Last Friday morning, the cannons sounded, signalling that the Governor-General has prorogued Parliament ahead of the Federal Election on 3 May. Between now and 3 May, we will see a lot of conversations unfolding nationally about what matters to Australians – and it is clear economic stability remains front and centre for many of us across the country. And regardless of who “wins," our sector is going to continue to face external scrutiny and regulatory interventions that change the way we work.

This doesn’t mean we change who we are or what we are here doing each day – but it does mean we will have to consider the changing context around us and continue to evolve and reshape how we continue to do our work against this backdrop. And it means being clear about our value and our values, and about the role we play, as a national institution and a university.

Read more: VC's Update, changing context

This week, our primary focus is on finalising and communicating the outcomes of the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS). We received 325 applications, 79 per cent of which were from professional staff and 21 per cent from academic staff. 

While the University remains committed to progressing the next phase of Renew ANU, the NTEU has recently submitted a dispute in relation to our Renew ANU 2025 Change Principles: Consultation Paper. The University continues to engage in discussions with the NTEU and remains committed to progressing these matters as quickly and constructively as possible.   

Read more: Message from the COO, Renew ANU Update

Over the past four weeks, the University has sought employee interest in the VSS.

We sincerely thank and acknowledge the staff who generously participated in this process. Your willingness to consider new opportunities has been deeply appreciated, and your engagement in this initiative will help ANU return to a sound financial position by 2026.

The process is now going through final administrative steps with results due to be communicated to staff over the coming week via their leaders. An overview of the process to date, indicative results and next steps are available here.

On Friday 28 March, the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer re-circulated guidance to the University Leadership Group for it to advise university staff how to respond to media enquiries. This message included information for supporting staff or students who receive unsolicited contact from the media. Recently, this has included a journalist reaching out to individual staff members within our organisation for comments and information, and in some instances with demands for staff to justify their qualifications and expertise. This approach is causing distress and anxiety for our staff. The NTEU have selectively shared excerpts without the full context of the email and implied it will infringe on academic freedom or freedom of speech. This is not correct and a copy of the full email is available on our website. Further questions about media can be directed to media@anu.edu.au.

The recent news of the major earthquake in Myanmar is deeply saddening. Our thoughts are with students and staff who have family or friends in the affected areas. 

We understand this can impact your wellbeing. If you need support or assistance, help is available. Please reach out to Staff Wellbeing.

In 2024, the University commissioned Professor Christine Nixon to conduct an independent review of gender and cultural matters within the former ANU College of Health and Medicine and its constituent schools. The final report was delivered to the University in February 2025, and Professor Nixon presented a high-level summary of the recommendations to Council last Friday. A summary of these recommendations and our response will be shared with the University community in the next couple of weeks.

Trusted ANU experts share insights on the federal election and its outcomes. Hear Dr Jill Sheppard explore why rising grocery bills dominate the debate and how both major parties will use the issue to shape their election strategies.

Contribute to the ANU 2025 Federal Election coverage 

April offers some good opportunities for maximising annual leave with three public holidays coming up this month. 

Key dates:  

Taking time off is essential for wellbeing and staff are encouraged to take regular breaks to help maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

Monday 17 March – Friday 20 June  

Marking the 15th anniversary of the Australian Centre on China in the World (CIW), Scenes from the Collection explores the vast and ever-changing landscape of the Chinese world, highlighting the diverse communities from the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Chinese diaspora. Drawn from the art collections of CIW and ANU, the exhibition showcases a selection of rarely displayed paintings, prints and photographic works.  

Learn more: Scenes from the collection exhibition 

Monday 7 April, 6-7pm 

Join acclaimed historian Joan Beaumont as she discusses her powerful new book, Gull Force: Australian POWs on Ambon and Hainan, 1941–45, with Professor Christina Twomey.

Delving into the harrowing experiences of Australian soldiers in captivity, this conversation sheds light on one of World War II’s most tragic and overlooked stories. Books available for signing from 5.30pm. 
 
Register now: Meet the author – Joan Beaumont

Tuesday 8 April, 10am–12pm  

Join this interactive online session with Danny Liu from the University of Sydney as he explores meaningful ways to integrate AI into the classroom. Danny will discuss both a framework for action and a call for transformative change in how we prepare students, educators, academics, and administrators for an AI-enabled future.  
Hosted by Professor Geoff Hinchcliffe, Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching), this interactive session will include time for audience questions and discussion. 
 
Register now: from policing to possibilities, AI in higher education

Wednesday 9 April, 2-3pm 

Receive a guided tour of the ANU Policy Library website, delegations webpages, the delegations module of the HORUS system and an overview of the University’s Disclosures of Interest Framework. Participants will leave this workshop feeling confident in the use of webpages to obtain the necessary information to perform their job. This workshop is ideal for new staff, or those who use policy and delegations frequently.  

Register now: Unearthing policies, delegations and disclosures of interest 

Wednesday 9 April, 10-11.30am 

Learn how to conduct a risk assessment for your business area and gain insight into the risk reporting and escalation process at ANU in this hands-on, practical workshop.

Participants will use existing templates to conduct risk assessments for this task. This workshop is designed for staff with some prior knowledge, training, or experience in risk management. 

Register now: Manage risk workshop 

Thursday 10 April, 6-7pm  

Journalist and proud Gamilaroi woman Brooke Boney joins Virginia Haussegger to discuss her deeply personal and thought-provoking new book, All of It.

Through a collection of witty and heartfelt essays, Boney explores love, loss, ambition and the complexities of public and private life.

Don’t miss this insightful conversation with one of Australia’s most compelling voices. Books available for signing from 5.30pm. 
 
