Help spread festive cheer across the ANU community by sharing a seasonal photo of your pet. Costumes, cozy moments, tinsel tails and season’s tweetings are all welcome.  

A prize will be awarded for the most creative entry, and all photos will feature in the final edition of On Campus on 16 December. You can submit one entry per pet, so households with multiple animals have more chances to win! 

Submit your photo via this entry form by Friday 12 December. 

The Academic Portfolio is communicating updates regarding their placement process which will be completed soon. Further updates about the structure of the Learning and Teaching portfolio are in the DVC(A) Newsletter. 

Our Chief Financial Officer Michael Lonergan has provided the final quarterly financial update for the year. This includes an overview of our financial performance for 2025 and the work underway to return the University to a balanced budget in 2026. 

Read more: Update from the CFO – ANU quarterly financial update, November 2025 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a national recall of several decorative coloured sands sold in Australia between 2020–2025 after products were found to contain asbestos. These items are often used in classrooms, art activities and sensory play. 

ANU staff and students are urged to check any coloured sand products on campus and discontinue use immediately. 

Read the full Safety Alert, including actions to take and links to official guidance: Hazard Alerts and Safety Awareness | Services 

For advice, contact Safety & Wellbeing at whs@anu.edu.au.

Grandparents can play a fundamental role in families, yet they have often been overlooked in Australian history.  

Grandparents and grand friends make significant contributions to helping share the load of caring for children.  

Important cultural exchanges and friendships can develop with intergenerational relationships. Languages, cooking and history are often imparted from grand friends. 

Grand friends are also increasingly being seen as part of the solution to housing affordability. 

Learn more: Grandparenting tells us much about our history. It’s important to preserve these stories 

The extraordinary anti-predator strategy of two tiny, orb-weaving spider species has been uncovered by scientists from ANU and the University of Florida.  

Several of the paper’s co-authors first reported on the possible discovery of a new species of spider over a decade ago, following a chance encounter in the Amazon rainforest in Peru. Now, the unusual behaviour of the Peruvian species and a second orb-weaving species from the Philippines has been scientifically recorded for the first time. 

Learn more: Tropical spiders build giant doppelgängers to survive 

ANU historian Professor Martin Thomas has been awarded the prestigious Mark and Evette Nib Literary Award for his book Clever Men: How Worlds Collided on the Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land of 1948. The nationally significant prize recognises outstanding research and literary excellence. Previous winners include Helen Garner and Melissa Lucashenko. Thomas is the first ANU academic to receive this honour.  

Drawing on more than a decade of archival and community-based research, Clever Men offers a major re-examination of the 1948 expedition and its legacy. The book explores the tension between scientific authority and Indigenous knowledge and examines the profound impacts of human remains collecting on Indigenous communities.  

Professor Thomas is among the University’s strongest advocates for the repatriation of Indigenous human remains. The issue is central to Clever Men and to his acclaimed 2018 documentary Etched in Bone, which he directed and co-produced with Béatrice Bijon.  

The award was presented in Sydney on 6 November. Congratulations to Professor Thomas. 

Thank you to our Mental Health First Aiders for providing strength and care to the ANU community. Your support of staff and students is truly appreciated. 

Mental health first aid is a practical education program that gives adults the skills and confidence to recognise and respond to a co-worker or other adult experiencing a mental health issue or crisis. It helps them provide support until professional help is available or the situation resolves. 

Since 2015, over 800 ANU staff have completed Mental Health First Aid training. Look out for the 2026 training calendar for next year’s sessions. 

Learn more: Appreciation for our mental health first aid workers 

As we approach the launch of the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in November, this week spotlights another core theme, ‘Set things right, kindly’, focusing on accountability, recognition and reward. 

Associate Professor Lou Farrer from the Centre for Mental Health Research explains how research and counselling practice inform better access, accountability and evidence-based supports. 

Learn more: Set things right, kindly 

As ANU continues transitioning to Canvas, Wattle access will progressively wind down. From Wednesday 17 December, only specific groups will retain access; all other staff and students will no longer be able to log in. 

You can read the full article to find out more about the full list of groups who will retain Wattle access after 17 December. 

What do I need to do? 

Before Wednesday 17 December, staff are encouraged to: 

For further information or support, contact ITS Wattle Support via the ITS ServiceDesk portal. 

For casual staff and supervisors, there will be three early casual timesheet deadlines in December/January: 

Timesheet submissions approved between 8 and 15 December 2025 will be processed for payment on 1 January 2026. Timesheet submissions approved between 16 December 2025 and 7 January 2026 will be processed for payment on 15 January 2026. 

If you are on leave during the end of year period and are a supervisor of casual staff, please assign an alternative delegate to approve your casual staff timesheets.   

Please contact Payroll for guidance. 

Internal Expressions of Interest are now open for the Director, Research School of Physics role.  

The Director of the Research School of Physics is responsible for providing strategic leadership to enhance the school’s research and education, driving impact through innovation, collaboration and effective financial and resource management. The role is also responsible for fostering a collegial, consultative and supportive environment that promotes good governance, staff development and future leadership.  

Expressions of Interest close on Wednesday 26 November 2025, 11.55pm. 

Learn more: Internal Expressions of Interest – Director, Research School of Physics 

It’s International Fraud Awareness Week (IFAW) and this year's theme is Preventing Fraud is a Team Effort.  

To help spread awareness, the University Risk Office is encouraging ANU staff and students to take part in a series of webinars hosted by the Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Centre. In addition, the ANU Risk Office has worked with the ANU Brand Office to develop an IFAW email signature banner to use.  

