The Case for Sabbaticals in Academic Advising

Sabbaticals have long been a fixture in the academic world.

Typically, a paid period of time every several years, during which a faculty member steps away from their regular teaching and service duties to engage in research, professional renewal, or creative work. The purpose? To refresh perspective, reenergize engagement, devote time to scholarship and professional development, and return to the institution with both renewed well-being and enhanced capacity for impact.

That naturally raises the question: should higher-ed institutions offer similar opportunities to other professionals beyond faculty, such as academic advisors, student success coaches, and other staff whose workloads are relentless and relational? What might a “mini-sabbatical” or structured renewal period look like for someone immersed in advising, retention, and student support?

In the article Why Academic Advisers Need Sabbaticals (2022) by A. Wahlstrom, the author lays out a compelling case for why academic advisers, typically excluded from sabbatical provisions, would benefit from such arrangements. Wahlstrom argues three key ideas:

• First, renewal time allows advisers to step back from the immediacy of caseload demands and engage with research, theory, or innovations in their field. This, in turn, strengthens advising practice and helps them bring fresh, evidence-informed approaches to their work.

  
  

• Second, offering sabbaticals to advisers signals that the institution values their role as professional, reflective practitioners, and not just as service staff. That professional recognition supports retention and morale.

  
  

• Third, the institutional benefit is real: when advisers return from sabbatical renewed, they can contribute improved programs, refined processes, and a stronger student-outcome focus. In other words, the investment pays off in the advising ecosystem. (Related Reading: The Secret to Success for First-Year Academic Advisors: The 70/20/10 Model)

Wahlstrom invites us to rethink advising staffing models: What if we built in periodic renewal time for advisors, like time for professional reading, data reflection, advising professional development, strategic project design, rather than only reactive service? The article doesn’t provide a ready-made template for such staff sabbaticals, but it opens the door to conversation and innovation in our offices.

If you’d like to explore the article in full and consider how its ideas might apply to your institution or department, you can read it here.

Whether it’s a true semester-long sabbatical or a “mini-sabbatical” model tailored to advising schedules, the question remains: How often do we give our advising professionals the time to step back, reflect, recharge, and return stronger? (Related Reading: The Part of Sense of Belonging Nobody Talks About)