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The upcoming holiday period can be a challenging time for many people in our community.  

Under the , ANU offers a choice of counselling and advisory services for our staff members and their immediate families.  

They鈥檙e qualified, experienced and independent and the service is free and confidential. 

Choose from: 

鈥� 1800 808 374 (24/7 crisis hotline)

- Available at multiple locations, receive up to four appointments per year. Delivery is flexible with appointments available in person, over the phone, or online through email or telehealth. 

鈥� 02 6122 7100 

- Receive up to four appointments per year. Appointments can be taken in person or over the phone. 

The Staff Respect Consultant is also here to provide free and confidential support to ANU staff experiencing issues that may impact your wellbeing, work experience, engagement and career development.

If you would like to discuss a matter with the Staff Respect Consultant, please contact staffrespect@anu.edu.au. Emails are responded to within 48 hours. If you would like to remain anonymous, please call the Consultant between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday, on extension 56763 and note that you would not like to provide identifying information. Please note, this service will not be available during the shutdown period.

is also available for 24/7 care. Please phone 13 11 14. Please also utilise Lifeline Canberra if other services are disrupted during the end of year closure.

In the throes of a global health crisis, Matt Nurse, soon to be Dr Nurse, stands as a beacon of dedication and resilience. His unique PhD and parenting journey through the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, is a testament to the power of perseverance and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.  

As Matt prepares to don his graduation robes this week and graduate with a PhD in Science Communication, he has shared an insight into his research on dissemination of misinformation and his aspirations for a future where science communication is more crucial than ever.   

Dr Matt Nurse. Image: Matt Nurse

The People and Culture Division held the annual ANU End of Year Kids Party on Sunday 3 December at Kambri, with a great turnout from staff, kids and volunteers.  

The weather was perfect, the reptile zoo and lawn games were out, alongside Indigenous storytelling, a science show, photo booth and face painting galore. Santa even managed to stop by. 

On behalf of the People and Culture Division, thank you to the staff volunteers who made this event possible. We hope everyone had a great day. 

How can Australia have a functioning democracy when public trust in media 鈥� an institution that exists to keep governments accountable 鈥� is lower than trust in government itself? 

On this episode of Democracy Sausage, outgoing Vice-Chancellor of ANU Professor Brian Schmidt AC joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss the state of Australia鈥檚 media, hate speech on campus and returning to life as a full-time astronomer.

Did you know that a range of bulk-billed health checks and services are now available for ANU staff at the ? 

Eligible bulk-billed services include: 

- Heart health checks for 45-49 year olds if you do not already have a heart condition. If unsure, please email the ANU Medical Centre. 

- Health assessment for 75+ years old.  

- cessation appointments. 

For other services and checks, regular fees will apply. Remember to bring your ANU staff ID, Medicare or OVHC insurance card with you. Please select the 鈥渓ong appointment鈥� option when booking for health checks.  

Please note that the ANU Medical Centre is closed during the University shutdown period. 

On behalf of the People and Culture Division, thank you to all staff members who completed the .

This was a great opportunity for you to provide feedback on your current experience at work and the progress you鈥檝e seen in response to your previous feedback from the ANYOU Staff Engagement Survey eight months ago.    

The feedback has been collated and analysed, with leadership briefings underway. You can expect that your leader will share results and discuss potential focus areas for action with you early in the new year.

A new IT Service Desk telephone system will be released on Wednesday 13 December at 6pm with simpler menu options to make it easier and quicker to speak to support staff. The contact number remains unchanged at +61 2 612 54321. The new system will roll out to 14 other ANU contact centres in early 2024.  

This project is being implemented as part of the , within .

As , the Art & Music Library is now closed to allow for hail remediation work on the School of Arts building.   

Safety is absolutely paramount, so during the remediation works the Arts & Music Library will be inaccessible to ensure we are meeting our WHS responsibilities. Only qualified construction staff will be allowed in the library space.  

The library鈥檚 service is being relocated to the 24-hour Chifley Library to ensure it remains available while the essential building work is carried out. Due to the work, the building is likely to remain closed until mid Semester 2 next year.  

We understand that some members of our community are concerned about the impact of the closure, which is why we are doing everything we can to ensure resources and materials are available to staff and students while the hail remediation work is underway. Heavily used elements of the collection, serials and reference, will be relocated to the Chifley Library in order to ensure they remain accessible while the building is closed. Relocation will be completed in January 2024.  

The remainder of the collection will also be made available by the library and new material will continue to be acquired to meet the needs of the community.    

When the building reopens in mid Semester 2 2024, the area currently used for the Art & Music Library is expected to be repurposed as a student focused space. The co-design of the new space will begin in Semester 1 next year.   

We welcome your feedback on ways to enhance access to the Art & Music Library collection, both during the period when the essential building work is underway and beyond, please refer to the .  
 
Keep reading for information and updates throughout this process.   

Associate Professor Pierre Portal from the describes why the blackboard is such an integral part of his working life, and the enjoyment of mathematics.  

鈥淲e love them because they are really critical to creating this bit of magic that happens when mathematicians manage to really communicate with one another,鈥� he says. 

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.