SUBJECT: &NAME : URGENT - workshop really sounds like the dept is right behind me taking sabbatical ... <QUOTE> Dear &NAME I do not know what to say re your sabbatical . I think you just have to plug ahead and do what you feel you need to do . The decision about whether or not you get leave will not be mine . My position is this : My main concern , as &NAME , has to be about having adequate resources in the area . Obviously if &NUM person ( or more ! there 's not only you and &NAME ! ) goes away , their tasks have to be replaced and that will inevitably mean sharing out some of the burden among the rest of us . I am concerned because some people are already working beyond reasonable capacity . This is a real issue as &NAME has a history of people being overworked and then off sick . Even if we were to get a fractional appt , which is what I will argue for , that still leaves admin tasks to be shared out , because temporary fractional appointments will not be expert admin people ! . They wo n't be likely to be able to carry the kind of burden that more experienced colleagues can . That makes it all the more difficult to alter the &NAME role along the lines agreed by all of us . And a fractiuonal appointment is likely to be for less than a semester / year . In your case , I had hoped that you could have taken on rather more in your year tutor role , as 2nd year tutor is one of the admin jobs that hitherto has not been hugely demanding . I was hoping that we could institute a new , better , fairer system for teaching and admin that would give us all research time , including sabbaticals on a rota ( rather than a ' competetive ' basis ) . But getting such a system in place is a team effort and takes time . It 's going to be much harder to do that if people are away . There is also the question of the &NAME replacement - applying for sabbatical leave is making a powerful statement about being out of the running for that . I personally would rather the &NAME issue were dealt with before sabbaticals were considered . It 's all very complicated , and so I can only say that you should do what you feel you have to do . There 's an inevitable tension between personal interest and team interest , but fortunately it will be up to the &NAME committee to decide about research leave , and not up to me . Sorry &NUM cannot be of more concrete help &NAME . shell xx &NAME , I thought you were . &ORG , I 've been trying to reach you on the phone this am but you are busy , busy , busy . I thought you were meeting with &NAME and &NAME today to discuss , amongst other things , the sabbatical situation . Or is this just in my head ( somehow the 18th has stuck in my brain as an imp . date ) . I really would like to discuss this situation with you . If I want to be able to do this plan in &NAME , I will need to set wheels in motion - the logistics are endless . Incidentally , I still have not heard back from &NAME regarding my original email , though I did write to her to that effect about &NUM days ago ( message also not acknoweldged ) . Though she and &NAME both told me I should go for the round of readerships in the university in June , by her not responding to my precise questions surrounding this , I do wonder how much she really is behind me . &NAME Dr. &NAME &NAME Co-director , &NAME for Narrative Research School of Social Sciences University of East &NAME &NAME Rd. &NAME , &NAME &NAME &NUM email : &EMAIL <QUOTE> &NAME &NAME I am not at uel today . sorry . &CHAR . Dear &NAME , Unfortunately , a second presenter , &NAME &NAME , has also had to cancel due to illness . There will , therefore , be major changes to the proposed programme . &NAME &NAME , &NAME in Politics at &NAME University , and I will be taking the place of &NAME &NAME and &NAME &NAME . I will compose an email to this effect which I would like to ask you to please send to all the workshop participants , so they will not be surprised by the changes when they arrive on &NAME . If you ca n't do this , can you please send me their email addresses and I will contact them directly myself . I will also need to revise some of the materials for the packs . Ideally it would be wonderful if you could make copies of the revised materials and give them to &NAME ; if you ca n't do this , and I know you are already stretched , please let me know and I will take them to Staples here in &NAME . I should be able to get them to you by this afternoon ( &NAME will send me the abstract sometime today ) . thanks for all your help . &NAME &CHAR will Dr. &NAME &NAME Co-director , &NAME for Narrative Research School of Social Sciences University of East &NAME &NAME Rd. &NAME , &NAME &NAME &NUM email : &EMAIL <END_QUOTE> <END_QUOTE>