Professional growth aim of sabbaticals
Campus Times
November 21, 1997
In the seventh year, they rest. Every seven years of employment, University
of La Verne faculty have a chance to reinvent themselves, their teachings,
and the school through a sabbatical.
"Every seven years teachers are allowed a release from their regular
workload to pursue projects of professional and personal benefits in our
academia," said Dr. Bill Cook, vice president of academic affairs.
The idea of the sabbatical is for professors to get away from the everyday
patterns they face on campus. During their time away, they are able to research
and prepare new ideologies for their return. Both personal and professional
growth are key elements to a sabbatical.
For the spring 1998 semester teachers taking sabbatical leave include
Dr. Kim Martin, associate professor of behavioral science, Dr. Jack Mc Elwee,
professor of business administration, Don Pollock, associate professor of
communications, Dr. Rick Simon, associate professor of mathematics, and
Dr. Jane Dibbell, associate professor of theatre arts, will be completing
her full year sabbatical leave.
Faculty accepted for a sabbatical leave are paid for the full semester
of absence, and paid for half of a full year leave. The funding is available
through monies allocated by the school.
Professors go through an application process for the sabbatical beginning
with approval from their department chair and appropriate the dean of their
college. The next step is approval from the Faculty Professional Support
Committee and then Dr. Cook, who has the ultimate decision.
"Right now the archaeology resources on campus and the opportunities
for a new program in archaeology are just exploding," said Dr. Martin,
"I have been working really hard in addition to my regular workload
on those kinds of resources and programs and writing grant proposals that
there is not really time to do it right."
Dr. Martin will be working to improve the archaeology lab and researching
the expansion of the Lordsburg Excavation in the next 5-10 years along with
the Youth Archaeology Field School.
Dr. Simon opted for a semester sabbatical and will pursue research in
the area of his doctorate, research for publication, and developing new
courses to be offered in the department.
Pollock will be teaching at the Brethren sister campus, Cheltenham
College, in the media arts program.
"In addition to teaching I plan to research the changing world
of broadcasting in Britain with some of the commercial elements that are
being added to the more traditional governmental BBC [British Broadcast
Corporation] broadcasting," said Pollock. "Also, they have their
own version of public access over there and I want to find out a little
more information about that and eventually get a good article or two out
of it."
Two years ago, Dr. David Flaten, professor of theatre arts, went to
the National Theater of Croatia to prepare a theatrical production "A
Streetcar Named Desire" during his sabbatical. Dr. Flaten researched
for the production in New Orleans, Louisiana for the lighting and set design
that he was doing for the production. He also went to the Theater of the
Oppressed conference in Omaha, Neb., put on by renowned Brazilian theater
director Agusto Boal.
"It makes it possible for us to have a connection for our students
in international experience, to work in places like Croatia," said
Dr. Flaten.
