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The was released on Thursday 4 December. Thank you to those who attended the Community Town Hall and for the thoughtful feedback already received. This represents a considerable change for many areas, and feedback from affected staff will help inform the next stage of implementation. 

Direct input from affected staff enables the University to understand individual and team needs, identify ways to reduce impacts, and improve the transition experience. Staff are often best placed to highlight operational nuances and suggest mitigations, ensuring implementation is fair, informed, and well supported.  

Feedback will remain open until Friday 12 December, 5pm. If you have comments, concerns or suggestions, please email hrbp.renew@anu.edu.au, including your area and role for context. 

Next steps: 

We’ll continue to keep staff informed with updates on timing, transition arrangements and next steps through On Campus and other communication channels.  

The University is seeking Expressions of Interest for the role of Chair of Academic Board.

The objective of the Board is to ensure the University maintains the highest standards in teaching, scholarship and research. The Chair is a leadership position within the University and includes attendance at University Council. 

Additional information, a copy of the position description and how to apply can be found at this .

Widely circulated claims of out-of-control mass immigration in Australia are false and misleading and stem from the incorrect reporting of tourism and travel data that has nothing to do with migration, according to a major new report from ANU. 

The report’s authors say that public commentators, activists and some media outlets are incorrectly using permanent and long-term movement data, which is collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, to claim Australia has a ‘migration problem’ and distort public understanding. 

Much has changed since 2001. We now live in the age of hyperconnectivity, where technology has transformed almost every aspect of life.  

Today, as an English and creative writing scholar at the Australian National University (ANU), Associate Professor Lucy Neave is researching how these same technological shifts have reshaped the very act of writing itself.    

Sadly, Harry Hartog has this week closed its doors for the last time. ANU was surprised and disappointed to learn that the retailer had advised continuing operations on campus was no longer viable and that it was seeking an early termination of its lease.  

“I know this will be sad news for many in our community – particularly at the end of a tough year. Harry Hartog is a much-loved feature of our Kambri precinct. It’s more than just a bookshop, it is a hub of big ideas and debates, and a place where treasured ANU souvenirs are purchased for friends and family near and far. We are working through the implications of the retailer’s decision. Our priority is our community, and we are doing everything we can to make sure our staff and students have access to books and merchandise in the new year.” ANU Chief Financial Officer, Michael Lonergan said.   

Harry Hartog shared, “We are deeply grateful to our customers, the ANU community, and our landlord for their support and cooperation over the years”.  

If you have questions or concerns, please email commercial.services@anu.edu.au.

From Wednesday 17 December, most staff and students will no longer be able to log in to Wattle. Access will be limited to a group of approved users only.

Staff who will no longer have access to Wattle from this date will still be able to . Those retaining access have already been contacted. You can for the list of groups with continued access.

What do I need to do?               

Staff who will not have access in 2026 are encouraged to download any files and documents they wish to keep before 17 December.

Wattle now includes a Download Course Content feature that allows lecturers to export their course, including pages and files under 50 MB, in one package. You can read more about how to download courses with this new feature .                    

We are pleased to introduce ANUConnect, the new central portal designed to make accessing services at ANU easier and more efficient.

ANUConnect is your go-to destination for:

ANUConnect will continue to evolve, bringing more services and features to enhance your experience at ANU.

The has now been published.

Professor Lyndall Strazdins, Chair of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, talks about how the strategy has been developed and the long-term plan to support the wellbeing of our community.

It will be accompanied by an interactive Padlet on the strategy website, providing staff and students with an opportunity to explore the pillars and actions, share ideas and highlight what is working well.

Learn more: ANU Mental Health and Wellbeing: Our Forward-Looking Strategy 2025-2030 report 

University House is expected to re-open in mid-2026, following an extended closure for repairs and restoration after the hailstorm damage closures. The work has been carefully undertaken to honour its heritage status, ensuring that University House will once again be a showpiece of mid-20th century design, and a campus and Canberra iconic landmark. 

Members of the University community, guests and visitors will once again experience the distinctive mid-century modern vibe of University House. Key public rooms and 18 hotel rooms have been faithfully restored to their original character. Other spaces, including Fellows Cafe and Bar and the majority of hotel rooms, have been reinterpreted in contemporary homage to the original classic.  

As ceremonial heart of the ANU, University House is the place where the University meets and celebrates, and where guests and visitors experience the benefits of a boutique hotel with immediate access to the rich cultural and intellectual life of Australia’s national University.

Hotel and event bookings

Bookings are set to open in the first quarter of 2026. Until then, please direct all enquires to accomodation.unihouse@anu.edu.au.

Website

The interim website will also be updated in the 1st quarter of 2026.

Oops! Last week we published incorrect information in our photo captions for the 2025 Art & Design Grad Show and we sincerely apologise.

The image in last week’s edition of On Campus featured:  

Congratulations to all graduating artists featured in this year’s exhibition.

Tuesday 16 December from 11am–2pm

Join the Interim Vice-Chancellor (IVC) for the final Community Meeting for 2025. The IVC will provide an update on the progress of the roadmap and co-design work for 2026. This will also be an opportunity for staff to ask questions in an open format. In-person spots are fully booked, but staff can still join online via Zoom.

