Consultation is ongoing for the Research & Innovation(R&I) Portfolio, College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), and College of Science and Medicine (CoSM) Change Proposals released as part of Renew ANU.

Feedback can be submitted via the Renew ANU website until:

Townhall recordings, Change Proposals and feedback forms are all available online.

All staff are invited to a university-wide Townhall at 10.30am on Thursday 17 July in the HC Coombs Lecture Theatre, or online via this Zoom link. The Townhall is an opportunity to further discuss the Portfolio’s Change Proposal and to engage with executive members of the R&I Portfolio. The session will be live and will not be recorded.

Release of implementation plans was originally anticipated for this week. Due to a union dispute regarding the ITS & ISO proposal, which is closely aligned with the PSP proposal, this timeline has been delayed. We will share further updates as the matter progresses. We understand the ongoing uncertainty is challenging and appreciate your continued patience and professionalism. If you have questions please reach out to org.change@anu.edu.au. Wellbeing support is also available.

The ANU is one of Australia’s most cherished higher education institutions, beloved in Canberra, across the nation, and by its expansive alumni base internationally. Indeed, it was its unrivalled reputation as Australia’s preeminent centre of expertise in the social sciences and humanities that first attracted me here from London in 2022 to take up the role of Dean of the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. ‘While operating deficits at ANU began before the pandemic, little could I have known that the University would soon be facing the worst financial crisis of its existence, an identified $250 million operational deficit.’

Read more: A message from the Dean at the College of Arts and Social Sciences

Since its formation in May 2024, the Recruitment Approval Committee (RAC) has met 30 times. A total of 1,931 roles have been submitted with 1,812 approved (93.84 per cent approval rating).

Across 2025, a total of 736 roles have been submitted, with 691 approved (93.89 per cent approval rating). On average, the Committee reviews 64 requests per meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for 23 July 2025. Currently, 39 requests have been submitted to be reviewed at this meeting.

This week is the first time a whole new cohort of students find themselves at ANU ready to start Semester 2 – and I have enjoyed opening events across campus and seeing their optimism, excitement (and nervousness!) about starting here. A huge shout-out to the teams working hard to ensure the first few weeks of semester run smoothly and our new students have a great experience as they settle in.

Read more: VC's update – O-Week

A common theme raised through staff forums and feedback channels is about the importance of having systems and processes that support our staff working together in new ways and in new structures. This is a perspective I fully share, and I am heartened by the Vice-Chancellor’s continued support for investment in the Digital Plan, even in these difficult financial circumstances.

Read more: COO update: System improvements - smarter systems, smoother operations

Between May and July 2025, ANU experienced several major IT service disruptions that impacted critical infrastructure and applications. These incidents were caused by a combination of factors, including hardware failures, issues with software updates, network misconfigurations, and human error.

A comprehensive review uncovered that while each issue was addressed promptly, these events have underscored areas for improvement in system integration, governance, automated processes, and technological capabilities.

Information Technology Services (ITS) continues to lead efforts to modernise the University’s network environment, which includes addressing our ageing network infrastructure. Lessons learned from these incidents are directly informing future strategies to bolster system resilience and enhance service delivery. The University would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the ITS and Information Security Office (ISO) teams for working round-the-clock to diagnose these issues and restore services. Their unwavering commitment and persistent dedication have been instrumental in maintaining our operational continuity.

Our current three-year plan from 2025 to 2028 sets out our strategic focus as well as eight key performance indicators to measure our progress. The plan helps shape who we are and what we are doing, and is available on the ANU website.

In a new report, Professor Rory Medcalf AM (Head of NSC), Dr Huong Le Thu and Professor Bec Strating, highlight why proactive diplomacy is essential in today's volatile strategic environment – particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

The report was cited by Foreign Minister Senator the Hon Penny Wong in her speech in Kuala Lumpur. Professor Medcalf and Dr Le Thu joined Thomas Daniel for a discussion on the publication's key themes.

You can read the full publication here.

Seven years ago, Dr Uday Yadav made a promise to his community in eastern Nepal.

