Hi everyone,
Wow, what a week! I want to thank everyone for their hard work and patience as we transitioned to a remote operational university. I am so grateful for the positivity shown across our community, with everyone coming together to get done what was needed to be done.
I think it is fair to say my week working from home was harder and more exhausting than I was expecting. I found it difficult to take time to walk around, get some exercise, and just be sociable in the way I am used to. I am going to think about what I can do next week to make my time at home a bit better, and I encourage each of you to do so, and share your ideas with your supervisor or department head.
The rest of this email covers:
Upgraded Government measures
The Prime Minister has announced this afternoon that all international arrivals into Australia will need to quarantine for 14 days at their point of entry. The University will continue to support our returning staff and students.
- Staff and HDR students should contact the Community Wellbeing team CommunityWellbeing@anu.edu.au,
or phone +61 2 6125 3346 (option 1) during business hours. - Returning exchange students should contact global.programs@anu.edu.au or +61 2 6125 7857.
More information about travel can be found here.
Student package
Our students have experienced a high level of disruption during this semester and to provide additional support, we have finalised a package of measures. Support includes an additional $1 million of emergency grant funding, heightened social distancing measures and cleaning protocols in our residential halls, flexibility with accommodation contracts, and adjustments for census dates, exams and assessment.
You can read more about the measures here.
Research package
Our research community have also felt the disruption to their work as we move to remote working and teaching. We are progressing well on our research support package and I will have a further update on this next week. Please visit the COVID-19 research website for more information.
This year has not gone exactly to plan, and while it is difficult to know how things will turn out, working safely as best we can seems like a good thing for most of us. But we understand and will support those who need to focus on their personal circumstances.
You can find more information on support available to you and our community here.
Take the time to enjoy your weekend as best you can.
Cheers
Brian