You can learn more about fraud and corruption control at ANU by visiting the Risk Office’s webpage. 

This week is National Skin Cancer Action Week (16–22 November), and as we enter the summer months, it’s a timely reminder that skin cancer is Australia’s most common cancer, but also one of the most preventable.  

UV exposure can happen during commutes, lunch breaks and outdoor activities. Protect yourself by following these five sun protection steps: 

Learn more: National Skin Cancer Action Week 

Image: ANU Quantum Science Day, expanding minds, one discovery at a time. Photo: ANU 

Saturday 29 November, 10am–2pm  

2025 is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Have you ever wondered what all the buzz about quantum really means? Enjoy a day packed with discovery, innovation and fun for all ages, with chances to win prizes drawn by a quantum random generator. 

Key events include quantum-themed talks by world-leading researchers, tours of cutting-edge research labs, interactive displays and hands-on experiments. Play quantum games and taste quantum food, including liquid nitrogen ice cream and holographic chocolate. 

Register here for ANU Quantum Science Open Day 

Friday 21 November, 6–7pm 

Legendary Australian actor and author Bryan Brown will be in conversation with Alex Sloan on his new novel The Hidden and his journey into writing, following the success of his debut novel The Drowning. In this gripping new novel, Brown peels back the surface of a coastal town to reveal a world of simmering tension and buried truths. 

Register here for Meet the author: Bryan Brown 

Tuesday 25 November, 8am–5pm 

The 2025 ANU Migration Update brings together leaders from government, industry, academia and civil society to explore how migration policies can best drive national prosperity and long-term innovation. 

Register here for 2025 ANU Migration Update 

 

Tuesday 25 November, 6pm–7pm 

Sean Kelly will be in conversation with Amy Remeikis on his new Quarterly Essay, The Good Fight. What Does Labor Stand For? In this subtle and brilliant essay, Kelly explores whether Labor is still up for the good fight. 

Register here for Meet the author: Sean Kelly 

 

Tuesday 9 December, 11.30am–12.15pm 

As part of the University’s commitment to the United Nations 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, you’re invited to a powerful online panel. 

This 45-minute session will explore the growing threat of digital violence including online harassment, cyberstalking and image-based abuse and how the university supports staff through the services available.  

Register here: 16 Days of Activism – ANU staff panel discussion 

How did you come to be at ANU? 

I have had the opportunity to work alongside researchers and educators in the past, which gave me an appreciation for the university context. When the opportunity arose to join ANU, it felt like a natural next step. The community here has been incredibly warm and welcoming, and it has been a pleasure settling into a role that facilitates a strong sense of purpose. 

What are you most passionate about in your work?  

In the university environment, staff are highly dedicated to their work and to supporting others, which sometimes means their own wellbeing comes second. I find it fulfilling to help people slow down, reconnect with their values and find practical ways to sustain themselves. Seeing someone rediscover a sense of balance and purpose is one of the more rewarding aspects of my work. 

What is your favourite spot on campus and why? 

“There is a thoughtful balance between quiet green spaces and lively communal areas, and that mix gives the campus a welcoming feel. I have enjoyed taking time to walk around and see how people use the space, whether it is to study, connect or take a moment for themselves. I am looking forward to exploring further and finding the spots that will no doubt become personal favourites soon.” 

Know someone with a great story to tell? Send your tip to on.campus@anu.edu.au. 

ANU met with the Fair Work Ombudsman on Friday 7 November 2025 to continue discussions about the payroll remediation program affecting current and former casual staff members. It was confirmed with the Fair Work Ombudsman that all active casual sessional academic (CSA) staff, and over half of the affected former CSA staff, have received remediation payments. ANU continues attempts to contact remaining former CSA staff to have their outstanding payments finalised as soon as possible. 

Investigative work is continuing with KPMG for the professional casual staff cohort, with the aim to have the review finalised as soon as practicable. 

Learn more: Payment remediation  

Last week, ANU staff and students joined ANU Green and the Landscape and Conservation team to plant a new native garden at the end of Ellery Crescent. 

Everything used on the day was campus-made – soil and mulch from the ANU soil yard, native plants grown from seed in our nursery and rocks and logs sourced right here on campus. 

A wonderful group of volunteers brought the space to life.  

Check out the before-and-after shots on Instagram @green_anu. 

The next Myanmar Update conference, 'Contours of a New Myanmar', is from Friday 24 July to Saturday 25 July 2026.  

The conference convenors invite paper proposals from interested academics, analysts, researchers and professionals that address the conference theme in any of the following topics: 

Proposals are due by Monday 1 December 2025. 

Learn more: Call for papers – 2026 Myanmar Update 

This week’s picture comes from Keshav Sreedharan, Manager of Examinations Graduations, Academic Progress and Prizes, who captured the ANU Sports Hall after it had been converted to a space for exams. 

 “It captures the miracle of transformation. The ANU Sports Hall is now a cathedral of calm (well, mostly calm) academic focus. There’s something uplifting about watching a gym become a place of learning triumphs instead of slam dunks,” said Keshav. 

Got a photo you’re proud of? Send in your picture using this form and include a short description about why your snap is special to you. 

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 – (02) 6125 7979 

Contact the media hotline during business hours or email media@anu.edu.au 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. The University has a range of information and services that can be accessed by Managers and staff.  

Whether it's a work-related issue or a personal one, the University encourages you to seek counselling 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.