Summer has gone by very quickly in a haze of wonderful sunshine. I hope you have all managed to get some rest and relaxation during the summer and are now back and ready for the academic year?

The academic year ahead offers many exciting opportunities. With great work carried out by colleagues in the recruitment team to reach our targets we are in the position to welcome many new students into the Faculty as well as those returning for their middle and last years of study.

The National Student Survey results were generally very good across the Faculty, which shows the care and commitment many of us share in working with our students. The results were a credit to everyone’s dedication. Where there are areas we did not do so well, we can take the opportunities to learn and rethink about our approach.

Over the next few weeks I will come along to departments to come and meet more colleagues to find out more about you and what you are doing. I am interested in understanding more about what I can do in my role to assist you in yours and the Faculty’s development over the next 3-5 years. We have many opportunities open to us here at Sheffield Hallam, I need to understand what interests and motivates you so that we make the most of those.

We are also setting up some ‘town hall’ meetings for you to come and ask questions of myself and also other members of the Faculty Leadership team  please do come along, and I’ll try and keep you updated with blogs and tweets too.

There are opportunities for us to develop a long term partnership with La Trobe University in Australia, who have a similar academic offering to ourselves. Hopefully this will provide us with a great opportunity to share learning, enable exchanges between our students and staff and to collaborate in research.

In the meantime – can I wish you all the best for the start of this new academic year – hope is successful and enjoyable for you.

Best wishes

Alison