Afterwards, staff are invited to a BBQ lunch on the University Avenue lawns to wrap up the year.

All events are optional, but registration for the BBQ is essential for catering. .

Saturday 13 December, 12pm–5pm

The Drill Hall Gallery presents Conjunction, an exhibition that explores how artworks gain new meaning when placed in dialogue. Through a curated selection of works from the ANU Art Collection, Conjunction creates a generative dialogue, joining artworks from different art historical periods, social and cultural contexts.

Saturday 13 December, 7.30pm

The Canberra Choral Society presents A Handel Celebration at Llewellyn Hall. Enjoy a showcase from the prolific musical genius of George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) featuring arias and choruses from Messiah, Julius Caesar, Saul, Israel in Egypt and more.

Guest conductor Erin Helyard, a baroque specialist and Artistic Director of Pinchgut Opera, leads French soprano Myriam Arbouz, a 160-voice chorus prepared by Dan Walker and a locally sourced professional orchestra.

For half a century, Professor James J. Fox has been a defining figure in the intellectual life of ANU. On 6 November, an audience of fifty gathered in person and online to pay tribute to his career, with a focus on the students who received their Master’s and PhD degrees under his supervision.

Student Central services, including phone support and in-person assistance at the Student Hub, will be unavailable at the following times due to staff events:

Thank you for planning around these short closures.

Learn more: Student Central temporary closures in December

How did you come to be at ANU?

“I was working in the Bodleian Library in Oxford when I was alerted to an advertisement in early 1975 for the position of Deputy University Librarian at ANU. I subsequently applied, was interviewed in London, and received my letter of appointment on 11 November, 1975. My wife and I then watched Gough Whitlam on the steps of Parliament House, but we were only looking for the houses and couldn't see any in the BBC TV shots of the War Memorial in the background. I took up the position in August 1976, thinking we would only stay for four to five years, but nearly 50 years later, and after 22 years as University Librarian, we are still here.”

What are you most passionate about in your work?

“Making publicly funded knowledge and research accessible and open. As University Librarian, my colleagues and I instituted the first open access repository in Australia and also established the ANU (open access) Press. In a similar vein, running the ANU Meet the Author series since 1987 has provided an opportunity to bring leading authors from Australia and overseas to campus to discuss their work. In the last three years we have averaged nearly 50 events a year and 13 events are already scheduled for 2026.”

What is your favourite spot on campus and why?

“This is both a retrospective and prospective comment for University House, of which I am an Honorary Fellow. I'm looking forward to its long-awaited reopening in the middle of 2026 as it provides a much-needed social meeting place on campus.”

Know someone with a great story to tell? Email the On Campus team at on.campus@anu.edu.au.

We’re making it easier for Higher Degree by ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ (HDR) candidates to manage their leave of absence requests. From today, a new leave of absence request will be accessible from ANUHub, replacing the old eForm process.

A new Approver Dashboard will also launch for HDR Delegated Authorities, Associate Deans Higher Degree ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ (ADHDRs) and Graduate ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ School staff, providing clearer notifications and improved visibility of candidature information.

For many students, receiving their student card is the first real moment of belonging at ANU. Student Central is seeking volunteers to support student ID card and Student Hub services during the Semester 1, 2026 orientation period from:

Volunteering offers a chance to be part of something positive, practical and human.

Training and on-the-day support will be provided.

To volunteer please complete the to indicate your availability.

The has been refreshed and is now available on the ANUOK app, providing staff with quick access to clear referral pathways, escalation steps and trauma-informed guidance.

The updated resource includes practical information on recognising distress, responding safely and connecting students to appropriate support services on and off campus.

As we approach the shutdown period, staff are encouraged to take a few minutes to familiarise themselves with the updated guide and its new, easily accessible location on .

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Student Safety and Wellbeing team.

At ANU, we work closely with high school career advisers across the ACT and Australia to help students navigate the complex transition from school into higher education. These specialists guide young people as they explore future study options and make informed decisions about their pathways.

However, access to qualified career practitioners in ACT public high schools is uneven. 60 per cent of ACT public school students in Years 7–10 do not have regular support from a trained career adviser during the years when they begin forming aspirations and considering academic pathways that shape their eligibility for future study.

You can help by signing the petition calling for guaranteed career guidance for all ACT public school students in Years 7–10.

Don’t forget to submit your photo via the before entries close, this Friday 12 December.

All winners will be revealed in the final 2025 edition of On Campus on Tuesday 16 December. Every pet photo will be featured in a merry holiday gallery so you can enjoy the cuteness overload.

This week’s picture comes from Warrick Schofield, Optomechanical Engineer from the ÐÓ°É´«Ã½ School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.  

“What is more synonymous with ANU than Sullivans Creek? Together with Lake Burley Griffin, this was always a nice scene on my ride home from campus. What a lovely place to study,” said Warrick. 

Got a photo to share? 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 .

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 .

If you need to support a student in distress, please refer to developed by the team.