This target represents a reduction in annual leave to an approximate average of 20 days per FTE (was 22.4 days at start of 2024)

As we approach the end of the year, it’s important we take the time to take a break to re-charge after a busy 2024. The University will close from Wednesday 25 December 2024 and re-open on Thursday 2 January 2025. With the ANU teaching period commencing in mid-February it’s a good change to plan to take some time and re-charge over the summer break.  

We will be tracking our leave balance monthly within On Campus to ensure we all prioritise taking a break and we work collectively on bringing down our leave liability. You will note in today's November update, there has been a modest increase from last month. This reflects the trend where we see an increase in November ahead of December and January where a significant volume of leave is taken across the University.

Planned leave is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, offering rest and rejuvenation that can enhance productivity and creativity, helping to prevent burnout and exhaustion from prolonged periods working without a break. Please take the time to discuss any leave plans with your supervisor. The University calendar sets out key semester dates that can assist you in planning to take a break, to support and promote a positive work-life balance. 

This week, the University announced it would be progressing the current organisational change proposals for Facilities and Services, DVC – Academic and the DVC – Research and Innovation portfolios. Implementation Plans for those portfolios have now been released and are available via the Renew ANU website.    
 
The University notes that the NTEU have raised a dispute under the ANU Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026 in relation to the changes contemplated under these Implementation Plans.  Despite the University using all reasonable endeavours to resolve the dispute, unfortunately the dispute has not fully resolved.  The University is seeking to promptly resolve these matters and has referred the dispute to the Fair Work Commission for urgent assistance.  

In the meantime, these Implementation Plans have been provided to ensure staff have further information and to enable feedback. The formal implementation of the changes outlined in the Implementation Plans however, will be subject to resolution or withdrawal of the dispute.   

Learn more about the current organisational changes and financial situation in this Message from the COO. 

Questions and feedback on these organisational change processes can continue to be provided to org.change@anu.edu.au.

Captured left to right: Nadav Shofet, and Dr Shahd Bishara. Image credit: Erika McGown/ANU.

The New Israel Fund brought speakers from the grassroots organisation, Standing Together to the Australian National University on Tuesday 19 November 2024. The event was hosted by the College of Arts and Social Sciences, Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry. 

The evening highlighted the critical work of the progressive social movement uniting Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel to combat occupation, foster equality, and advocate for peace and social justice. 

Standing Together’s leaders, Dr Shahd Bishara (Doctor of Medicine, Semmelweis University) and Mr Nadav Shofest took part in a robust discussion with foreign affairs and defense journalist, Daniel Hurst. This was followed by a dynamic Q&A session with the audience, offering a platform for in-depth exploration of the challenges and opportunities in grassroots activism. 

Dr Bishara, a Palestinian Arab citizen of Israel, shared her powerful perspective on addressing the ongoing violence and the humanitarian crises in Gaza, emphasising the importance of dialogue and trust-building to end the cycle of conflict.  Meanwhile, Mr Shofest detailed the complexities of organising protests and campaigns, highlighting the urgent need for a ceasefire, hostage release, and an end to the escalating conflict. 

The discussion shed light on the transformative potential of grassroots activism in bridging divides and building a future grounded in equality and coexistence. Attendees gained valuable insights into the complexities of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the tireless efforts of organisations like Standing Together to foster peace and social justice through collective action and community mobilisation. 

The New Israel Fund Australia is a progressive organisation, rooted in the Australian Jewish community, which works to support human rights and civil rights organisations in Israel. This event was part of a speaking tour held across Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Monday 2 December, 5.30-6.30pm

In this public lecture, Eduard Hovy, Executive Director of Melbourne Connect and Professor in the School of Computing and Information Sciences at the University of Melbourne, will briefly describe the essential processes and explore the three principal directions of generative large language model (LLM) research: making them usable, useful, and understandable.

This event is part of the 22nd Annual Workshop of the Australasian Language Technology Association and is presented by the ANU College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics, the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, and the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences.

Register now: LLM’s How they work and where they are heading

Monday 2 December, 5.30-7pm

Public health measures have been responsible for outstanding improvements in health, nationally and globally. In this presentation, Professor Emily Banks from the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health will outline what public health is, why it matters, how epidemiology plays a central role and why being in the firing line is a marker of success. She will discuss the experience of being in the firing line and how to manage pushback from vested interests, such as the tobacco industry, on professional and personal levels, along with key future challenges.

Register now: Public health in the firing line

Tuesday 3 December, 10-11am

In this lecture, Mandy Downing from Curtin University will discuss the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Studies (AIATSIS) Code of Ethics for Indigenous Research. Mandy is a Ngarluma Yindjibarndi woman and serves as the Co-Chair of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies National Research Ethics Committee.

Register now: The AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Indigenous Research

Thursday 5 December, 10–11 am 

Join the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH) for the 2024 McMichael Lecture and Award Announcement. The McMichael Award supports research and career development through a global network of mentors and through leaders connected to NCEPH through the late Emeritus Professor Tony McMichael’s legacy. The lecture will feature presentations by the 2023 McMichael Awardees: 

The event will also include the announcement of the 2024 award recipient. 

