A reminder that the consultation period for the proposed changes to the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences (CASS) and the ANU College of Science and Medicine (CoSM) has been extended to 12pm, Thursday 7 August. This extension allows staff more time to consider these proposals alongside the upcoming Academic Portfolio Change Proposal. 

Following the consultation process in June, the Planning and Service Performance (PSP) Division’s Change Implementation Plan has now been released. The plan outlines final decisions and how community feedback has shaped the outcome. Implementation will roll out gradually over the coming weeks. You can read the full plan on the Renew ANU website. 

The consultation period for the Research & Innovation (R&I) Portfolio Change Proposal closed last Wednesday. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the proposal and submitted feedback via the online form. In total, over 165 pieces of feedback were received. All feedback is now being reviewed and carefully considered to help shape the Change Implementation Plan. This process takes time, as it’s important to give thoughtful attention to the matters raised and reflect them appropriately. The Implementation Plan is currently anticipated to be released late in the week commencing 11 August, and will outline final decisions and how feedback has informed them.

In July, the total leave provision decreased by $1.1m, which is nearly double the reduction recorded in the same period last year, when the provision fell about $567,000. 

The Renew ANU Project Board provides high-level oversight of change proposal and implementation plan development and release on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor. The Board is co-chaired by the Provost and the COO, and includes senior leaders from across ANU including a College Dean, a College General Manager, the Vice-President Advancement, the CFO and the CPO, with other relevant advisers and experts in attendance. More information about the Project Board is available on the ANU Governance Committees website.

Yesterday the University hosted a visit by the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, the Honorable Feleti Teo OBE and members of his government. A distinguished alumni from the School of Law, Prime Minister Teo was in Canberra to open the new Tuvalu High Commission. He took time to meet with key members of the College of Asia and the Pacific and also the Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions, before giving a public lecture in the Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre – you can find his speech here. Our ANU Pasifika Student Association garlanded the Prime Minister and his visiting party. The event was a powerful reminder of the important ties the University has with the Pacific and all the ways we are connected to our region – through research and teaching, public policy and also personal life journals – and the work we do with our Pacific neighbours.

Read more: VC's update - connections

The Vice-Chancellor has confirmed that the University will be closed from Thursday 25 December 2025 and will reopen on Friday 2 January 2026.

These closedown arrangements reflect the University's operational planning and commitment to supporting staff wellbeing over this end-of-year period.

The closedown period between 25 December 2025 to 1 January 2026 includes public holidays and designated paid closedown days.  If you are required to work during this period for essential operational reasons, you will be entitled to time in lieu for the time worked.

The decision to implement a University closedown and provide paid leave over the end-of-year period carries an estimated cost to the University of $3 million per day. Recognising the current financial pressures, this decision was made following discussion with the NTEU, and the University acknowledges and appreciates the NTEU leadership’s support for these arrangements.

Either side of the closure period, normal leave provisions apply. This includes Wednesday 24 December 2025, which will be a normal full working day.

As this is a quiet time of year for the University, staff are encouraged to take additional leave in December and January around the closedown period, where operationally appropriate. 

Before we get too far into Semester 2, I want to pause and acknowledge the work of colleagues across the University who have delivered a new platform for learning and teaching at ANU.

As of last week, Canvas is officially our Learning Management System, and thousands of students are now engaging with their new course sites. This transition is a key step in achieving our Digital Plan, made possible through the collaboration and dedicated work of Colleges and central teams, academics and professional staff. 

Preparing for Day 1 took enormous effort, much of it behind the scenes. Thanks to that commitment, the majority of course sites are live and our students are actively embracing Canvas. This is no small achievement. 

Thank you for helping us deliver on our commitment to a student-centred learning experience.  

This week the ANU 2024 Annual Report was tabled in the federal Parliament. You can review the ANU 2024 Annual Report, and Annual Reports dating back to 1999, on the University website. Annual Reports prior to 1999 are available through the ANU Archives.  

Forget romantic comedies or childhood crushes – when it comes to learning about love, ANU PhD scholar Chenke Zang says we should be looking to fish for answers. 

Speaking at the ANU final of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, Zang unpacked her studies in mosquitofish and reproduction in just 180 seconds.  

