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Monday, December 6, 2010

Schools, lawmakers cut sabbaticals to trim costs - Boston.com

Schools, lawmakers cut sabbaticals to trim costs - Boston.com

Schools, lawmakers cut sabbaticals to trim costs

By Ryan J. Foley
Associated Press / December 6, 2010
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IOWA CITY, Iowa—Under pressure to cut costs, state universities and lawmakers across the nation are going after one of the oldest traditions in the academic world: the professor's cherished sabbatical.

Professors often use the paid breaks from teaching to write books, develop new courses or collaborate with colleagues around the world. But the practice is increasingly being questioned by critics who say it offers little more than a paid vacation at a time when other public employees are being furloughed or laid off.

"Why should the taxpayers of Iowa be paying to basically give these folks a year off from teaching?" asked incoming House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, a Republican


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