In the spring of 2006, after 15 years sitting behind my dean’s desk, I decided it was time for a change.
“I think I will request a sabbatical!”
I quickly found the right forms and began to ponder how I could use this sabbatical to uncover and solve great leadership mysteries so I could become an even better dean. [While I think I am the “perfect dean,” I get reminded quite frequently by my colleagues and students I still have lots to learn.] “I know, I’ll learn Spanish!” That surely will be useful at the college and in the community.
I now had a plan. I submitted my paperwork and waited nervously everyday by the mailbox for the chancellor’s approval letter like Charlie Brown waiting for a Valentine card from the little red-haired girl.
It Came! And It Was Approved For Fall 2007! I Am Off. See Ya Later. Adios. Ta Ta.
I got two of the divisions’ finest to take my place, Lisa Ehrich, art professor and chair, and Elaine Gardner-Morales, music professor and chair. Yep, it takes two of them to replace me. The fall 2007 semester arrived and I was gonna be history … at least that’s what I thought. It seemed like I had a hard time adjusting to someone else making “my” decisions. How could anyone do this job as well as me? It wasn’t soon after the semester started that I was in the office “area” everyday, bugging folks and failing my sabbatical. It took some strong intervention from the vice president of instruction, Lisa, Elaine and Sabbaticals’ Anonymous before I gave in and stopped coming in … everyday.
I planned for a five-week intensive Spanish course in La Paz, Mexico, that went from Nov. 3-Dec. 8. Then, I would return to Los Angeles for another week to continue my study and to decompress. Nov. 3 rolled around real quick and I found myself on the plane to my new adventure. I landed in La Paz and noticed two things right away: “it’s hot here and how come I can’t understand anyone?” Uh oh, did I make a big mistake? Five Weeks? Where’s my Starbucks? Where’s my air conditioning?
I won’t bore you with the details but by week number five, I owned the place. I was taking my Spanish classes for four to five hours each morning, playing my guitar at a local hangout every Wednesday night and teaching at the La Paz School of Music in Spanish, or at least my version of Spanish.
I now faced a new problem: I realized I have to go back. You see, for five weeks I got to be a student, hangout on the boardwalk everyday, teach wonderful students and meet lots of new and interesting folks. And, I usually did this in track shorts, a T-shirt and running shoes. WHAT A DEAL!
There is a moral to this odd tale, if you get a chance to take a sabbatical, don’t walk, but run and get that form. Go do something that you haven’t explored or done before. Mind you, you will need to show how it will benefit your work. That means a five-week surfing course in Hawaii is out, unless…
