|
|
|
professorship |
|
|
staffs university |
Following my own successful application in 2006 several colleagues have asked for help and guidance in making similar applications. I have had to say that everyone is so different in the ways in which they meet the essential criteria for excellence; there is no one blueprint to follow which guarantees success. Nevertheless I have attached below my own application which shows how I approached it. If this helps other colleagues in making their own applications in their own way, then it will have served a useful purpose. In our University, the final decision about professorial titles is taken in consultation with the Vice Chancellor. My title was modified from the original suggestion, and was finally agreed as Professor of Social Work Education and Spirituality. What follows on this page is the text of my application - APPLICATION FOR PROFESSORIAL CONFERMENTApplicant Bernard Moss Location Institute of Social Work, Advice Work & Social Studies Brindley Building, Leek Road, Stoke Tel 01782 294866 Email b.r.moss@staffs.ac.uk Suggested title - Professor of Learning and Teaching in Social Work and Spirituality. “Bernard Moss is an ambassador for learning and teaching development both in his own subject areas of social work and for the University. His generosity as a teacher and a colleague was clear ….as was his energy and achievements….his effective work with a diverse range of learners, including the significant number of mature social work students, is an outstanding aspect of his achievements”. With these words the Vice Chancellor, Professor Christine King, prefaced the institutional citation for my National Teaching Fellowship which was awarded to me in June 2004. The achievement of this prestigious award is one of the principal foundations upon which my application for professorial conferment is based. Although I will provide evidence under the University’s own criteria for this application, it is worth highlighting the criteria for the awarding of the Fellowship. This will show that I have already been judged by my peers at the highest possible level in areas which mirror the University’s own criteria for professorial conferment, which state that ‘the standing and the reputation of the candidate in the relevant external peer group will also be a key factor in determining the outcome’.
In the University’s citation, it was clearly recognised that I had provided powerful and compelling evidence of excellence across all of these criteria, thereby enabling the citation to highlight my ‘ outstanding qualities appropriate for the award of a National Teaching Fellowship’. The fact that I still remain the only member of Staffordshire University ever to have gained this award, I believe strengthens my application for professorial conferment. The Staffordshire University eligibility criteria, which allow excellence in learning and teaching to be fully recognised for professorial conferment, closely reflect the NTF criteria outlined above, in that they require applicants to demonstrate outstanding achievement in two of the following areas:
Evidence of fulfilling the specific eligibility criteriaTeaching students to the highest professional standards.Although I submit that the gaining of the NTF award is excellent evidence in its own right for this criterion, I would draw further attention to the continuing and developing reputation of my Communication Skills for Social Work module as additional evidence. Student feedback regularly highlights this module for being ‘very enjoyable….relevant….the best module on the award’. and ‘equips us well for our professional practice’. Once again this module has drawn high praise from our external examiner, who singles it out in her latest annual monitoring report as exemplary practice in both its delivery and appropriateness of assessment. Although my award is consistently commended for good practice, this is the only module to have received the accolade of exemplary practice. My referee Jane Lindsay will be able to confirm her judgment of my excellence in teaching from her perspective, both as an external examiner on my social work award and as a member of the Subject Review team who visited us in 2003 and awarded us a Commendable rating for our teaching and learning. Contributing to the improvement of education in the university through innovative pedagogyThree further strands of my teaching on the social work degree deserve mention. First, we have developed an imaginative problem-based learning strand to the award that has involved social work and nursing students learning alongside one another. Again, the external examiner praised the high quality of their presentations at the end of this activity, and commented that, The problem-based learning sequence is innovative and clearly promotes the development and testing of team work skills Secondly, I have involved a number of service users and carers, including young people who have recently been in care, in the delivery of my module, so that students can learn at first-hand how to relate effectively to those who use social work services. The success of this development was marked by a celebratory lunch which I organised, at which the Vice Chancellor presented certificates to all the service users and carers who had taken part in my programme. This was an important opportunity to acknowledge groups of people who are often neglected or under-valued in the community. I was able to show that the university, through the Vice Chancellor, valued the difference which they were making to social work education at Staffordshire University. This event made a huge impact upon those who received their certificates. They all said to me afterwards how important and special the event had made them feel, and how proud they were to be invited to such an occasion at the university. They made a special point of thanking me for making it happen, and were delighted subsequently to receive from me copies of their photographs taken with the Vice Chancellor, together with a presentation pack for each of them. This is further evidence of the ways in which I both cherish and seek to advance the reputation of our university in the community. Thirdly, I have maintained the high reputation for innovation with the development of my large-group role-play scenario as a context for helping students to learn about working with families. This involves all students