Quick entry for this month as it has been a busy month. Lots of marking and working on a text book about knowledge informed practice in social work, with a colleague. I have also been successful, with some colleagues, including students, in gaining some internal funding to investigate how students participate in quality processes in the institution – this is part of the institutional ‘Student as Producer’ initiative. More broadly it has been a cold month weatherwise, so I am looking forward to spring emerging over the next few months.
ack to work after a spell of annual leave – it was a good break for whilst we didn’t go away, we did get lots of useful things done including some decorating and major sorting out! 
One of the high points of September is always the graduation ceremonies. University of Lincoln ceremonies take place in Lincoln Cathedral with celebrations afterwards in the grounds of Lincoln castle – a truly magnificent setting. Here are a couple of pictures of the event.
I have also been busy with writing and teaching this month, drafting a book chapter for an edited book, planning teaching for the term, making revisions to the book I am writing and working with individual doctoral students and undergraduate students through tutorials and supervision sessions as, like me, students are also planning the progression of their work for the coming academic year.
May has been another incredibly busy, but very productive month, on a number of fronts. My doctoral thesis has received positive feedback from my supervisors and with some minor amendments should be finalized for submission next month. I have also now signed contracts with Sage Publications to sole-author two social work books over the next two years, details are on my ‘publications’ page. This is a really exciting opportunity and, as I always enjoy writing, I look forward to getting ‘stuck into’ this work very soon. I have also submitted an abstract proposal for a chapter in a new edited book to be published by Continuum, but I am not going to say too much at this stage, as this has yet to be negotiated.
May has been a month for completing all the marking and beginning to think about teaching commitments for the next academic year. The marking process is lengthy but is now in the latter stages with reports being prepared for various examination boards in the next couple of months. I know that students wait anxiously for confirmation of grades, so this is an important time of the academic year.
At home, the kittens, or rather ‘cats’, were one-year old. As pedigree pusses, they are house-cats, but following a safe exploration in the back garden, it became clear that they would enjoy the experience of fresh air and some different scenery. So amid much laughter in the family, my ‘other half’ has agreed to build them a cat run – I will upload some photographs here when the run is finished and in use!
