Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏ

From the editor

Fresh from the break, fortified by June’sÌýconference, headed up by our new Chair, I hope you will enjoy this issue,Ìýwhich is packed with material from theÌýConference. In addition to Robin Dollery’sÌýencouraging keynote speech andÌýreports on several of the workshops, we feature eminent authorÌýTerri Apter on ‘thresholders’ – our clients.ÌýWe have also included a montage ofÌýConference images on the back cover.

I also want to update you on yourÌýfeedback about the journal. Thank youÌýso much to those who responded; maybeÌýthis is something to do on an annual basisÌý(and we will take on board comments aboutÌýmore options, less polarised questions); butÌýif you have strong views before then, pleaseÌýdo not hesitate to let me know.

Some of you loved the new design, someÌýless so; others thought the journal was fineÌýthe way it was. A few suggestions wereÌýbeyond my remit to deliver eg: ‘prefer Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¾«×¼×ÊÁÏÌýand so AUCC to have a statutory role, thenÌý[I] would encourage others to join’. ThereÌýwas strong feeling (over 90 per cent) aboutÌýthe need to enhance legibility, so we haveÌýtried to take this on board in this issue – letÌýus know how we have fared.

We make every effort to listen andÌýrespond to your views and are already in theÌýprocess of actioning some of them eg moreÌýthemed issues – the November issue willÌýfocus on research and evaluation and theÌýfollowing issue will be themed aroundÌýdisordered eating (deadline early January).ÌýPlease, do get your skates on with ideas,Ìýsuggestions etc as I am still in search ofÌýcontributors for that issue. If you or any ofÌýyour colleagues have a special interest/perspective, please get in touch – now.

A number of you wanted practiceÌýdilemmas, an idea we attempted some timeÌýago. At the moment this seems to happenÌývia the Jicsmail, which has the advantage ofÌýinstant response; if you are happy for yourÌýdilemma to be published and the responsesÌý(all names removed) used, I would beÌýdelighted to make this a regular or evenÌýoccasional feature – again, just let me know.ÌýEditorial guidance was requested – I doÌýprovide guidelines to authors (which areÌýalso available on the AUCC website, underÌýjournal). Another suggestion was that theÌýjournal should be more ‘edgy’ – and I wouldÌýbe delighted if readers would like to submitÌýan edgy piece/commentary (length can beÌýflexible). As editor, I am always happy toÌýhelp with drafts along the way (several ofÌýyou mentioned you wanted some help inÌýputting something together).

I was slightly perplexed by one comment,Ìýwhich said ‘knowing who to contact’ (wouldÌýhelp them contribute): the answer is theÌýeditor, contact details inside the front coverÌýand at the end of the editorial, and also inÌýthe occasional little boxes asking forÌýcontributions! It reminds me of a student,Ìýand I imagine I am not alone in this, who atÌýthe end of their seven or eight years at theÌýinstitution I was working in, said ‘I wish I’dÌýknown you were here’ (leaflets, posters, infoÌýon the intranet, prospectus, friendsÌýsuggestions etc notwithstanding).

One idea was to offer a prize for the letterÌýof the month (it would have to be quarterlyÌýas we only come out four times a year) – doÌýwe only respond to financial incentives?ÌýBook reviewers do keep the books theyÌýreview, and this is often a less daunting wayÌýinto writing an article – I am delighted toÌýsay that some 20 people agreed to reviewÌýthe books distributed at conference, soÌýhopefully we will be reading the resultsÌýsoon.

I look forward to being inundated byÌýideas, letters, offers etc as soon as this issueÌýis out – all contributions are warmlyÌýwelcomed.

Dani Singer
Editor

Disclaimer and copyright