in the group exploring a wide variety of roles, including service users, carers, advocates, and professional workers, so that they can learn experientially in a safe environment what is involved in delivering best social work practice to the highest professional standards. The Academic Development Institute have invited me to produce an educational training DVD about this method of teaching, as a way of encouraging and facilitating innovative pedagogical approaches in other areas of the University and beyond. It is also likely that this will be used as an example of how a member of the National Teaching Fellowship community has enriched pedagogical development in Higher Education. The DVD is due for completion by the end of October 2005. In my CV there is evidence of the ways in which I have already disseminated my innovative practice among the national academic community, through the delivery of workshops at conferences and scholarly journal articles. Over the past year I have also worked closely with colleagues in Shropshire Social Service Department to explore the development of an e-folio approach to placements for social work. This would be a national ‘first’, and my contribution and encouragement has led to Shropshire not only seconding students to our programme for the first time in the present academic year, but also to seek formal partnership status with us. This will be a major enrichment for us, and will bring a new dimension of e-learning to our whole programme. This is further evidence of the ways in which I am at the forefront of innovative pedagogy within the university and beyond, and am contributing to the regional partnership agenda which is so central to the university’s agenda. Conducting and publishing high quality research. My professorial application is located within my pedagogical and professional claim for excellence, principally as a social work educator. This important focus has meant that my research and publications to date have been geared towards these areas of practice rather than seeking out large-scale research grants. My focus has been upon developing the University’s reputation as a centre of excellence for educating and training social workers. To this end my CV demonstrates that I have developed a strong publications profile in this field, with articles in high status professional refereed journals sitting alongside a range of publications aimed at enabling practitioners to improve their practice skills and knowledge. The significant entries in the ‘work in progress’ section indicates that my reputation is growing, and that I am seen to be contributing significantly to my area of expertise. It is important, however, to highlight some areas of research activity which are currently gaining momentum for me. First, I have been invited to be part of the team putting together a bid for research funding under the auspices of the ‘New Dynamics of Ageing’ agenda, in which Staffordshire University is already a leading player under the leadership of Professor Paul Kingston. My own contribution will be in partnership with Professor Margaret Holloway from Hull University looking at issues of religion, spirituality, death, dying and bereavement. Furthermore, our newly established Centre for Health and Spirituality is now becoming sufficiently established to encourage us to bid for research funding in this increasingly important area, as well as making contributions to the academic literature on this theme. In a recent Learning Teaching and Quality Enhancement Committee, mention was made of the possibility of a further round of bids for Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) in 2006/7, with an invitation for suggestions to be made for suitable subject areas to be considered. I have therefore submitted to the Academic Development Institute a request that the area of Spirituality in Health and Social Care be considered. I believe that my work, together with other key colleagues in the Centres of Health and Spirituality, and Mental Health and Ageing, and Psychology would place us in a strong position. This view is supported by my colleague in the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Social Work and Social Policy (SWAP) who has responsibility for CETL development, with whom I have had some informal discussions on this subject. It is interesting too that Sport and Exercise as a discipline is also beginning to explore this new area of interest. Finally, I am involved in a collaborative partnership with Professor Peter Gilbert who is currently drawing together a research group from key universities who have an interest in developing the research agenda in spirituality across a number of disciplines. Demonstrating a full and active role in the life of the University and enhancing its public reputation as a centre of education, research, enterprise and scholarship. Over the past 8 years I have worked in two Faculties, and have contributed fully to their work. I served on a range of committees whilst we were partnered with the Law School, and played a particularly active role in the early development of Personal Development Profiling (PDPs). Sue Wright (now the Programme Area Manager, Law) and I gained a small grant from the (then) ILT to develop a paper-based PDP programme which is still widely used within law and social work, and has particular relevance for professional and vocational awards. My CV demonstrates how I have developed this in my recent joint publication in a refereed journal article. I have also been approached recently by a colleague from a neighbouring HEI who was so impressed by the quality of the PDP documentation which I have written for all three levels of our social work degree that he asked permission to use it with social work students on his award. I have also taken a lead role with PDPs within my current Faculty of Health and Sciences to help us deliver the University’s policy for PDPs with effect from September 2005. This has involved me in discussing the merits of PDPs with colleagues across the Faculty, and where appropriate advising and helping to shape new approaches. One notable example has been with Psychology where I was able to support and encourage colleagues in their development of an imaginative and systematic approach to PDPs as part of the core curriculum, thereby ensuring that all students are now able to develop reflective-practice skills. I have also been