| Summary: | It has been my pleasure to be the acting editor of IRRODL while Dr. Terry Anderson has been on sabbatical leave. While the value and need for academic sabbaticals has been passionately debated for decades (and will likely continue to be debated for decades to come), within the academy most, if not all, academics understand both the value and need for a career pause.An academic sabbatical is a prolonged leave, typically for one year after six years of continuous employment. Harvard University was the first to grant academics a sabbatical in 1880. The primary purpose was, and still is, to provide an opportunity for academics to fulfill a career goal (i.e., write a book, travel for research or an opportunity for collegial inter-visitations). The word ‘sabbatical’ has biblical origins connected to the practice of leaving land unplanted as a means of rejuvenation. The word originates from the Mosaic law of ancient Judea, during which farmers left land fallow for a year after six consecutive harvests. The spirit of rejuvenation and harvesting has remained unchanged within the academy. Similar to ‘leaving the land unplanted,’ academics ‘leave the daily demands of university life’ (e.g., teaching and service commitments) for an opportunity to regenerate new ideas and pursue professional growth.
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