Read more: Love lessons from mosquitofish: tales from the ANU 3MT competition 

Like humans, animals can become stressed when trying to lead a group of peers in a particular direction, a new study from The Australian National University (ANU) shows.  

According to study co-author Associate Professor Damien Farine, many animal groups make decisions in a very democratic way, taking a “majority rules” approach.  

While effective, it can also take a toll.  

Read more: Leading the way comes at a cost for feathered friends 

Our electric vehicles (EVs) and hot water systems could become powerful assets for the electricity grid and help turn Australian cities into giant batteries, new research from ANU has found.  

According to lead author Dr Bin Lu, when used smartly, these technologies can help reduce strain on the grid during peak usage times.  

 “Cities are often seen as energy-hungry giants,” Dr Lu said.   

 “But with widespread electrification, they could also become giant batteries — managing energy, not just consuming it.” 

Read more: Electrified cities could become giant batteries: ANU study 

The Vice-Chancellor’s small-group conversation sessions continue, creating space for open dialogue and shared perspectives. August sessions are now available for booking, with up to 20 staff members per session. Don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and connect in a safe and respectful environment. 

Register now: Facing the future together 

Since 1946, The Australian National University has been Australia’s education and research powerhouse, advancing the nation and the Asia-Pacific region. Our mission is to provide world-leading research and education, and to hold and shape conversations that prepare us for a better future. Created to fulfil a unique national mission in post-war Australia, the ANU continues to ignite change that transforms humanity, delivers value to our nation and resonates across generations. 

Read more: ANU Corporate Plan 2025-2028

Wednesday 30 July, 5.30-7.30pm  

ANU Society of Arts and Social Sciences proudly presents Lectures in the Pub, a new series designed to bring students, staff and academics together for open, engaging conversations in a relaxed setting. Our first event features Nobel Laureate and former ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt, who will share his insights on the future of higher education, research, and the university. 

Register here: Lectures in the Pub - The future of higher education, research and the university with Brian Schmidt 

Tuesday 5 August, 5.30-7.30pm

Electrons power almost every aspect of daily life, from your toaster to your phone. But these devices use only one quantum property of the electrons: their charge. Today, physicists are harnessing other properties such as their 'spin' to advance a new technological revolution. In this talk, Dr Sol Jacobsen will show you how our understanding of spin is changing the way we build devices, from basic principles to state of the art.

Register here: Your quantum future 

Wednesday 6 August, 10-11.30am 

This quarterly training session for staff is an opportunity to build your understanding of managing risk in your role and within the broader university context. 

Register here: Risk management training 

Wednesday 6 August, 12.30-4pm  

Join an afternoon of focused online co-working, check-ins and a relaxed discussion on disability-related research in a flexible, inclusive space.

Register here: ANU Disability Research Network Writing Retreat 

Wednesday 6 August, 6-7pm 

Professor Bryan Horrigan will be in conversation with Justice James Edelman on the future of corporate responsibility in a time of global crisis. 

In his new book Corporate Social Responsibility in an Age of Existential Threats, Professor Horrigan explores the critical role businesses must play in tackling climate change, social inequality, and political polarisation.

Register here: Meet the author - Bryan Horrigan 

Friday 8 August, 2-3pm 

Catch up with other first-generation students, staff and alumni over coffee at the LAB! Come along to meet others with First-Gen experience, network and socialise. Free coffee for each attendee! Registration is required. 

Register here: First-gen coffee catchup 

In May, Financial Shared Services (FSS) manually distributed all unacquitted purchase card transactions over 90 days to each business unit’s General Manager (or equivalent) for action, with a deadline of 30 June. As a result: 

Thank you to all General Managers and cardholders who took prompt action. This is a significant achievement. To help maintain these levels, FSS has made improvements to the automated Concur emails. Moving forward, on the 21st of each month, General Managers (or equivalents) will receive an email listing all aged unacquitted card transactions for their business units. If these are actioned promptly by cardholders, it will help ensure unacquitted transactions remain at acceptable levels long term. 

July 30 marks the International Day of Friendship – a day to recognise the importance of building bridges between communities through kindness, empathy and connection. 

