On Campus

Staff Edition

Tuesday 3 June 

All the important campus news, events and opportunities for ANU staff. 

The rundown - information you need at a glance

  • ANU acknowledges that some content in the Nixon Report may be confronting. Support is available via EAP services, the Staff Respect Consultant, and the Adviser to Staff. You can also raise concerns with your Supervisor, HR Business Partner or reach out to the dedicated team via NixonReviewVoices@anu.edu.au.
  • Your feedback is welcome on the Student Disciplinary Framework Review to help shape a fair and supportive process for students. Share your views via the feedback form.
  • Free flu shots are available for ANU staff. For more information and to make bookings, please visit ANU Medical Services.  
  • Have your say on the University's 2026–2030 Environmental Sustainability Plan. Join a workshop this June or share feedback online. Learn more.

Bulletin

Image: Kambri, ANU campus, Acton. Photo: ANU.

VC’s Update: steps we have taken

Last week, our CFO released further detailed financial information through On Campus. This includes how we are tracking our Renew ANU progress. After the VSS is finalised, we anticipate that salary savings will be around $50 million. Which is an extraordinary amount of work from our community, and I want to say thank you for all that you are doing to support the University. I am also very conscious that every time we talk about dollars, we are also talking about people who are and have made incredibly valuable contributions to ANU, and so I encourage every conversation to be mindful of the impact to our friends, colleagues and students.

Read more: VC's Update: steps we have taken

Update from the Provost - Nixon Review Implementation

My thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read Professor Nixon’s report. It is difficult reading, so a reminder that support is available through the Staff Respect Consultant, our EAP Program and the Adviser to Staff.

Serious concerns raised during the Review are being investigated. If you wish to formally disclose an experience of inappropriate, harmful or disrespectful conduct, I encourage you to discuss this with your Supervisor, HR Business Partner or reach out to the dedicated team via NixonReviewVoices@anu.edu.au

Read more: Update from the Provost - Nixon Review Implementation

ANU travel showcase

Join us for the inaugural ANU travel showcase on Thursday 26 June at the Marie Reay Teaching Centre.

This is your opportunity to explore the full spectrum of travel services and support soon to be available at ANU. Whether you’re booking travel for yourself or on behalf of others, this showcase will provide valuable insights and connections with over 30 suppliers to help improve your experience. Come along to: 

  • Meet our key travel suppliers: travel agency (new), airlines, accommodation, and vehicle rental providers.
  • Learn about sustainable travel practices.
  • Connect with experts in tax, insurance, risk and safety management and ANU policies and procedures.
  • Win prizes and discover staff leisure travel deals.

Register here: ANU travel showcase 

Coming soon: a new travel approval system and agency partnership to streamline booking and approvals. Training details and rollout timelines will follow shortly. Stay tuned! For more information, contact travelservices@anu.edu.au.

Image: Associate Professor Eduardo Trifoni has been honoured with the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy.  Photo: Jamie Kidston/ANU 

Associate Professor Eduardo Trifoni honoured with the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy 

Associate Professor Eduardo Trifoni was honoured with Italy’s second highest honour – Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy on 28 May by the Italian Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Paolo Crudele at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador. Associate Professor Trifoni was awarded for his contributions to science and Australian-Italian relations. Awarded in advance of Italian Republic day, 2 June.

Pride Month  

Observed in June, Pride month celebrates the diversity and progression of the LGBTIQA+ community and allows us to reflect on the path forward to equality.

Get involved or seek support this Pride month:

  • Register for LGBTIQA+ Ally Training on 11 June to join the ANU Ally Network, a community of staff and students who are committed to providing an inclusive and respectful environment for people who identify as LGBTIQA+. The Inclusive and Respectful Communities team run sessions throughout the year, so keep an eye out for future sessions if you can’t make it this month.
  • If you or someone you know is experiencing discrimination or mental health concerns, you can speak with the Employee Assistance Program who have trained counsellors available for free and confidential support services.
  • If you would like to disclose any harmful behaviours at ANU - staff and students can complete a confidential Harmful Behaviours Disclosure, or you can reach out to the Staff Respect Consultant for free and confidential support and connection to a range of services at the university.
  • For further external support and services, please visit the LGBTIQ+ Health Australia page, which has a range of available services across Australia.
  • For local support contact Meridian ACT, a community-based support service in Canberra who deliver programs and services to educate and empower the LGBTIQA+ community, or A Gender Agenda -  a key support service for intersex, trans and gender-diverse people in the Canberra community.

