Professor of English Greg Scholtz is taking a one-year sabbatical to work in the national office of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) in Washington, D.C. 

Scholtz’s position, which starts in September, includes work as associate secretary and director of the academic freedom, tenure and governance department.

“When this position became available, my volunteer experience became a job credential,” Scholtz said. “Over the last 14 years I have been an extremely active member of the AAUP and have worked closely with national staff on a number of projects.”

Scholtz published numerous papers on tenure and faculty governance, chaired many AAUP assemblies and is the webmaster of Wartburg’s award-winning AAUP Web site.

Scholtz said he is a little apprehensive about his new job.

“The job seems a little daunting to me. And I will certainly miss my friends, my colleagues and my students.”   

Many students were saddened to find out Scholtz would be taking a year’s leave from Wartburg.

“It will be hard to not see him on campus,” Megan Christiansen, who will go on a May Term trip to England with Scholtz, said.

Many students reminisce about Scholtz’s funny characteristics like drinking his Chai tea through a straw and walking around shoeless.

“Some of my friends collect pages of his funny quotes from class,” Christiansen said.

Scholtz said he might continue the AAUP position once the year is up. 

“This is my 19th year at Wartburg, and I’ve lived in Waverly longer than I have lived anywhere else. The roots have had time to go down deep, but there is a possibility, if I can come close to living up to the extremely high expectations that the AAUP seems to have of me, and if I find the work reasonably enjoyable,” he said.

Christiansen said Scholtz will fit in with his new job.