Jamieson to take sabbatical next fall

Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson announced that she will be taking a sabbatical next semester. Jamieson, who is currently promoting her new book Beyond the Double Bind, said she will be using the time off to write another book, the subject of which has not yet been determined. "It depends," Jamieson said. "We have a large grant proposal in. If that comes through I will be doing that." Jamieson said that if the proposal falls through she will be working on a book exploring the debates over contraception and abortion in the Catholic Church. She added that she met with a review team yesterday and that now she is waiting for their response. "Among the many things you can't be sure of in life is when you will hear about grants," she said. Provost Stanley Chodorow said it is not uncommon for deans who have served six or seven years to take a sabbatical, adding that Law School Dean Colin Diver is also taking a break next fall. "The deans are both administrators and academics," he said. "As academics they need sabbatical leaves to complete important scholarly work and to recharge their intellectual batteries. "Being a first-rate academic is crucial to being a first-rate dean," he added. "That is why we support long-serving deans with sabbaticals." And Jamieson has her own interpretation of their purpose. "Sabbaticals are an attempt to make sure people retain their sanity and their scholarly productivity," she said. Chodorow added the University will not have to replace her as dean because this will be a sabbatical-in- residence. "This is an unusual arrangement that will permit her to carry out her [duties as dean] but relieve her from teaching," he said. Jamieson said the University might be hiring someone to teach in her place during her absence. "We have an offer out to someone who, if she accepts, will teach my graduate course in the fall," she said. Jamieson added that she will definitely be teaching her undergraduate Introduction to Political Communications course in the spring. "You have my word on that," she said. Since Jamieson is serving her sixth year, her deanship is currently up for review. She said she knows that the committee has filed its report, but that "there are no clear dates on this kind of process." "I assume the process will be concluded by the end of the academic year, but I don't know," she said.

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