Image: Mikayla Helms Photo: Coco Liu/ANU 

How Mikayla Helms is keeping the language and legacy of her great grandmother’s alive 

When ANU student Mikayla Helms began preserving her great grandmother’s endangered language as a school project, she had no idea how critical her work would become. Just weeks later, Aunty Beryl, her great grandmother and the last fluent Ngiyaampaa speaker, suffered a stroke. 

Now studying Health Science at ANU and supported by the Kambri Scholars Program, Mikayla is carrying forward her Nana’s legacy, combining her passion for language, education, and First Nations health to make a difference in her community. 

Read more: How Mikayla Helms is keeping the language and legacy of her great grandmother’s alive 

What's on

Opportunities icon

ANU AV and Multimedia meet up 

Thursday 5 June, 4-5pm

Whether you're curious about content production or looking to use multimedia in your teaching, don’t miss this AV and multimedia meet-up!

This event includes the soft launch of the brand-new lightboard and podcast studio – a collaboration between the Multimedia Education team and the ANU Centre for Energy Systems (ACES).

Come along to explore the spaces, discover what support is available to staff, and connect with a community of creatives and educators using multimedia to bring their ideas to life.

Register now: ANU multimedia meet up 

Webinar icon

Meet the author: Toby Walsh 

Wednesday 11 June, 6-7pm  

Join leading AI researcher Toby Walsh as he discusses his new book The Shortest History of AI with economist and MP Andrew Leigh. Traversing the future of artificial intelligence through six key ideas, Walsh explores AI’s evolution, from the work of Ada Lovelace to the rise of ChatGPT, and its impact on human creativity, culture and society. 

Books will be available for signing from 5.30pm. 

Register now: Meet the author: Toby Walsh 

Lecture icon

30 years in the EU

Wednesday 11 June, 6-7.30pm  

2025 marks three decades since Austria, Finland and Sweden became valued members of the European Union. 

To celebrate this milestone, join an evening of discussion with the Ambassadors of Austria, Finland, and Sweden to Australia. This will be followed by a Q&A, joined by the Ambassador of the European Union to Australia. A reception with refreshments and canapés will be held to conclude the event. 

Register now: 30 years in the EU

Book icon

Now More Than Ever -  Pride Month event

Friday 13 June, 4-6pm  

As LGBTQIA+ rights face growing challenges, it's more important than ever to stand united. Inclusive and Respectful Communities invite the LGBTIQA+ community to a powerful Pride Month event featuring a panel on current local and global issues, followed by lightning talks showcasing community research, work, or passions. 

Register now: Now More Than Ever - Bringing community together for Pride Month 

For more events happening across campus visit Experience ANU

Notices  

Senior Leadership recruitment update - Chief Risk Officer

Following a competitive recruitment process, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Samantha Montenegro as our inaugural Chief Risk Officer to lead our new University Risk Office. Samantha will commence on Monday 14 July 2025. 

Samantha brings over 25 years’ experience in private and public sector administration and consultancy work, with particular focus on governance, risk management, finance and assurance. She has held a variety of roles in a range of organisations as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Audit Officer, as well as serving as a member of a number of audit and risk committees.

Image: ANU emissions and energy and electrification statistics for 2024.  Photo: ANU Green

2024 sustainability snapshot - emissions and energy 

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing highlights from environmental sustainability action at ANU. 

