The Academic Sabbatical: A Voyage of Discovery is a collection of narratives that reveals how important sabbaticals are to faculty and, by extension, to higher education. This in-depth look at the diverse experiences and perspectives provides a wealth of evidence that sabbaticals are instrumental in increasing productivity in terms of research and knowledge dissemination.
These periods of self-directed and focused work enable scholars to restore their academic energies, leading to enhanced engagement with their programs, graduate students, and intellectual exchange among peers. Although not without challenges and tensions, sabbaticals help academics build stronger and deeper connections.
While this book stands alone in promoting the richness and potential of the sabbatical as a structural feature of the academy, it is a great follow-up to The Academic Gateway and Beyond the Academic Gateway, which respectively discuss the tenure-track and tenure experience.
This book is the third in the Lives in the Canadian Academic Landscape triptych.