Jim Drake, president of Brevard Community College in Florida, requests paid leave of absence to finish writing book
Florida Today
July 5, 2011
Brevard Community College President Jim Drake wants to take a paid leave of absence next spring to finish a book he's been working on for more than three decades.
The Board of Trustees will have the final word on whether to grant Drake the one semester sabbatical. He would still receive his base salary of $290,000 plus benefits during his time off, which would amount to about four months. However, any royalties he collects on the book would go to the college.
Drake, 67, said he's requesting the time now because he's under contract with a publisher to finish the book, titled On the Record, about the history of the audio recording industry between the two world wars.
"I couldn't in good conscious ask for anything like this if the college wasn't in a stable position," Drake said. "There are no changes in the foreseeable future. We're looking forward to a stable year."