“I can’t do it justice right now,” he told them. “But one day – one day I’ll get the funding, and I’ll come back and do the right thing that fits our ways of living and culture.”

The ‘right thing’ was finding a way to address a pressing problem – one that had touched too many lives around him: multimorbidity – the presence of two or more chronic conditions at once.

Read more: The ANU scientist blending cultural practice with clinical care.

Dr Elizabeth Williams’ path to engineering was anything but conventional, and that’s part of what makes her work so impactful.

“I grew up reading science fiction and Scientific American magazines, thanks to my dad who was a poet with a love of astronomy,” she says.

This led her to experimental nuclear physics – a field where building and using complex technology is part of the discovery process.

Read more: Dr Elizabeth Williams is shaping safer tech and industry practices for everyone. 

For almost 40 years, an important record of ANU history was sitting in storage at Chancelry.

When Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell moved into Building #10, a colleague handed her a leatherbound red book.

“I was cleaning out my office and found this in one of the cupboards,” he said. “I thought you might be interested.”

Read more: Lost and found: the story of the ANU Visitors Book

The Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) will play a key senior leadership role in advancing the Academic portfolio change initiatives under Renew ANU, our strategic commitment to long-term sustainability and institutional renewal. This is an opportunity for a strategic, values-driven academic leader to make a meaningful contribution during a pivotal period. The interim Pro Vice-Chancellor will contribute to the long-term direction of learning and teaching at ANU, as we continue to evolve and strengthen our learning and teaching priorities, ensuring we remain at the forefront of educational innovation, student experience, and academic excellence.

Expressions of interest close at 11.55pm on Sunday 27 July.

Apply now: Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching)

Tuesday 8 July – Friday 8 August  

Backbone is a group exhibition featuring work by technical staff at the ANU School of Art & Design. These makers and artists are the quiet force behind our creative studios - who share their knowledge and provide fundamental support for artistic exploration and research.  

Learn more: Backbone  

Wednesday 16 July, 3-5pm 

A show-and-tell masterclass run by musicians of Opera Australia’s touring production of La Bohême. Applications to attend as a singer or training repetiteur for the masterclass should be made to sarah.mann@anu.edu.au. 
 
Register here: Opera Australia masterclass 

Thursday 17 July, 6-7.30pm  

Nick Arley will be in conversation with Sally Pryor on the launch of his memoire King of the Desert - One man's world-record motorcycle crossing of Australia's ten deadly deserts.  

Register here: Book Launch & In Conversation with Nick Arley 

Tuesday 22 July, 6-7.30pm  

Lucy Nelson will be in conversation with Beejax Silcox on her new book Wait Here - A dazzling collection of hilarious and heart-wrenching stories united by a ground-breaking theme: each is a sidelong glance at the lives of women who will never be mothers and who feel every way it is possible to feel about it. 

Register here: In Conversation with Lucy Nelson 

Wednesday 23 July, 6-7pm 
 
Join Katherine Biber in conversation with Kate Fullagar as they discuss The Last Outlaws - a gripping work of historical true crime that revisits the dramatic story of Wiradjuri brothers Jimmy and Joe Governor, whose 1900 murder spree shocked the colony on the eve of Australian Federation. 

Register here: Meet the author – Katherine Biber 

Thursday 31 July, 6-7pm  

Join author Adam Courtenay in conversation with Alex Sloan about his powerful memoir My Father Bryce. A deeply personal exploration of life with his father, bestselling author Bryce Courtenay. Reflecting on fame, family, grief and truth, Adam offers a moving portrait of a complex man who was both a literary icon and an enigma. 

Register here: Meet the author – Adam Courtney

Did you know a piece of the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs is quietly sitting on campus? No fences, no fanfare. Just a 66-million-year-old clue to the Earth’s most dramatic plot twist, tucked away like a souvenir.  