involved in the PDP Practitioners Group, through which I have been available to colleagues throughout the university for guidance and advice in developing a variety of PDP provision. I have been a member of various learning and teaching and quality committees, and have led a number of successful awards through validation. This included our new social work degree, and the early validation of our B.A. (Hons) Advice Studies (distance learning) award at Certificate Level, thereby paving the way for new colleagues to take the award forward to its present highly successful degree level status. I played a lead role in the early days of this award’s development in seeking to ensure that Staffordshire University would be seen as market-leader in this newly emerging discipline. This remains the only distance-learning award at undergraduate level in the University, and is still the only one of its kind in the UK. I have also played the lead role in developing a conference schedule within the Institute of Social Work, Advice Work and Social Studies over the past three years. Previously there had been no attempt, within social work, to develop our reputation in this way. The conferences we have organised have proved to be extremely valuable not only in advancing the subject areas which we are exploring, but also in enhancing the university’s reputation in this field. This has been particularly evident in the area of spirituality, where we are now seen as one of the leading universities in the UK contributing to this newly emerging discipline. Our conferences were aimed at helping academics, students, service users/carers and practitioners find ways of engaging with this issue to foster and encourage best practice. It was particularly encouraging that feedback comments on the day, and subsequent emails from others who attended, not only said how enjoyable the events were, but how creatively challenging the day had been, and praised me for my facilitating leadership. I also played a leading role in 2003 for the Subject Review of social work, where we gained a Commendable rating for our learning and teaching. The panel commented favourably on the role which I had played as one of the University’s Learning and Teaching Fellows involved in that process. I also had a part to play within the Law School’s very successful Subject Review, also in 2003, in that I was tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the Personal Tutoring role was fully understood and implemented by the Law School’s academic team. This is further evidence that I have the ability to develop good working links with colleagues at all levels, and can facilitate best practice in others in a leadership role. My leadership potential was recognised last year when I was supported by my Pro Vice Chancellor to participate in the FDTL4 ‘Leadership in Health and Social Care’ national programme. Apart from the contribution this is making to my own professional and personal development, it provides me with a further opportunity (as does my National Teaching Fellowship) to enhance the university’s reputation in this field. I have recently submitted my portfolio of evidence for the SEDA Leadership award. Since taking up my current post, I have been invited to serve on the special multi-disciplinary committee which is reviewing the provision of mental health nursing within our Faculty. This is proving be to challenging and stimulating, and provides an excellent opportunity to contribute to an important review in the life of the university The work of the Centre for Health and Spirituality is another key example where the work I am doing is enhancing the reputation of the university. As convenor of the Centre which has only been in existence since May 2004, I have played a major role in helping to establish Staffordshire University’s reputation in this field. This has been significantly enhanced by the arrival of new colleagues and new appointments within the Centre for Ageing and Mental Health which has parallel interests in spirituality. Again, I believe that this reputation owes a lot to my drive and enthusiasm, as well as to the committed team who are sharing in its leadership. We are fortunate to have the active support of the Vice Chancellor and my own Pro Vice Chancellor in these developments, both of whom have helped enormously in putting this theme ‘on the map’ for our university. As far as this application is concerned, I believe that I have gained the confidence of these senior colleagues for the work of the Centre and the role I am playing to take it forward. I have also been fortunate in gaining the support and encouragement of colleagues in the United States for this work, one of whom, Professor Leola Furman, is a leading authority on Religion, Spirituality and Social Work in America. She has been particularly appreciative of the work I am doing, and we are keen to explore ways of collaborating further, as she can evidence as one of my referees. Assisting other colleagues in the University to develop their professional profiles….. I have played an active role within my own team in mentoring new colleagues, and helping them to develop their teaching skills. In particular I have mentored two of my colleagues in the last year on the Post Graduate Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education. This proved to be a mutually rewarding relationship, not least because both of them gained a pass with Merit. One of these colleagues paid particular tribute to the support and encouragement I had given, citing my thoughtful, insightful and critical guidance. I have also mentored and supported colleagues applying for our Learning and Teaching Fellowship scheme. I worked closely with Kathryn McFarlane who gained her Fellowship under the previous scheme, and have been regularly recommended as a point of contact for interested colleagues who want to explore the new scheme. I have recently co-led two exploratory workshops, and have been invited to serve on the selection panel again this year. The two candidates who were nominated for National Teaching Fellowships this year both took the opportunity to discuss their applications with me, and I was able to give them guidance and advice about how to make their applications as strong as possible. I remain optimistic that in the years ahead we will build up not only our own pool of Fellows but also will have further success at NTF level, and I look