Register now: 2024 McMichael Lecture and Award Announcement 

Thursday 5 December – Friday 6 December, 9.30-4.30pm 

The Menzies Foundation, in partnership with ANU, proudly presents the Complexity Leadership Symposium. This symposium brings together leaders from industry, academia and government to explore how the field of leadership must evolve to address the complexities of the 21st century.

Register now: Complexity Leadership Symposium

Friday 6 December, 8.30am-5pm

This day-long conference hosted by the Crawford School of Public Policy will offer insights into Australia's newest comprehensive strategic partner in Southeast Asia by examining contemporary development issues in Vietnam, including institutional and economic reforms, macroeconomics, responses to climate change, and societal challenges that necessitate policy intervention.

Register now: Vietnam policy and economy update 2024

Monday 9 December, 9am-1pm

The 2024 Generative Artificial Intelligence in Health Education Symposium is a half day program, exploring the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on health education. Any staff involved in education with an interest in learning how AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Co-Pilot can transform student learning, are invited to attend this free symposium.

Register now: 2024 Generative Artificial Intelligence in Health Education Symposium

Captured left to right: Hamish Stewart, Charles O'Neill, Mikayla Hyland-Wood and Samuel Cass. Images courtesy of the General Sir John Monash Foundation.

Four exceptional ANU graduates have each been awarded 2025 John Monash Scholarships due to their commitment to issues of national importance. These graduates will continue their postgraduate studies at Oxford University to advance their prominent research.

Learn more about the influential work of Charles O’Neill, Hamish Stewart, Mikayla Hyland-Wood and Samuel Cass. 

Read more: 2025 John Monash Scholars

From top left (clockwise): Professors Genevieve Bell, Andrew Blakers, Alex Brown, Paul Burke, Ray Lovett, Helen Sullivan, Chris Danta and Katie Steele. Photos: ANU, supplied.

Eight remarkable ANU researchers have been honoured as leaders in their fields. Between them, the group is tacking some of the world’s most pressing issues in areas as diverse as solar technology, Indigenous health and economics. 

Read more: Academy of Humanities Fellows

Image: Disha Taneja; a Bachelor of Psychology student. Photo credit: Supplied.

Faces of ANU: Meet Disha Taneja

Faces of ANU offers glimpses into daily life at ANU, celebrating the achievements and stories of individuals in our vibrant community. Meet Disha Taneja, a Bachelor of Psychology student and the proud recipient of the prestigious Chancellor's International Scholarship.

Read more: Faces of ANU, Disha Taneja

If you are experiencing concerns in your current role and are unsure where to go or what to do, you can access the Staff Respect Consultant. These concerns could include, but are not limited to, ablism, sexism, racism, discrimination, harassment, bullying and sexual harassment. 

The Staff Respect Consultant provides confidential, person-centred and trauma informed support. This approach places you at the centre of the support and empowers you to have autonomy over what steps you can take.  

Additionally, you access the Staff Respect Consultant by submitting an identified or de-identified disclosure using the ANU Harmful Behaviour Disclosure Tool.  A disclosure of harmful behaviour is not a formal report or complaint but is a mechanism for the University to provide you with information and support through the Staff Respect Consultant and may assist in building a picture of the concerns faced by ANU staff and students. 

Contact the Staff Respect Consultant by emailing staffrespect@anu.edu.au, calling 02 6125 6763 or by booking an appointment online.

International Day of People with a Disability 2024, lands on Tuesday 3 December. This year’s theme is amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future. 

People and Culture sponsor the ANU Staff Disability Network to give all staff with disability an opportunity to network with peers, and to feedback any ideas, thoughts or concerns to the Chief People Officer. 

The Staff Disability Network will meet on Tuesday 3 December for Chair Dr Domonique Dalla-Pozza to present the results of the last Staff Network Survey and the Staff Disability Network Plans for 2025 which have been shaped from the survey results. Staff are welcome to join this online disability network meeting or join the Staff Disability Network by visiting the Staff Disability Network Team Site.  

Staff with disability can find out more about support at work on the ANU Disability Action Plan SharePoint which has information for staff, managers and supervisors or people seeking to improve the inclusion on the team.

A reminder to all staff that Focus, the new performance management system will take effect on Monday 2 December. Each employee will receive an email on this date, advising that their Focus document is ready to begin drafting goals.

The People and Culture Division will host an online Focus information session on Wednesday 4 December and deliver 'Giving feedback' and 'Goal setting' skill builders from mid-November through to March 2025. Session details are on the Focus SharePoint site.

For any queries on Focus, see the Focus FAQ page.

ANU is pleased to announce that academics teaching Semester 2 and Winter 2025 courses now have access to Canvas, our new learning management system. This marks a significant step in enhancing the University's digital learning ecosystem.

Academics can start exploring Canvas through personal Sandpit courses, secure testing environments for experimenting with features and importing course materials. Course site migrations from Wattle are underway, with migrated and blank course sites becoming available from 25 November 2024.

Support resources and guidance are available on the Canvas SharePoint site, helping staff familiarise themselves with the platform. For more details, visit the Access Canvas and Get Started page or reach out to your college support team.

Help is available if you need it. Whether it's a work-related issue or a personal one, the University encourages you to seek support through the Employee Assistance Program.

If you need to support a student in distress, please refer to this guide that was developed by the Student Safety and Wellbeing team.