Proposals for sabbatical leave for the 2001-2002 academic year have been approved for thirty-eight Sac State professors. Seven professors from different departments are also taking a difference- in- pay to take a year off for research or educational purposes.

Bernice Bass de Martinez, provost and vice president for Academic affairs, has approved sabbatical and difference- in-pay leaves after reviewing recommendations from the Professional Leave Committees, and college deans according to a press release.

A Sabbatical is generally when a tenured professor submits a proposal to take a semester or a year off from responsibilities on campus. The Professional Leave Committee, and selected college deans review the proposal and submit to a faculty committee their recommendations.

Sacramento State has its own policy that establishes the number of sabbaticals that are allowed to be taken. The number of sabbaticals taken yearly at Sac State is thirty-eight. After the review and recommendation process the committee will also rank the professors by the quality of their proposal.

The professors who have been approved for sabbatical or a difference-in-pay leave are allowed to research any topic they wish. Generally anything that interests the professor or Sac State.

“I think it?s a great opportunity for the faculty to go into research in certain fields. This research is extremely important and beneficial for our campus. It allows the professor to research for better updated information and that in turn becomes valuable information in the classroom,” Martinez said.

Thomas Krabacher a Geography professor, has been teaching at Sac State for twelve years and has been approved for his first sabbatical. He is planning to do research on 19th century epidemics, focusing on cultural ecology. Krabacher said he hopes to create a new course based on his research.

“I have been at CSUS since 1974, this is my second sabbatical starting next spring.” Said Gary D. Spray from the Teacher Educational department is starting his second sabbatical in the spring of 2002.

Spray?s first sabbatical focused on research surveys of the public classroom. His second sabbatical will include video recording and interviewing public schools teachers in the classroom. The purpose of this research is to provide student teachers a chance to watch segments of teachers in the classroom.

Some professors are taking this opportunity to travel to other universities to take their sabbatical.

John Henry from the Economics department is taking a difference-in-pay. This means he is taking a full year off. This is his first time taking a difference-in-pay. He plans to work in the center of Full Employment and Price Stability at the University of Missouri Kansas City. He also plans to take part in graduate seminars that run out of its department of Economics.