I have found it unexpectedly hard to write my sabbatical proposal. I’m supposed to explain why I need a semester dedicated exclusively to research, and I do need it for my sanity but that’s not an argument I can roll out.
I will have written two whole books from start to finish and I don’t know how many articles and chapters, while being department Chair, teaching, and serving on two executive boards for scholarly organizations. It’s kind of hard to explain what additional feats of productivity I will manage to perform without any obligations beyond writing.
Clarissa's Blog 
Are you planning to stay at your institution for your sabbatical or can you propose to visit another institution nearby (or far) to get immersed in new ideas/topics? Being a visiting professor elsewhere for a semester, or exploring a new field can serve as a justification.
On a related note, does your institution have any policy about staying employed there for an x number of semesters after taking a sabbatical? My university will demand some money back in case you leave within one year of taking your sabbatical. I only mention that since you are thinking about going on a job market.
LikeLike
I owe them a semester after the sabbatical, and they can have it. I feel so alienated from this university, and it gets worse every day. It’s like walking around a cemetery daily.
LikeLike
I just wrote my own sabbatical proposal for next academic year. They instructed that we must argue the importance of the leave for the instructional mission, even though we are a research school and no one takes an academic-year sabbatical (with a sizable pay cut because we don’t teach) to focus on … teaching. But this narrative is for nontechnical people (human resources and the like) so I waxed poetic on revising course materials for some of the courses I often teach, and then added “Oh btw I will be traveling for research here, here, and here for research collaboration.” The whole thing was maybe 800 words, of which 100 words was an abstract.
I do hear you on being completely alienated from the university. I do so much teaching and service, yet every task is like pulling teeth. I used to live for my job, now I have to trick and bribe myself into doing the work I have to do. Sadly, this includes writing grants and papers, too. Writing science used to be the highlight of days, but now it’s another drag.
In other depressing news, I don’t know if you’re aware or if you remember him, but your onetime frequent commenter Alex the Physicist died in December of brain cancer. He was a good friend of mine. I wrote about it here, and there are some pics and links.
https://xykademiqz.com/2024/12/09/sad-news/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Alex’s death hit hard. We were connected on FB, so I knew. He was a person full of light. Always kind, always such an example of unpretentious wisdom and quiet stoicism. Life is very inexplicable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The time spent as chair or the changes in your research could be massaged into reasons, even if there might be a bit of fibbing.
LikeLike
Wow, you are GOOD. I apologize but I will be copying this into my proposal. My brain is fried, and I can’t come up with anything as good as this.
Thank you most kindly.
LikeLike
if they aren’t aware of all you’ve been able to do while working they won’t have an expectation of you so you can fudge a bit.
Amanda
LikeLike