In my last post, which should have been the last of all, I asked for feedback.  To date 35 readers have provided that (the line is still open so if anyone wants to add some views they still can).   I was seeking opinions as to whether I should call it a day, as planned, at the end of 2010, or whether people thought I should continue blogging through 2011 - and if so, what advice readers could give me as to what they found interesting.

I was a little disappointed, but not entirely surprised, that of the 35 survey respondents, 25 were in the professional services.  All the other 10 were in academic departments - with the most being in the International Faculty in Thessaloniki.  There were no respondents from the Faculties of Arts and Humanities, or Science.  Of course, this may or may not reflect the actual readership of the blogs.

There was unanimity on the question of whether I should call it a day - 34 of the 35 respondents wanted me to continue (and the 35th didn't answer the question at all).  I'm delighted, and humbled, that respondents have found my thoughts of interest.  Seventeen respondents added material to the free text section for overall comments, and those are very gratifying. An analysis shows the following (some people touched on several issues in their comments):
8 respondents valued the insight into the work of a PVC or someone from senior management (sometimes adding calls for others amongst my colleagues to take up blogging as well)
5 respondents have specifically valued the discussion of a very wide variety of topics
4 respondents particularly mentioned how they feel they have gained some insight into wider aspects of higher education beyond their own experience
5 of you liked the tone and style in which the blog was written
There were comments valuing the occasional debates that the blog has set off, but others who said they had not yet been brave enough to post anything as a discussion point themselves.
9 people explicitly asked me to carry on.
One comment I liked, because it encapsulated what I hoped I was achieving, ran as follows: "Informing, occasionally infuriating, all in all a very good read."
And as for the respondent who kindly suggested that an edited collection could be published - well, Mary Beard (Professor of Classics at Cambridge) has already done that.

So it looks as if I should continue to blog into 2011.  The issue now is what should be the timeframe and the subject matter.  You have given me advice on those issues.  Ten respondents felt that the 2010 pattern of a week's blogging per month should continue; 7 of you felt I should choose six days randomly through the month; 6 felt I should blog only when I have something of particular importance to say; but 10 made other suggestions - these actually generally saying it's up to me.  But one respondent hit on a crucial point in writing "I imagine that having a target helps you to be disciplined about it."  That was very true throughout 2010 - my end-of-the-day routine in blogging weeks was distinctive and that made it easy to keep it up. Reflecting on the process of producing a blog, I realise that 'having to do it' on particular days was what may have made the blog more interesting, since it encouraged me to write about a wider variety of issues. If I had only been writing about 'important' things I would not have covered the breadth of my role so fully.

So I have decided to be disciplined, but in a slightly different way from last year.  In 2011 I will endeavour to blog on 5 days each month.  But rather than these being consecutive I will, at the start of each month, identify five blogging days randomly and will mark my diary accordingly.  That should provide the discipline. (Because January is now half gone, I will actually blog for the next few days to polish off this month.)

And finally, what should I write about if, as often happens, I have a choice of things to mention on any one day?  Well, you seemed to like the variety last year, since 32 of the 34 of you who responded asked for variety once again.  Of the specific themes you called for, the rank order was as follows:
PVC life outside the university (Russell Group, HEFCE etc.)           11 mentions
My teaching                                                                                  7 mentions
Governance, committee work etc.                                                   6 mentions
My research                                                                                 5 mentions
Connections with the City of Sheffield                                              5 mentions
I will try to bear these preferences in mind.

Finally, two further points -
1. If you haven't already completed the survey in the last posting there's still time to do so.  Any further thoughts there would be welcomed.
2. Be brave in adding comments to the blog.  The more discussion we can get going the better.