Read more: International Day of Friendship 

Swing by the Marie Reay Teaching Centre from lunchtime Wednesday to check out Bin Appétit, our cheeky new art-meets-waste exhibit that will get you thinking (and smiling) about what goes where.

Next week, we are kicking off the ANU Green Awards, a fun and flexible way to take climate action and earn recognition for it. Want the inside scoop? Come along to our online info session on Friday 8 August, 12.30-1.15pm to find out how to get involved.

Register to learn more about the ANU Green Awards.

Take a moment and think about your past few months at work. Who has supported you when things were tough? Who’s gone out of their way to make things easier or better? Who’s consistently shown up with care, leadership, or quiet brilliance? That’s the person (or team) you should nominate. The Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor’s Awards celebrate people across the University who are making a difference — in big ways and small ones. 

Read more: Chancellor’s and Vice-Chancellor's awards 

There are several useful dashboards to assist staff with planning and operational activities. These are available on the ANU Data Hub under the Learning and Teaching tab. 

ANU Load Tracking Dashboard 

The ANU load tracking dashboard is available to all staff providing a weekly snapshot of student load. This interactive dashboard allows users to track commencing and continuing load against end-of-year targets, providing a breakdown of load by area. The dashboard has an introductory page that explains terminology used within the dashboard. Any questions contact planning@anu.edu.au 

Course enrolment tracking dashboard 

The course enrolment tracking dashboard enables convenors and administrators to track daily enrolments relative to historic enrolments for the prior 4-years to aid in teaching and operational activities. 

A user must be logged into ANU Insight before clicking on the report link. A user guide is available to assist. Any questions contact insight@anu.edu.au 

Over the weekend of 12-13 July, the Residential Experience Division successfully welcomed over 1,100 Semester 2 commencing students into ANU residences. Many of these students are beginning their academic journey with the University, and staff across the division have worked diligently to ensure a warm, inclusive, and supportive transition to life on campus through a range of orientation activities and welcome events.

This month also marks a year since the after-hours Residential Community Support model was implemented. This initiative ensures that ANU residences are staffed 24/7, providing continuous support and care to residents. The model has proven highly effective, with 83% of students responding to the survey agreeing that the service was easy to access and that they were satisfied with the quality of support. Over 60% reported now feeling safer in residence since the implementation of the model. 85% of the staff surveyed agreed that the model was effective and that it prevented students from exposure to serious incidents and conflicts of interest.

The model has contributed to a greater sense of safety and well-being among residents and staff.

From Friday 1 August 2025, the University’s internal mailroom service team will take over the delivery and collection of Australia Post mail across the Acton Campus. This service, managed by University Printing and Mail within Campus Environment, will operate from Building 53, Garran Road. 

Following a review of the delivery schedule, it was found that most mail points do not require daily service. As a result, deliveries will be reduced from two runs per day to one, saving the University $210,000 annually. 

Updated schedules will include: 

With the service now managed internally, delivery schedules can be adjusted to meet peak periods or changing needs. 

The student accommodation halls and ANU Libraries will not be affected by the change and will continue to receive daily mail services. 

Any feedback on this change to the mail service should be sent to cceo@anu.edu.au.

All students commencing coursework programs for the first time at ANU in Semester 2 are invited to respond to the ANU Welcome Survey. Your help with promoting this survey among our new cohorts would be much appreciated. Survey closes on Wednesday 6 August. 

Learn more: ANU Welcome survey now open 

Did you know using your personal hotspot in a lecture theatre can affect everyone’s Wi-Fi performance? Avoid doing so and connect to ANU-Secure, the University’s preferred Wi-Fi network, to ensure improved Wi-Fi for all.  

Learn more Wi-Fi tips visit Get Connected at ANU here. 

Struggling to get Wi-Fi signal? You could be in a black spot.  

Black spots are areas where the wireless signal is either too weak or unstable to maintain connectivity. We know that Wi-Fi coverage across campus is patchy and unavailable in some places.  

Good news! We have started fixing the black spots across campus to provide better coverage and a seamless connection for everyone. 

Visit the ANU Services website to learn more. 

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.