forward to playing my role to facilitate this process. I have recently been appointed by the Higher Education Academy as a mentor for the new 2005 cohort of Fellows. I believe that this experience will also enrich the support and guidance I can give to future applicants from our university. In addition to my own individual publications profile, I have worked with others to help develop their professional profiles. My work with R Castle is about to be published where we have collaborated on a Disability Awareness training manual. I worked for a while with a colleague in a local community agency on a similar project dealing with Mediation Skills. Although this publication did not materialise, my colleague found my encouragement and collaboration very supportive, and has helped him begin to develop his own individual publications profile. I have given priority also to work with our social work service and users group, and have collaborated with them very closely in developing an article for a refereed journal about the work of our skills lab which has already gained a high reputation for its excellent work. This article involved some different skills in seeking to ensure that the service user and carers’ ‘voice’ was heard sufficiently clearly and authentically, but within the framework of a refereed journal article. This is another example of ways in which pedagogic research has featured in my own work, as evidenced in my CV. I believe that this is an increasingly important area for attention, and I would hope to encourage colleagues to work with me on a range of projects to develop this theme further. My contribution in this field has been commended by the editor of Community Care who regards me as ‘one of a very small handful of contributors that I am happy to use regularly’, and by Professor N Thompson, one of our leading social work authors and educators with an international reputation, as being, ’ an extremely talented as a writer.. a skilful educator.. and a major asset to social work education.’ [His work has been] well received ‘ because of his ability to explain complex issues in an accessible way.. he has the ability to relate theoretical material to practice situations in a helpful and realistic way’. Representing the University on local, regional, national and international bodies. In my present role and with my range of responsibilities I regularly represent the university and seek to enhance its reputation at local, regional, national and international levels. I have good working relationships, for example, with key people within social work at the local level where our partnership working so often is ‘oiled’ and maintain by careful nurturing. This is evidenced not only by the high regard in which our programme is held by Staffordshire and Stoke Social Care and Health Departments, but also by the recent involvement with us by Shropshire Social Services Department and their desire to become more formally associated with us. This is as a direct result of the work I have been doing with them recently, and helping them see that our commitment to regional partnerships is genuine. I have served as our representative at regional level on the newly formed Learning Support Centre Network, which is a partnership arrangement with HEIs, Social Care and Health Departments, and key voluntary agencies who are funded by Government to increase the number and a range of practice learning opportunities for social work and social care in our region. Although this work has taken some time to become established, we are now beginning to receive offers of help from new agencies keen to become involved in social work education ands training. At national level I am our representative on the Joint Universities Council for Social Work Education, and now have the opportunity to join the Education Committee which is very influential in the work it undertakes. At the international level, my own work on Spirituality – and by association, the reputation of the University itself – has been recognised by some of the leading academics in the field including Professor Leola Furman ( who has visited our university and gave a keynote paper at the launch of our Centre for Health and Spirituality) and also Professor Laine Scales who has been pioneering a case study approach to pedagogy in this field, and will be seeking to facilitate my own developmental work in this field. Additionally, I have been invited to join the prestigious International Working Group on Death Dying and Bereavement for its conference in Honk Kong in December 2005, which will provide me with a further opportunity to be an ambassador for the university, and expand the contribution I can make in this field. Two further areas of work illustrate my national involvement. First, I was invited by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) to be part of the working group which prepared the Knowledge Review for Communication Skills in Social Work Education (2004). This has led to several contributions at conferences when these issues have been explored in more detail. To have been invited onto this working group is evidence of the reputation I have gained in this field. Secondly, I have been working closely with our Higher Education Academy Subject Centre on the developing theme of Spirituality. We jointly facilitated a symposium on this theme at Staffordshire University as the official launch of my National Teaching Fellowship project in this area. This was very well attended, by academics, students, service users/carers and practitioners, and further work is being planned. It also formed the basis of a workshop which I jointly led at the Subject Centre conference in Loughborough in June this year. Again I believe that the confidence which colleagues at the Subject Centre have in me is further evidence of my reputation in this field at a national level. As Professor Peter Gilbert has noted, Bernard Moss has been instrumental in connecting the work of the social work course at Staffordshire University with the wider national agenda in health and social care and has worked tirelessly to draw in the national development agencies, such as the National Institute for Mental Health in England,,,,,, and its social care counterpart (SCIE). These linkages will lead to robust research and practice initiatives’. Conclusion. In my successful National Teaching Fellowship application, I used the image of the ‘diamond