My List of Things to Worry About at work today

Peter’s list of the things that were on his mind on the morning of 18th February 2008.

The relatively urgent things that are on my mind right now, to do with work, are:

I have to complete an annual report for the Workload Allocation Model, listing everything I have done in the last 12 months.

I have to write a new 10-minute presentation for the Open Day

I have to revise the course-evaluation questionnaire that students complete about the dissertation modules

I have to check and return the page-proofs for a paper that is due to be published in Progress in Physical Geography.

I have to get feedback from co-editors regarding recent developments in the “Environmental Geography” book project, but the co-editors are not being very forthcoming.

I have to give feedback to the University Project and Planning Manager about proposed changes to the University Appeals system.

I have to figure out exactly when I start being Chair of the University Appeals Committee, and what I have to do.

I have to read a draft report on the audit of SPIRE written by the Head of the University Audit Committee, and meet with her to discuss it.

I have to contact the European Commission to explain that I don’t want to go to Brussels for three days for a meeting, even though I previously said I hoped I could. Sorry!

I have to write a 5000 word submission for the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, plus a CV plus covering documents, then meet with the University’s “external consultant” to go through it.

I am supposed to be making a decision for Routledge about writing a “Practical Physical Geography” book.

I want to chase up Routledge about the fact that some of my books that they publish are not showing up properly on Amazon.

I want to apply for a “discretionary point” promotion: the paperwork is available but I have to go through Head of School, fill in forms, write a case, etc

I have to draft a proposed new level-1 module structure to account for the new 4x15 credit model, and present it to the next Courses Management Committee

I have to draft a new School Quality Assurance Framework for presentation to the School Learning and Teaching Committee. This has to include proposals for revision of processes including Peer Observation of Teaching.

I have to write a lecture for geg-30014 about experiencing landscapes through non-visual senses.

I have to mark my 1st-year “people and environment” essays.

I have to mark the esc-10023 in-class test.

I have to find the exam script for a student who wants to know why he failed and why he is being thrown out of the University

I have to organise all the 2nd-year dissertation projects to staff advisors.

I have to produce a 2-hour session (lecture-workshop) about Personal Development Planning for the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education course.

I have to set up Personal Tutorials for all my personal tutees to go through their autumn semester marks.

I am overdue submitting my Chartered Geographer annual Continuing Professional Development record.

I am overdue updating my annual membership of the BSG.

I have not produced the Physical Geography Newsletter that I told everybody I would do last November.

I have to write two new lectures for 2nd-year about Arctic Landsystems.

I have to prepare for the next Appeals Committee meeting.

Some American bloke wants to phone me or have me e-mail him with answers to lots of questions about basal ice in Greenland, because he thinks I refereed the grant that he is now working on.

I am overdue setting exam questions for several modules, and I have to do that very soon.

I have a backlog of publication alerts that I have not followed up and read/filed

I have to read documentation and prepare for a “scrutiny panel” meeting to review proposals for new modules from SEMS.

I have to decide whether to follow the Union's instructions to take "action short of a strike" or the University's request not to.

I have to deal with queries from students doing the Physical Geography course, a Geography Dissertation, or any of my modules.

I have to give class feedback on the esc-10023 in-class test

I ought to sort out the temperature data-logger I bought for the cold room

I ought to do some research in the cold room, or write up the work I did on Fractals, or put in a new grant application.

I have to chase up an overdue book order from Waterstones: they failed to deliver books I ordered.

I am supposed to have organised a “Physical Geography Research” display poster

I am supposed to be setting measure in place to counter poor retention, including a “peer support” scheme that I need to recruit student volunteers for

I need to catch up on reading to set up my next “Progress in Physical Geography” report.

I have to remember the things that I forgot to put on this list, and do them!