On Tuesday May 7, the State Center Community College District Board of Trustees approved seven full-time SCCCD faculty members for sabbatical leave, including four employees from Fresno City College.
The four college employees include music instructor Mike Dana, business instructor Marianne Dunkin, geography instructor Peter Meserve and journalism instructor Dympna Ugwu-Oju.
Sabbaticals are an opportunity for instructors to receive most or all of their full-time pay and benefits during their approved leave of absence. It is designed to allow select faculty to pursue subjects that improve their administrative skills or course curriculums.
The privilege of taking a six month or one year sabbatical leave is built into SCCCD full-time contracts.
The 2011 contract states that, “Sabbatical leaves shall be granted to unit members, under provisions of the Education Code, for the purpose of carrying out an approved program which will enable the unit member to provide improved service to the District and its students.
Consideration will be given to programs which involve an appropriate program of organized study, research, or travel.”
The service is reserved to instructors who fulfill certain criteria including consecutive full-time service at the college for at least six years, serve the college for a minimum of two years following their leave of absence. Upon return, faculty members are required to submit a report to the Committee for Sabbatical Leaves within six months.
Those on a six-month leave of absence will continue to build their retirement, receive 100 percent of their pay and various other full-time benefits. Those taking a full-year leave of absence receive 65 percent of their salary. Faculty members have the option of seeking additional employment to recoup the 35 percent cut from their salary, so long as the additional revenue so long as the total between the two revenue sources does not exceed the equivalent of 100 percent SCCCD salary pay.
In recently opting to move forward with several faculty sabbaticals, committee chairperson and vice president of instruction Dr. Tim Woods stated that, “a total of 7 sabbaticals had been approved by the Board: 4 – FCC, 2- Reedley, 1 – Willow International.”
For many, the approval of sabbaticals represents a return to budgetary stability. Due to financial cuts following the national and state revenue crisis, and prior to the passage of Proposition 30, sabbatical leave approvals were suspended.
“Sabbaticals were put on hold by the Board of Trustees back when the economy and State funding were beginning to take a turn for the worse,” Woods said.
Since that time, with the help of the passage of Proposition 30, federal and state budgets have stabilized. As a result, SCCCD campuses can once again balance their budgets.
“The economy and potential State funding appear to be improving,” said Woods. “Although it is still uncertain as to how much improvement will occur, the Board has approved a few sabbaticals to move forward.”
The decision to put sabbaticals on hold affected the pace of progress for many instructors who have requested approval for several semesters.
Music instructor Mike Dana was among the four FCC faculty members approved in this latest round. During his sabbatical leave, Dana plans to hopefully complete his doctorate in music education from Boston University.
Although the temporary suspension of sabbaticals pushed back the potential completion of his doctorate, Dana is thankful to finally receive the opportunity.
“I’m definitely elated that Woods approved the sabbaticals. I’m grateful to be included,” he said. “But there are other worthy candidates out there, too. And I look forward to seeing their sabbaticals approved as well.”