of excellence’ to make the point that light has to shine on a candidate from a number of different angles for its full richness to be illuminated, and for it to sparkle. The same imagery is relevant to this application for professorial conferment. I believe that the evidence I have cited across the several criteria demonstrates the strong case I can make for myself. I also suggest, however, that the light which others bring to bear upon my work confirms and strengthens my claim that I already play a major role in enhancing the reputation of the University in my particular field of excellence, and that, if successful in this conferment, I would do so to an even greater extent. I conclude with one final statement from one of my National Teaching Fellowship referees who said, Bernard is unique in his capacity to encourage and develop learning in others. He has been a source of inspiration and support… all in all Bernard has rare and very special talents. Referees - Professor Sally BrownProfessor of Higher Education Diversity in Learning and Teaching Leeds Metropolitan University Email. S.Brown@leedsmet.ac.uk Professor Brown played a seminal role in the development of the (then) Institute for Learning and Teaching, and maintains a critical overview of issues in Higher Education. She has close knowledge of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, and is thus well placed to comment upon my excellence as a National Teaching Fellow. Jane LindsayPrincipal Lecturer in Social Work, Kingston University. Email j.f.lindsay@kingston.ac.uk Jane Lindsay was on the Subject Review panel which visited us in 2003, and subsequently became our senior External Examiner for the new social work degree of which I was the award leader. She is therefore well positioned to comment upon my work having seen it at close hand for the past two years. Professor Margaret HollowayProfessor of Social Work University of Hull Email M.L.Holloway@hull.ac.uk Professor Holloway has known the range of my work for several years as an external examiner on our BA (Hons) Social Studies award, and has a clear grasp of the issues involved in being a social work educator. She and I are also developing a collaborative partnership in the field of Spirituality. She is therefore well positioned to comment upon the contribution which I am making to social work education and spirituality. Hilary BurgessSenior Advisor, SWAP, Subject Centre for Social Work and Social Policy The Higher Education Academy & Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol Email h.burgess:@swap.ac.uk Hilary Burgess has been working with me at the national level in her role with SWAP, and is therefore well positioned to comment upon the contribution which I am making at a national level and the ways in which I am establishing my own, and Staffordshire University’s reputation. Professor Leola FurmanAssociate Professor of Social Work University of North Dakota USA Email FurmanLfurman@aol.com. Professor Furman has played a pioneering role in the field of religion, spirituality and social work education and practice in USA for over 25 years, and has conducted research projects in this field in the UK as well as in Norway and the USA, as well as publishing widely. She is well positioned therefore to comment upon my work in this field from an international perspective. Application for Professorial Conferment : 5 Year PlanIntroduction. I would like the focal point of my 5 year plan to be learning, teaching and spirituality within health, social work and social care. If granted professorial conferment I would seek to consolidate and develop the work of the Centre for Health and Spirituality which has an important role to play in helping the Faculty to implement its own Plan, and has also been recognised as having a wider role within the University, There would be three main areas : a) teaching and learning; b) research and income generation; and c) publications. ContextIt is important to locate this Plan within the context of the Faculty of Health and Sciences’ own Plan and aspirations over the next 5 years, as it seeks to play its part in implementing the University’s Strategic Direction and Plan. It is crucial importance that any professor appointed is able to play a major role in developing and implementing these strategic aims and objectives. The Faculty has identified several key areas where it is able to make a significant and focused contribution both locally and regionally. These have been identified as : Patient and Public Involvement; Health Inequalities; Long term conditions; Mental health; and Women’s health. These are all areas where the Faculty has recognised expertise and lead players. Additionally, the new Centre for Ageing and Mental Health has already mapped out areas of work which will establish it as a major player, and has spirituality as one of its themes. Within this framework, it has been recognised by the Faculty leadership that the theme of Spirituality, as well as being an important theme in its own right, also runs through the key areas of interest identified for developmental work. There has been significant progress already in exploring the interface between spirituality and mental health, including the complex area of dementia. But the potential to explore a similar interface with the other themes is considerable. I would see my role, therefore, if offered professorial conferment, as making a major contribution to the development of this whole area, thereby enhancing the University’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence in this field. There will be particular opportunities to work closely with the Professor of Social Work and Spirituality (when appointed) and to make an impact by developing a range of teaching and learning opportunities across the field of health and social care. Additionally, I would be able to make contributions to the proposed M.Sc in Spirituality which is currently moving towards validation. The amount of time which could be allocated to this project will, of course, depend to a large extent upon the details of the job description offered to me and the range of other responsibilities expected of me in this role. The main themes can easily be identified as follows : A) Learning and Teaching. The neglect by social work education and training of issues to do with religion, spirituality and their relevance to social work practice is widely recognised, and