This unassuming chunk of pink granite was forged in fire, melted and launched upwards when the Chicxulub asteroid slammed into the Earth. The one that ended the Cretaceous, launched tsunamis, and darkened the skies. The impact sent shockwaves through the planet, turned bedrock into liquid, and brought granite from six miles underground to the surface in a matter of minutes.  

Recovered from deep beneath the seafloor, this melted fragment of Earth’s history holds the story of impact, fire, and transformation.  

To find it, go where the Earth’s past is uncovered. 

As we move through a time of change at our University, one thing remains constant: the care, dedication and quiet excellence of our people. Whether it’s a colleague who has gone above and beyond to support others, someone quietly improving the student experience behind the scenes, or a team that’s shown remarkable collaboration, their efforts matter. Now more than ever is the time to recognise them.  

The Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor’s Awards are our University’s way of celebrating the outstanding contributions of our staff, academic, professional, and across every role and faculty. These awards aren’t just extraordinary achievements, they’re also about the everyday leadership, kindness, innovation and resilience that help our university thrive, especially during challenging times. Anyone can nominate; it only takes a few minutes. 

Learn more: ANU Chancellor’s and Vice-Chancellors's awards 

Do you know an ANU alum who is changing the world? Now is the time to celebrate them. Nominations for the 2027 ANU Alumni Awards are now open. Help us shine a spotlight on remarkable alumni making a difference. 

Learn more: 2027 ANU Alumni Awards

Following recommendations made by the ECA Working Group, several key updates to the Extenuating Circumstances Application (ECA) process will come into effect from Semester 2, 2025. These changes are designed to improve the transparency, accessibility and consistency of the ECA process for both students and staff.  

The updated ECA process applies from all Semester 2, 2025 courses, commencing Monday 21 July. These changes do not apply to Winter Session or any earlier courses and will not be applied retrospectively. 

More information about these changes can be found here. 

It's O-Week, and students are already exploring their Semester 2 course sites on Canvas. This week focuses on ensuring that every student feels welcomed, informed, and prepared for the first day of teaching.

To help set students up for success, it is recommended that every Canvas course has:

You can also visit the Course Readiness Checklist to help ensure your Canvas course is ready.

Need help? A wide range of support is available, including guides, drop-in sessions and one-on-one consultations. Visit the Canvas Support site to find the help you need.

The 2026 graduation celebrations will take place from Wednesday 28 January to Friday 6 February 2026 at Llewellyn Hall. Students who had their Award/s conferred in 2025 will receive an email invitation to either their ANU or ANU Alumni email account later this year.

For more information, visit the graduation site.

As part of Plastic Free July, ANU Green is spotlighting simple, everyday actions to help you cut down on plastic and lighten your environmental footprint. Whether you are packing your lunch, doing a grocery run or sorting your waste, small steps can make a big impact.  

Try the Plastic Free Pantry challenge on the One Small Step x ANU app and discover how easy it is to make the switch to low-waste staples. 

Learn more: Plastic Free July at ANU 

The Information Security Office (ISO) has expanded its services to help ANU staff obtain and manage Australian Government security clearances, boosting our ability to engage in high-impact, security-sensitive research and partnerships. 

If you currently hold a security clearance, please ensure it is registered with ISO via the ANU Security Clearance Request Form available on the ISO Intranet page. Unregistered clearances may be at risk of revocation. 

If you think you may require a clearance for your role or project, visit the ISO Intranet page to learn more and submit a request. 

For questions, contact disp@anu.edu.au. 

The Biometrics in the Bush Capital conference is a forum for statisticians, data scientists and those interested in development and application of statistics to biosciences problems. Abstract submissions are due by Monday 21 July and the conference will be held on Monday 24 to Thursday 28 November.  

Learn more: Biometrics in the Bush Capital 

With the End of Financial Year (EOFY) approaching, scammers are impersonating ANU Payroll, the ATO and myGov to target tax and payroll areas.

Official ANU Payroll emails come from payroll@anu.edu.au, and government emails like myGov typically end with @my.gov.au. 

To protect yourself:

Want to know the latest scam tactics, how to spot them, and what to do if you encounter one? Find out more here.

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.