First up: Emissions and Energy 

  • We’ve mapped our full carbon footprint, including value chain (Scope 3) emissions, for the first time. 
  • We’ve replaced gas boilers with electric heat pumps in five more buildings in 2024, reducing emissions by an estimated 700 tCO₂e annually. 
  • We also hit our rooftop solar target a year early, with over 1 MW now installed across campus. 

Read more about our energy transition projects on the ANU Green website, or watch a video with ANU engineers explaining how they’re retrofitting campus buildings to run on efficient electric heat pumps. 

Course and Teachers App coming soon 

The new Course and Teachers Application (CAT App) will soon be available, making it easier to manage Canvas course sites and teaching staff enrolments. Find out more about the app. 

Capital works update 

We’re pleased to share an update on the Capital Works Program for 2025, which continues to transform our campus through targeted infrastructure improvements that enhance functionality, safety, sustainability, and the overall experience for students, staff, and visitors. 

The approved capital program for 2025—including the rollover budget—totals $40.4 million with $8M spent to date. This investment spans three major categories: 

  • Three Sustainability based projects, focused on energy efficiency and carbon reduction initiatives; 
  • 37 Asset Replacement projects, addressing critical infrastructure upgrades and end-of-life systems; and 
  • 20 Infrastructure projects, improving core facilities and campus operations.

In addition to the core capital program, the team is delivering seven school-driven projects, working closely with colleges to support strategic local priorities. 

The program is well underway, with 17 projects successfully completed to date. Several multi-year projects, including lift upgrades across key buildings, are progressing as planned and will continue through 2025 - 2026. 

In total, there are 67 active projects across the campus. The Capital Works team is working collaboratively with internal teams to minimise disruption wherever possible. 

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the current projects, please contact the Campus Environment Division. 

Some of the key projects underway are: 

Projects  Tentative Completions 
Weigold Refurbishment  December 2025 
Oliphant fire services and refurbishment  June 2026 
Campus Lighting Study  October 2025 
DDA Assessment – Campus wide  July 2025 
Space Consolidation Projects  November 2025 
AD Hope Upgrades - Design  December 2025 
CBE Upgrades  November 2025 

Some of the key projects delivered to date: 

Projects  Spent
Electrical Distribution Board (9 DBs and 1MSB across 3 buildings within the campus)  $2M 
Fire System upgrade (13 buildings across campus)  $900K 
Building 62 Amenities Upgrade  $300K 
LST Building Works  $875K 
Llewellyn Hall – LED Lighting Upgrade  $500K 

Image: Lou Adena. Photo: Supplied 

Message from the Editor 

Hi everyone, 

The last few weeks have seen some really positive and constructive feedback for On Campus. Thanks to everyone who has been sending feedback or having meetings with me to discuss things you’d like to see, and some suggested streamlining of comms. In the coming weeks, you’ll notice we are going to be incorporating a regular feature for ITS and Campus Environment, along with a few other areas. If you have further ideas or feedback, please write to me via editor.oncampus@anu.edu.au, complete the survey or send me a Teams message.  

 Over the last few months we have been settling into a regular editorial calendar. This includes a monthly leave tracker, weekly messages from the senior executive, a central update on Renew ANU and associated activities, along with the re-introduction of the quarterly financial update. We are also working to feature more stories about our amazing academics and their work, along with what’s happening across campus. If you want to submit content,  please submit via this form.  

Finally, this fortnight we are working on some compressed editions of On Campus so we can ensure the team is able to take some downtime. We will still run the regular Tuesday updates, but you may notice the editions are a little shorter than usual. Urgent content will still be included! We’ll be back to our regular scheduling and packed editions on 17 June.  

Have a lovely long weekend, stay warm for those in Canberra, Lou 

Key contacts

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.  

Do you need support?

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.

 

The Australian National University, Canberra 

TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) | CRICOS Provider Code: 00120C | ABN: 52 234 063 906

The Australian National University acknowledges, celebrates and pays our respects to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people of the Canberra region and to all First Nations Australians on whose traditional lands we meet and work, and whose cultures are among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

Have an article or event for On Campus? Contact us: on.campus@anu.edu.au

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