Following last week’s update from the Chief Operating Officer on the ANU Expenditure Taskforce, the initial phase of our analysis is focusing on identifying significant savings opportunities within high-spend and high-growth areas. Please read here for more information.

On behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, the University is confirming the end-of-year shutdown as Wednesday 25 December 2024, re-opening on Thursday 2 January 2025.

The Vice-Chancellor has endorsed that additional paid leave will be granted to bridge the gap over the Christmas and New Year public holiday period. This additional leave will be provided to staff, at cost to the University, rather than to individual staff members and their accrued annual leave balances. This is in recognition that staff have been gifted these days in prior years, and many individuals will have already planned to take holidays in this period, and not have anticipated an additional three-days of annual leave (27, 30, 31 December 2024). This will cost the University approximately $2.7 million for each non-public holiday day, at a total cost of $8.1 million.

As the University navigates financial stability long-term, the end-of-year period and granting additional leave will be discussed by the Executive for the coming year early in 2025 to allow staff to plan their annual leave. Future access to University paid leave over the end-of-year shutdown period will be a decision made when taking into account the financial position of the University. This is in line with other universities in the sector who incorporate annual leave entitlements into this period for staff wishing to take leave, or staff are able to work in this period.

If you are required, for operational reasons, to work during the closure period of 25 December 2024 to 1 January 2025, you will be provided with time-in-lieu or additional paid leave for the time worked. Outside of the closure period, normal leave provisions apply.

Please find the end-of-year key dates and guidelines regarding Financial, People, Campus, and Travel Services. Questions about this information should be directed to the appropriate area. Kindly note that this document has been updated with procurement deadlines following its initial distribution to some community members yesterday.

Taking leave is vital for our wellbeing and has significant financial benefits for ANU. If every employee took just one extra day of leave, it could save the University around $2.7 million. This means it’s in everyone’s power to help improve our bottom line and put us on a sustainable footing for the future. Taking leave requires teamwork, clear coverage plans, and effective delegation to ensure everyone can take necessary breaks. Talk to your supervisor or your HR representative if you want to know more about how to manage your leave.

We’ll soon be providing our community with regular updates on the University’s leave balance. In the meantime, this graph shows how the leave balance has grown over the past year.  

A modern-day university librarian must wear many hats. As Roxanne Missingham prepares to step down in 2025, she has advice to impart to the next generation of librarians. 

Read more: Breaking down barriers, one book at a time

The University has asked staff to consider forgoing the upcoming 2.5 per cent December pay increase under the ANU Enterprise Agreement. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is opposed to this proposal.

The Agreement was signed less than 12 months ago, and NTEU believes it represents a commitment which should be honoured. Even if you can afford this proposal personally, NTEU urges you to consider other staff suffering from a cost of living crisis, and those whose redundancy or UniSuper Defined Benefits payments would be negatively affected. The NTEU is also sceptical of the claim that forgoing the pay rise will save jobs. The NTEU is therefore encouraging ANU staff to Vote No to any proposal to vary the Enterprise Agreement.

NTEU encourages all ANU staff to join the union so that we can face the challenges ahead together. You can join at www.nteu.au/join.

Wednesday 23 October – Sunday 27 October 

Take a thrilling first look at the books and ideas set to lead the cultural discussion of 2025. Enjoy a diverse program of masterclasses, dinners, author talks, panel discussions, workshops, book launches and performances. You can find many events hosted on ANU campus or featuring ANU authors.  

Register now: Canberra Writers Festival

Monday 28 October, 6-7pm 

Kim Carr will be in conversation with former ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb as he discusses his new book A Long March, a comprehensive analysis of today’s political landscape told through the life of one of the Australian Labor Party’s longest-serving members.   

Register now: A long march, Kim Carr

Tuesday October 29, 1-2pm 

Are you looking to thrive both mentally and academically? Join us for an enlightening and interactive event featuring mental health and psychology experts at ANU, where we’ll explore the critical connections between well-being and academic achievement. Whether you’re a student, educator, or simply interested in optimising performance while prioritising mental health, this session is for you. 

Register now: Wellbeing and Academic Success: Insights from Mental Health and Psychology

Tuesday 29 October, 5.30-7.30pm 

Lisa Paul, Chancellor of the University of Canberra, co-chaired an Independant Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in 2022-2023. In this lecture hosted by the College of Business and Economics, Lisa will discuss the progress of the Review’s implementation and if it will be enough to fix the NDIS for the short, medium and long term. 

Register now: NDIS, past, present and future

Tuesday 29 October, 6-7pm 

Best-selling Italian author Paolo Giordano will be in conversation with Marco Lazzarino on his semi-autobiographical novel Tasmania, which captures the fear, anxiety, wonder, and beauty of this time of uncertainty and upheaval, exploring how we can create and maintain relationships with other people when it feels increasingly difficult to connect. 

