The Origin of University Sabbaticals

In their beginnings, many universities were connected to the church and religious orders, and a sabbatical was considered a time to experiment, learn anew, or pray and meditate. That understanding, unfortunately, has changed and the academic sabbatical has come to be seen as a time for achievement. With the growth of academia’s “publish or perish” syndrome, some have lost the view of sabbatical as a time for rest, renewal, and hope.