Register now: Meet the author - Brooke Boney 

Thursday 17 April, 4-5.30pm 
 
Why has China’s stance toward its homegrown internet companies shifted so abruptly from enthusiastic support to overt repression?

Through a detailed account of the corporate-state relationship in the case of Didi Chuxing, China’s ride-hailing giant, this talk will explain how both political and corporate power have found common ground in reappropriating the positive meaning of innovation and technological solutionism for their own—often mundane—purposes. 

Register now: Broken promises, ride-hailing and the failures of technological solutionism in China  

After seven years at ANU and six years as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Grady Venville has resigned from her role at ANU. Throughout her tenure, Grady has been a passionate advocate for academic excellence and student success, leading transformative initiatives that have strengthened the University's commitment to research-led education and innovative teaching practices. 

We thank Grady for her leadership, vision and dedication and wish her all the best for her epic caravan trip through the top end of Australia. Her last day at ANU is this Friday 4 April. Farewell Grady – you will be missed! 

Imagine you’re a superhero tasked with solving the world’s big problems. What would your superpowers be? This is a question Lee Constable asks Australia’s schoolkids in her workshops. “Kids are really good at imagining the ways that superheroes might use otherwise horrendous bodily functions for good and not evil,” she says. “And I always find that hilarious.”   

The ANU graduate’s work as a writer, presenter and youth mentor has seen her named the University’s 2025 Young Alum of the Year. She uses humour to make science approachable and says this sense of light-heartedness is important to her advocacy.   

Read more: Sharing the joy of science, how Lee Constable helps kids become superheroes 

Scientists have detected radio signals from hot gas surrounding a supermassive black hole that existed 12.9 billion years ago, according to new research from an international team of scientists including researchers from The Australian National University (ANU). 
 
This finding is the closest look ever at hot molecular gas near a black hole from such an early time in the universe, revealing in remarkable detail the conditions of a rapidly growing black hole. The study suggests that many black holes may remain hidden behind dust but could be uncovered by this new observational approach. 

Read more: New discovery promises to reveal hidden black holes across the universe 

The Australian Centre on China in the World has secured $1 million from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations to fund a four-year China studies fellowship program. The program will send 50 ANU graduates to China for a year of intensive study at Xi’an-Jiaotong Liverpool University as a strategic investment into Australia-China relations. 

Read more: ANU receives $1 million to build next generation China capabilities 

ANU is offering free flu vaccinations to support staff health and wellbeing during the upcoming flu season. Vaccinations are available on campus at the ANU Medical Centre (by appointment) and ANU Pharmacy (walk-in), or off campus at Terry White Chemists using a voucher (available in HORUS from April 2025).

Read More: Free Flu Vaccinations 

Wi-Fi load, or channel utilisation, refers to how much traffic a Wi-Fi channel is handling—similar to traffic congestion during rush hour. The heavier the traffic, the more congestion, and the slower the Wi-Fi connection. When connecting to ANU-Secure Wi-Fi, devices typically connect to the access point with the strongest signal. Heavy traffic on one point slows down the connection, leading to poor experiences.  

The good news? We're adding more access points across campus to ease the load. So far, around 2,000 end of life access points in Residencies have been replaced with newer, more capable models. More upgrades are planned across campus buildings to ensure seamless connectivity for everyone. 

Learn more: Wi-Fi load – navigating the digital traffic jam 

The 2025 annual Professional Services Leadership Forum (PSLF) will be held on Friday 4 April from 9am-4pm at the Marie Raey Superfloor. This year's theme will focus on "community" and driving, managing and leading through periods of change. 

The PSLF is sponsored by the Chief Operating Officer and open to professional staff at the ANU8-SM5 levels. Spaces are limited. 

Register now: Professional Services Leadership Forum

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving the Student Administration System (SAS), we are implementing key enhancements to strengthen functionality, security and the overall experience for staff and students. These updates have commenced with a planned go-live on 24 May 2025. This initiative includes three key improvements:  

SAS technical and functional update  
Enhancing system stability and introducing new features to support student administration. 

Student self-service uplift  
Modernising the interface, improving the student experience, and renaming the Interactive student information system (ISIS). The web address will transition from isis.anu.edu.au to selfservice.sas.anu.edu.au.  

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for staff  
Strengthening security for administrative users to safeguard student data.  

Additional information on the new name for ISIS and the requirements from Colleges to support this process will be provided soon. If you have any concerns, please contact sbs@anu.edu.au.  

For further details, visit the project’s SharePoint site: Optimised student administration

The ANU Digital Plan Learning and Teaching Stream has been working closely with academics and education support staff to help prepare them to use our new learning management system (LMS), Canvas, for teaching from July 2025.  

Over the coming months, momentum is building as staff and students dive into Canvas. Many academic and education support staff have already engaged with Canvas and the wide range of support resources to prepare and finalise their course sites for Winter and Semester 2 teaching. Let’s get Canvas-ready together. 

Developing new skills doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Our LinkedIn Learning calendars provide quick, structured learning opportunities to help you explore the basics of AI or strengthen your ability to navigate change one short video at a time. Each lesson takes less than five minutes, making it easy to integrate learning into your day. Start today and take a step toward building your future-ready skills. 

ANU Security - (02) 6125 2249 

For life threatening emergencies first call 000 (or 0000 if dialing from an internal phone), then call ANU Security.  

Media hotline 24/7 - (02) 6125 7979 

Contact the 24/7 media hotline for media queries regarding the University and its operations, or to track down experts that aren’t listed in our Experts Guide.  

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 developed by the Student Safety and Wellbeing team.