Register now: MTA Paolo Giordano

Wednesday 30 October – Thursday 31 October, 8.30am-5pm 

Hosted by the ANU Philippines Institute, the 2024 Philippines Update Conference aims to put particular attention on domestic-level political, economic, and social developments under the Marcos administration. 

Registe now: 2024 Philippines Update

Thursday 31 October, 12.30-1.30pm 

Dr Rod Lamberts will be in discussion with Professor Michael Martin and Associate Professor Emily Corner to discuss how to improve communication in lectures and tutorials. The panel aims to spark ideas and encourage sharing of challenges as we work to improve the student learning experience.  

Register now: Lecturers Anonymous, Successes, Failures, Fears and Ideas 

Thursday 31 October, 3-5pm 

The First-Generation Celebration marks the end of the academic year, highlighting the experiences of first-generation students and providing opportunities to connect and practice networking skills in a highly supportive environment. All first-generation students, staff and alumni are invited to attend and celebrate all they have achieved so far.  

Register now: First Generation Celebration and Networking Event 

ANU now has a secure, sustainable and responsible method for disposing of university-owned technology equipment in partnership with a local social enterprise. WV Technologies offers secure IT disposal and e-waste recycling. This service covers all asset-tagged devices, including laptops, tablets, phones, desktops, monitors and more. 

Using a certified provider ensures all devices are properly recorded, disconnected and securely wiped, preventing data breaches. WV Technologies prioritises reuse and recycling, minimizing landfill waste. Let’s work together to protect our data and our planet. 

You can arrange a safe disposal by submitting a request through the ANU Service Desk.  

Read more: New ANU tech disposal program

At ANU, we are deeply committed to promoting an inclusive and diverse environment where all staff and students feel welcomed and respected. We believe that diversity enriches our work and learning experiences, promotes personal growth and helps to create a vibrant campus culture. Our commitment extends to ensuring equitable opportunities for all ANU students and staff, and to acknowledging and celebrating the differences in culture, religion and personal identity. The University strives to create spaces where open dialogue, mutual respect and understanding can thrive, enabling everyone to contribute to the diversity of our academic community.  

Awareness of different cultural and religious events helps the University to better support the diverse needs of our community. The Department of Home Affairs maintains an inclusive calendar of significant dates observed by the various communities in Australia. This calendar is a useful reference for ensuring that significant holidays and observances are respected and accommodated in your local area.

It has been great to see so many staff members take part in the free activities available this Health, Safety and Wellbeing Month. There’s still plenty of time to book into an activity including free health checks and seated massages. Health, Safety and Wellbeing Month will conclude on Thursday 31 October at the final expo. However, support is always available through the Employee Assistance Program. 

Health, Safety and Wellbeing Expo Four – Moot Court 

Join us for next week’s Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Expo on Thursday 31 October, 10am-3pm at the Moot Court - 6A Fellows Road, featuring stalls from internal and external vendors, plus a raffle with $50 vouchers to be won. Don’t forget to visit this week’s expo on Thursday 22 October at the Innovation Space. 

Learn more: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Month

Australians lose hundreds of millions of dollars to scammers each year. International university students may be disproportionately targeted by scammers.

Recently, there have been several high-profile scam events targeting university students, including those at ANU. It's important to stay up to date with common scamming techniques and prevention strategies.

Learn more: Scam awareness

Are you working on something cool in linguistics? Share your groundbreaking research at COOL13, the 13th Conference on Oceanic and Australian Languages. We’re seeking abstracts that bring fresh perspectives and innovative research to the table. Whether you’re diving into phonetics, syntax, semantics, or sociolinguistics, we want to hear from you. All talks will be 20 minutes long with 10 minutes for discussion. Submit your abstract to cool13in2025@gmail.com.

Submissions close Monday 30 October.

Learn more: COOL13 Conference

The Student Experience of Learning and Teaching survey is open until Sunday 17 November. We encourage all academic staff to talk to your students about the importance of sharing their experiences. Inform your students how feedback has helped you make changes in your courses at ANU.

Learn more: SELT survey for students

Overcome procrastination and reclaim your time with this LinkedIn Learning module. Understand your pain points with time management and gain the skills to address these challenges.

LinkedIn Learning paths allow you to target your professional development to key areas of growth, aligning with the feedback received from the ANYOU Survey. LinkedIn Learning is free for ANU staff, see here for access. For additional requests or feedback, get in touch with HRD.Development@anu.edu.au.

Learn more: LinkedIn Learning, Mastering time

If you are dealing with a personal or work-related issue, including distress related to the conflict in the Middle East, 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.