0820 Arrive at work to start on e-mails and other paperwork.
0930 A meeting in my room with one of the Directors of Learning and Teaching to review a number of issues in the relevant Faculty.
1030 A group of us meet to consider possible changes to the rather complex algorithm we now use to decide degree classes.  Colleageus in other universities have told me how much they envy the Sheffield position of having one agreed method across the whoe institution - a number of other universities have come under strong criticism from the Quality Assurance Agency for operating a diversity of systems at the same time. But it is complex, and one thing that has received adverse comment is the width of the stated borderlines, which are felt by many (including external examiners) to be too wide.  We review the structure and agree that we should get modelling done on the likely effect of a change to narrow the border - which we can then put to Quality and Scrutiny Sub-Committee for discussion.  The chair of that committee stays on after our group discussion to go through the agenda for the next meeting, in two weeks time.
1200 A quick trip to the Union Shop to buy a sandwich.  Then I spend some time on a draft of the University's possible response to the second round of consultations by the Browne Review on the future of student fees.  I am also phoned with a request to take on the task of reviewing a complex appeal case from a postgraduate student - and warned that the paperwork will take some time to read. I promise to do it over the weekend.  When the pdf file is mailed to me I find that it will only print out at the rate of 1 page every 2 minutes - and there are 28 pages.
1400 Call at Planning and Governance Services to drop off hard copy comments on the Browne Review document. On the way I bump into Paul Blomfield (General Manager of the Union of Students and currently the Labour Party candidate for Sheffield Central) and Wes Streeting (just coming to the end of his period as President of the National Union of Students): they are rustling up support for an election meeting with Eddie Izzard, and I am tempted to join them.  Instead I go on to see the head of Learning and Teaching Services to discuss the introduction of new university-wide modules from services such as the English Language Teaching Centre, Enterprise at Sheffield, and the Careers Service.
1500 A team leaders meeting in Learning and Teaching Services, keeping in touch on major issues.
1615 Return to my room to continue with e-mails and paperwork.  Start to plan out a speech I need to give on Sunday afternoon.
1830 Head for home and my regular Friday evening gin and tonic before dinner.

There are two significant diary events this weekend.  On Saturday evening I will be attending the International Cultural Evening organised by the Union of Students and held in the Octagon. I am looking forward to this as it is always a sparkling and professionally managed show.

Then on Sunday afternoon there is a major ceremony in Firth Hall where I will be presenting bursaries to around 60 students, with about half of the scholarships donated via the Bob Boucher fund, set up in memory of our late Vice-Chancellor.  I will need to work hard to pitch my speech right for the occasion, as the whole Boucher family will be present (with Bob's widow, Rosemary, also intending to make a speech) and it would also have been Bob's birthday.  It could be a very emotionally charged event.

But I think that's enough blogging for this week.  I'll return to the file in May. I hope that this week's approach, based around my diary, has been illuminating to various readers.  If anyone has suggestions for the style of future entries do let me know.