my own NTF project is seeking to address some of the key issues. This would continue to be one important strand in my professorial role. However, the wider field of allied health professionals, and the ways in which issues to do with religion and spirituality can be incorporated into their training curricula, represent further important challenges which this 5 year Plan needs to address. In terms of priority, the current review of Mental Health Nursing provides an excellent starting point for these discussions and debates, as well as an opportunity to explore ways in which the Centre for Health and Spirituality could make a contribution to the curriculum development. This would therefore be another significant strand in the 5 year plan, where I would seek to play a leading role in a team of colleagues seeking to address these important issues. The wider themes of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and consultancy are the third strand in this aspect of my plan. There is a developing interest in spirituality among a wide range of professionals and in recent Department of Health documents and reports. The opportunity therefore for providing CPD and consultancy work is considerable, thereby furthering the university’s own commitment to regional involvement and professional/vocational educational and training at all levels. To use social work as an example, there is now the need for social workers to complete a CPD requirement following the formal registration with the General Social Care Council. There is scope, therefore, for me to play a lead role in developing multi-disciplinary training opportunities across a wide spectrum of health and social care professionals. There is also scope for maximising the opportunities provided by the University Quarter, which will be taking learning opportunities out into the community rather than always expecting people to come to us. I would enjoy exploring the possibility of offering taster days across a number of subjects which I currently teach, as well as the themes we are developing in the Centre for Health and Spirituality. b) Research and Income Generation. Alongside the income generation potential of the CPD and consultancy programmes outlined above, there is the important strand of research and income generation which the Centre for Health and Spirituality has recently begun to address. Evidence for this is the collaboration we are already developing with the New Dynamics of Ageing project, in partnership with several other HEIs and the Diocese of Manchester. This has the title of ‘Faith, identity and Community : Ageing, Religion and Meaning in a secular society’. If successful, this would bring funding into the university, and would significantly enhance our reputation. Secondly, a further initiative is the exploration between a small number of HEIs, including our own university, of developing a research agenda in Spirituality. The first main meeting of this research group took place in September, where it was agreed that the group should meet regularly, and develop a coherent research agenda. I will be playing a role within this group, which would be enhanced by the conferment of professorial status. Thirdly, if there were to be further calls for bids for Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs), I believe that professorial conferment would provide an important opportunity for me to play a leading role in preparing and submitting a bid, which, if successful, would bring a significant funding stream into the university. Fourthly, we would also seek to attract PhD studentships in this area as a way of strengthening our research profile, perhaps in collaboration with Professor Edward Bailey, who leads the Centre for Implicit Religion, and has a commitment to furthering research in this field. Finally, it would be an important objective to continue to offer, and further develop, a conference, symposium and seminar programme to enhance our reputation and consolidate the Centre’s reputation. c) Publications. It is clear from my CV that I am making a significant contribution to the literature on Spirituality, and to continue this would be a major priority. It would be important also to facilitate the outputs of those associated with the Centre, so that a wider range of publications could be achieved. There is a clear gap in the journals market for a journal which deals with the range of issues currently being explored by our Centre, and we would need to consider how most effectively we could respond to this need. My own NTF project would be making a significant contribution by producing a book of case-study materials principally with social workers in mind, but this has the clear potential for a multi-professional development which our Centre would be in an excellent position to deliver. Next StepsIt is important to acknowledge that the broad aims of the 5 year Plan outlined above are far more than one person could, or should, expect to achieve. The success would depend upon building upon the present strengths of the Centre and also, crucially, bringing together an effective team which could begin to operationalise these aims in a planned way over the next 5 years. The first step in this process, therefore, will be to establish the Centre within the structures of the Faculty more securely. A core steering group of senior members would then be charged with developing the 5 year plan in more detail, and producing a Business Plan to support it. I would envisage that if the University supports the proposal to bid for CETL status that will need to be the main priority for the first two years of this Plan. If offered this professorial conferment, I would see myself playing a lead role in these important and exciting developments which I am confident would enhance the University’s reputation in this field. