

Pros: I could really use the break, I'm feeling kind of burned out on teaching and research. It would give me more time to get my second book project underway. If the pandemic is over, I could spend several weeks at major research libraries and attend some great conferences, just the kind of thing to renew my enthusiasm for my discipline.

Cons: The pandemic will likely still be going on, which means I can't do research travel the way I usually would for a new research project. I'm worried that a whole year stuck at home will leave me bored and dissatisfied, and just doing house chores, instead of energized and engaged. I'm hoping to take on a greater leadership role in my department and a year away at this juncture might stall that for several years, as other colleagues get appointed to multi-year leadership positions as they open up.

[mamselle]

Sounds like you're leaning towards 1/2 year.

Can you take the other half later on?

I, too, doubt that I'll be able to do my usual fun jaunts to France et al. even a year from now.

So, if you can save up some of the time, but take 1/2 of it for the sanity you crave now, that would make sense to me.

M.

[clean]

Id be tempted to delay and apply next year or th eyear after.  You may need the break, but you also need to use the leave for what it is for (research). 

[nonsensical]

What would your teaching look like if you weren't on leave? Taking the full year might be a way to avoid in-person or hybrid teaching if you are concerned about getting sick, or to avoid online teaching if you prefer to teach in person once COVID-19 is less of a threat.

[Hibush]

If taking on leadership roles in the future is a goal, then consider baking that into your sabbatical plan. You may build your attractiveness as a leader more doing that than remaining will keep you in the line.

[Morden]

When would you be eligible for the next sabbatical? At my place, if you take a year, you're eligible again after 6 years, but if you take a half, you're eligible again after 3. I've had both full and half sabbaticals; both are lovely, just different.

[Ruralguy]

If you can't make use of the sabbatical now, don't take it now.

I took my 1 year sabbatical this school year because I model physical data and basically, for things I am not measuring myself (as is the case this time), I don't need to go anywhere else for the data, or  collaboration. 

It was more important for me just to go ahead, work on research, and skip this horrible year for teaching (even if it has to be repeated next year, I'll have my colleagues as a resource and people won't be as crazed). But I am on my third sabbatical (and likely will get at least a 4th..probably retire around the time of a 5th).

[Hegemony]

I would never forgo a full-year sabbatical. If you can't do your planned research during the year, plan some research you can do.  It is crazy to keep on teaching when you could be getting publications out. The people competing against you for fellowships, promotions, and career advancement are not forgoing their sabbaticals.

If you have to stay home instead of travelling around, that will give you more time to write, instead of disrupting your research time with packing and relocating and hobnobbing and all the things we do instead of writing.

If your place tells you you can wait and take a sabbatical in a later year, be very skeptical. Will they hold to that when revenue is down and they need all hands on deck?  And won't that push out the sabbatical after next to an even later year?  In any case, it will put you behind the cohort at your number of years out.

Take the full-year sabbatical. Write things and publish them. Advance your career. Take full advantage of the opportunities this will give you down the line.

[Cheerful]

I took my 1 year sabbatical this school year....

Curious.  Is that one year at full pay, fully funded by your U?  My U provides one year at 1/2 pay or one semester at full pay.

[emprof]

I took my 1 year sabbatical this school year....

Curious.  Is that one year at full pay, fully funded by your U?  My U provides one year at 1/2 pay or one semester at full pay.

It's a mash-up for us (though I know your question wasn't directed at me) . The University sabbatical program is a semester at full pay or a year at half-pay. But we also have a department "research assignment" which is basically a semester research leave.  Traditionally if faculty are granted a university sabbatical semester the department will automatically award them a research assignment in one of the adjacent semesters, scheduling according to how many faculty are already on leave or away on fellowships,  parental leave etc.

[emprof]

When would you be eligible for the next sabbatical? At my place, if you take a year, you're eligible again after 6 years, but if you take a half, you're eligible again after 3. I've had both full and half sabbaticals; both are lovely, just different.

We are eligible every 7th year and the clock resets after every sabbatical.  I'm already a year behind because I stopped the clock when my daughter was born, so I'm already in my 7th year and would take this sabbatical in my 8th year.

[emprof]

If taking on leadership roles in the future is a goal, then consider baking that into your sabbatical plan. You may build your attractiveness as a leader more doing that than remaining will keep you in the line.

That's a great idea! Any idea what that looks like?  My mentors here have only used sabbatical to publish.

[Hegemony]

If you're already a year behind, for heaven's sake, take the full sabbatical. Don't fall further behind!  That's just craziness.

I have a colleague who put a sabbatical off for fourteen years — essentially, he skipped a sabbatical — because he "wanted to be a good citizen" and not leave the department without someone to teach X and Y. Is the department grateful? No, they didn't really even notice. Has it done him any good to forgo his sabbatical?  No, no good whatsoever.  I guess he got a few thousand dollars more than he would have if he had taken the sabbatical, but money wasn't his aim. He's one book behind, he's burnt out from never getting a sabbatical, he gets no thanks ... the only term I can think of is "glutton for punishment."  You're heading down that same road. Take the darn sabbatical.

[mamselle]

Maybe that's a new Fora motto...

TTDS

  "Take the darn sabbatical.."

;--}

M.

[Vkw10]

Apply for the sabbatical. Six months from now, when it's been awarded, you can talk with chair/dean about delaying if you think that's a good idea. If you miss the application deadline, you've lost the opportunity.

Budgets are likely to be tight for several years. It may become harder to get a sabbatical approved, especially if hiring freezes drag on and universities minimize visiting appointments and adjuncts to save money.

Remember that your sabbatical should jumpstart your work toward full professor. Delaying a year may delay your promotion and salary bump. Delaying may also let you get pulled into doing more service, making it even harder to do the research needed for that next promotion. Take the sabbatical.