February 12, 2004

Trustees approve sabbaticals for faculty members

by Pete Rosenbery

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today (Feb. 12) approved 51 sabbaticals for tenured faculty members on the Carbondale campus.

The leaves of absence with pay are for such endeavors as further development of ongoing research projects, finishing books and research articles, and improving classroom instruction.

Supporting and fostering faculty excellence are among the goals of "Southern at 150," the blueprint for the University's development by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.

Eligible tenured faculty members on academic year appointment may request a one-semester sabbatical at full pay, or a year-long sabbatical at half-pay every seven years. Most research universities make such offerings available to their faculty. With permission, faculty who take a full year sabbatical at half pay very often have arranged for a stipend at a research institute or other university.

"For many faculty members, their average workday is very fragmented by many different kinds of tasks," said SIUC interim associate provost Robert A. Jensen. "Not only does the faculty member teach, but they also have to prepare classroom materials, attend committee meetings, work one-on-one with students and perform a wide variety of administrative and other duties. This is on top of keeping up with the individual's professional field. Probably the most valuable thing a faculty member can have is an unbroken period of time to focus on a particular project. A sabbatical leave every seven years provides just this kind of opportunity."

Among faculty members receiving sabbatical, their department, date of leave, percent of leave, and projects are:

 

  • Keith H. Beyler, School of Law, spring semester 2005; 100 percent. Write an article on witness disclosure law in federal court and follow-up to an article Beyler is writing on witness disclosure in Illinois.

     

  • K.K. Collins, English, fall semester 2004; 100 percent. Complete and deliver "George Eliot: Interviews and recollections," a book under contract with Palgrave Macmillan (London).

     

  • Randy J. Dunn, Education Administration and Higher Education, July-December, 2004; 100 percent. Dunn is revising two courses for online and PBL formats; updating internship materials, completing two scholarly articles and beginning work on two books.

     

  • Michael Richard Judd, Physical Education, spring semester, 2005; 100 percent. Judd is traveling to selected universities to develop an understanding about good pedagogical practices for physical education.

     

  • Joyce E. Killian, Curriculum and Instruction; fall semester, 2004; 100 percent. Conduct research on the effects of mentoring training on mentors' practices.

     

  • Lynette L. Knowles, Marketing, spring semester, 2005; 100 percent. Improving research and teaching capabilities in international business and international trade, as well as developing linkages between SIUC business and economic development communities and the business and political communities within the state as they relate to international trade.

     

  • E. Beth Lordan, English, January-December, 2005; 50 percent. Working on new novel in stories and travel to island off the northern cost of Ireland, since a portion of the new book is set there.

     

  • Karen I. Midden, Plant, Soil and General Agriculture, fall semester, 2004; 100 percent. Study, develop and test a distance learning landscape and horticulture curriculum pilot project for Turtle Mountain Community (tribal) College in Belcourt, N.D.

     

  • Michael R. Molino, English, fall semester 2004; 100 percent. Research the archival holding on English novelist Hilary Mantel at the Huntington Library in Pasadena, Ca.

     

  • Marcus Dean Odom, School of Accountancy, fall semester, 2004; 100 percent. Intern with one of the Big Four accounting firms to enhance Odom's knowledge in current accounting practices for research purposes as well to bring real-life scenarios and experiences into the classroom.

     

  • William A. Schroeder, School of Law, fall semester, 2004; 100 percent. Lecture at the Law University of Lithuania. An alternate plan includes completion of several articles.

     

  • Charles I. Stubbart, Management, fall semester, 2004; 100 percent. Work will include writing two new articles about the strategic implications stemming from the high rate of corporate failures.

     

  • Viswanathan Ramanarayanan, Electrical and Computer Engineering, fall semester, 2004; 100 percent. Develop a research proposal in the area of wireless communications, continue work on the federal highway project, and develop joint research work with a Syracuse University professor.

     

  • John S. Washburn, Workforce Education and Development, spring semester 2005; 100 percent. Examine the relationship between workforce and economic development, particularly in Southern Illinois. A monograph will be developed to include policy option recommendations for business, education, industry, government and labor leaders in the region.

     

  • S. Jonathan Wiesen, History, August 2004-August 2005; 50 percent. Pursue research for a second book, titled "The Nazi Marketplace: Public Relations and Ideology in the Third Reich." The research shall be conducted while serving as resident scholar at the Center for Comparative History of Europe at the Free University of Berlin, Germany.