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS It is not easy to make detailed financial plans at this stage as there would need to be consultations with senior faculty managers to explore the funding of this post. However, given the present situation with the Institute of Social Work, Advice Work and Social Studies and our need both to consolidate and develop our core business, I would propose that I retain for the next academic year my management responsibilities and roles within the Institute. I would further propose that I use my National Teaching Fellowship money to buy myself out of teaching and student support responsibilities for the next academic year, thereby releasing approximately two or three days per week for professorial responsibilities. If the university agreed with my proposal to submit a bid for CETL status, then this would clearly be one of my major responsibilities. If successful in the first stage, funding would then come into the university for preparing the second stage bid which would plan to cover my salary, thereby releasing my current salary for a replacement for me in my present role. Application for professorial conferment. CURRICULUM VITAE : BERNARD MOSSNational Teaching Fellow 2004 Development Manager, Health and Social Care Institute of Social Work, Advice Work and Social Studies, Staffordshire University. Convenor, Centre for Health and Spirituality Formerly Principal Lecturer in Social Work Learning and Teaching Fellow, Staffordshire University Degrees/Professional qualifications BA (Hons) Classics, University of Exeter, 1965 MA Theology, Oxon, 1967 MA Econ/Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW), Manchester, 1985 Accredited Practice Teacher, 1991, CCETSW Stage 1 CACDP British Sign Language, 1994 Basic and Advanced Counsellor Training: Relate (formerly National Marriage Guidance Council) Professional Development Diploma, 1996, Staffordshire University Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, Staffordshire University 1996 Professional Development Diploma 1998, Staffordshire University Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education, Staffordshire University (former)Member of the College of Family Mediators 1999 M.C.F.M Professional Development Diploma 2000, Staffordshire University Learning and Teaching Fellowship, Staffordshire University, January 2000 Member of the Institute of Learning and Teaching, (ILTHE) May 2001 4th Professional Development Diploma, Staffordshire University, September 2002 Postgraduate Certificate: Research Methods, Staffordshire University 2004 National Teaching Fellowship : Higher Education Academy 2004 Higher Education Academy Mentor for National Teaching Fellowship 2005 Previous Posts Probation Officer, Staffordshire Probation Service, 1985 – 1992 University Chaplain, 1974 – 1983 Current teaching areas Communication Skills – BA (Hons) Social Work Certificate Level Practice Learning: BA (Hons) Social Work Intermediate Level Problem-based learning project: BA (Hons) Social Work Certificate Level Studies in Death, Dying and Bereavement BA (Hons) Applied Social Studies Spirituality, Religious Belief and Social care BA (Hons) Applied Social Studies (Honours Level) Mediation Studies BA (Hons) Applied Social Studies (Honours Level) Course Tutor : Post Graduate Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education, Staffordshire University. Contributory tutor to MSc Ageing and Mental Health Current Admin responsibilities (as at September 2005) Development Manager, Health and Social Care Convener: Centre for Health and Spirituality, Staffordshire University Faculty Teaching Learning and Quality Enhancement Committee Faculty Quality Committee Faculty co-ordinator: Personal Development Planning (PDP) Member of PDP Practitioners Group Other Professional Activities ( past & present) Higher Education Academy Mentor : National Teaching Fellowship Scheme. Member of Joint University Committee for Social Work Education (JUCSWEC) Member of regional and sub-regional steering committees for Learning Resource Centre Network for practice learning development for the social work degree. Supervisor of Social Work Services at Hope House Children’s Hospice, Oswestry (until February 2005) Reviewer for several academic journals, including British Journal of Social Work Contributor to Community Care Former Management committee member : SOT Citizens Advice Bureau Former Vice Chair of Management Committee, Mediation North Staffs. Conferences Recently attended & CONTRIBUTED TO Diversity in the Context of Clinical Psychology : Paper delivered on Spirituality, Resilience and the contemporary search for meaning. Staffordshire University 21/10/05 Transcultural Spirituality, University of Hull. Summer 2005. Group leader National Gerontology Conference, University of Keele, Summer 2005.. Paper on Spirituality and Anti-discriminatory practice. National Social Work Education conference, University of Loughborough, Summer 2005. Workshop co-leader on Spirituality. Breath and Life, and Drinking from the Wells of our Humanity : mental spirituality and health conferences 2003 and 2004 . NIMHE.( London) Spirituality and the NHS : conference at Wolverhampton University Sept 2004 (Organiser) Religion and Spirituality: Dilemmas for health and social care, Staffordshire University, May 2004 International conference on Implicit Religion: paper delivered on Spirituality and Social Work Education. Denton June 2004 (Organiser) Social Aspects of Grief and Loss, Staffordshire University, January 2004 (Organiser) Grief and Loss: new perspectives, Staffordshire University, January 2003 Spirituality, Religion and Social Work. Seminar leader at Middlesex University, Jan. 2003 Men and Grief, Milton Keynes, Paper delivered on 'Spirituality, Men and Grief', 2001. Publications, Papers , workshops at Conferences. 1) Pedagogical Research Journal Article : Personal Development Planning - intro to brave new world? Joint paper with A. Huntington, Journal of Social Work Education Vol 23 no 1 Feb 2004 Knowledge Review ( 2004) Teaching and Learning Communication Skills in Social Work Education. Member of team which produced the report. London, SCIE Workshop and Paper delivered to National Social Work conference on the use of large group role play techniques in social work education. Coventry, Summer 2003 Journal article The use of large group role play techniques in social work education, Social Work Education, Vol. 19, No 5. (2000) Journal Article Death Studies at University: new approaches to teaching and learning. Mortality vol. 5. No 2. 