After a much-earned sabbatical, Lee University President Paul Conn is back on campus and refreshed for his 22nd year in the position.

“I’m encouraged by the Board of Directors to take a semester [off] every tenth semester to learn new things,” Conn said.

In his most current sabbatical, Conn returned to Boston to work as a postdoctoral scholar for six months.

“I enjoy being at Harvard,” Conn said. This spring was the fifth time Conn has completed a post-doctoral there.

“[It's] not really a full sabbatical, I run back and forth and half-way commute to keep the working going here. But it allows me to be involved up there and it’s very enjoyable; I always learn a lot,” he said.

Though Conn was not on campus every day, he made it a point to visit campus at least a few days a month to check in on the news construction projects and to make sure everything was running smoothly.

“I didn’t miss much on the building projects, because the science building started this summer and the religion building we got up and running before I left and I was back and forth,” Conn said.

During his absence, Lee’s four vice-presidents rotated acting as president pro tempore during the semester. Vice President for Administration Gary Ray, Vice President for Student Life Walt Mauldin, Vice President of Academic Affairs Carolyn Dirksen and Vice President for Business and Finance Chris Conine helped the university run flawlessly during the president’s semester away.

“They actually hooked up a camera so I can see the building every day on the Internet and I got a full report from the contractors and the contractors’ liaison, Cole Strong, every Friday with dozens of photographs with every little piece of it,” Conn said.