My List of Things to Worry About at work today
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!