2000 In house article : The Virtual Reality: Adventures in Distance Learning. Jointly with Gordon Walker and Jennifer York in Learning Matters, (2002). Staffordshire University Journal article Reflections in the Pool: An evaluation of Long-arm Practice Teaching for Social Work Placements, Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social Work Vol 2, No 1, 1999. Submitted to Journal of Social Work Education, awaiting publication Social Work and Skills Lab Training: One small step towards best practice? Journal article for the Journal of Social Work Education special edition on service user and carers contributions to social work degree. Written in partnership with the service users and carers group. Submitted December 2004. Accepted for publication March 2005, but awaiting details of exact publication date. WORK IN PROGRESSHigher Education training DVD on the use of role play as a pedagogical technique. Commissioned by ADI Staffordshire University. Due for completion Autumn 2005. Case study / chapter submitted for publication in a book about Assessment of Skills in Higher Education, edited by Professor Sally Brown, Leeds Metropolitan University. 2 SPIRITUALITYConference Paper : Spirituality, Resilience and the contemporary search for meaning . Delivered at conference on Diversity in the context of clinical psychology service delivery. Staffordshire University 21st October 2005. Conference Paper on Spirituality and Anti-discriminatory practice for a symposium at the Annual Conference on Gerontology , Keele University, July 2005. (together with other papers from Rob Merchant et al., Staffordshire University Conference Paper/ workshop : Spirituality and social work education – the story so far. At the annual Social Work Education Conference, Lougborough, July 2005. Jointly with Hilary Burgess, Social Work and Social Policy Subject Centre, Higher education Academy. Journal article Thinking outside the box: religion and spirituality in social work education and practice. Journal of Implicit Religion (2005) Vol. 8. no 1 pp.40 - 52 Book : Religion and Spirituality. (2005) Lyme Regis, Russell House Publishing. One of a new social work series : Theory into Practice Journal article Thank god it’s Monday – spirituality, well-being and the search for meaning. British Journal of Occupational Learning. December 2004 Book Chapter on Spirituality and Loss in ‘Grief and Loss – a guide for human services practitioners’. Ed. Thompson, Palgrave - (2002) Community Care : Research into Practice Series : Religion, Spirituality and Social Work, Community Care 12-18 September 2002 WORK IN PROGRESS Capacity building in faith communities. ( With John Pierson and Santokh Gill) Research completed with various faith communities in Stoke and Birmingham to assess their contributions to community capacity building. To be written up for publication. Project for National Teaching Fellowship : an exploration into ways in which issues around religion and spirituality can be incorporated into the social work curriculum. Project start date May 2005 – to be completed within 3 years. Expectation that conference papers and articles, and a book of case study materials, will be produced as the project unfolds. Member of working group with Professor Peter Coleman (chair) ( Southampton University), Professor Margaret Holloway ( Hull University) and Professor Paul Kingston ( Staffordshire University) et al, preparing a collaborative research project bid for the EPSRC New Dynamics of Ageing Interdisciplinary Research programme. Title: Spirituality, Religion and Ageing. Spirituality and Social Work I have been invited by Professor Margaret Holloway to co-write a book with her for Routledge. Work undertaken as Convenor of the Centre for Health and Spirituality . (All these events were hosted by Staffordshire University in 2005) Special evening to celebrate the work of Edward Bailey and Implicit religion – jointly planned with the Vice Chancellor : January 11th 2005 Themed Study Day on Spirituality , mental health; palliative care and the arts (3 themes) 12th January 2005 National Consultation on Spirituality and the Social Work Curriculum. Arranged jointly with the Higher Education Academy – LTSN Generic Centre, and Prof Peter Gilbert. May 17th 2005 Future events National Inter-faith consultation on religion, spirituality and mental health. Arranged jointly with Professor Peter Gilbert . Proposed for early 2006 3 SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION Training Pack (jointly with R Castle) Disability Awareness. Learning Curve Publications, Wrexham.. Due to be published 2005/6. Training Pack Working with Loss : Training pack for health care professionals. Learning Curve Publications, Wrexham, 2002 Contributor to Collins Dictionary of Social Work – second edition – Pierson J & Thomas M. Collins (2002). A third edition has been agreed with the publisher, and I will continue to be a contributor. Workbook : Values in Social Work: A Workbook (1999) Prospects, Wrexham. Practice Guide :I've got a Student - Guidelines for Practice Teachers (1998) Prospects, Moss B Practice Guide Disability Issues in Social Work Training and Practice - Maximising Potential (1997), Prospects, Wrexham. Moss B, Marsh J, & Stockman S. Practice Guide I've got a Placement - Guidelines on Practice Based Learning for Diploma in Social Work Students (1996) Prospects, Moss B. Regular contributor to Community Care in their ‘Research into Practice’ Series. Book Careers in Social Care (1999) Moss B. Kogan Page WORK IN PROGRESSValues : book commissioned by Russell House Publishing as part of its new ‘Theory into Practice’ Series, scheduled for completion December 2005 Chapter on Values for a key textbook for Foundation Degree students studying in the field of Health and Social Care. Edited by R. Adams. Due for completion December 2005 Communication Skills for Social Work, Sage. I have been commissioned by Sage to produce this book which is scheduled for completion by December 2006 Journal article jointly with Betty Harris, Faculty of Health and Sciences, Staffordshire University on the use of Problem Based Learning (PBL) in a joint nursing /social work curriculum. (under consideration) ONGOING TRAINING AND CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Member of the FDTL course : Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders in Health and Social Care Education.: Leicester University. Several events attended throughout 2004/5, leading to the PG Certificate in Higher Education Leadership. Two assignments completed and passed ( one with Merit). Portfolio submitted October 2005 for the SEDA Leadership award.
PhD. I am planning to submit my publications for a PhD by publications route at Staffordshire University. (Target date : 2007/8)
|
|
all material copyright Bernard Moss 2007 - site last updated 13 May 2008 - a blueshawk web |
