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Hi everyone,

The 48th Federal Parliament commences this week, with all the ritual and ceremony, alongside hope, politics and opportunity. I attended the Ecumenical Service to mark the beginning of the new Parliamentary Sitting whilst our Chancellor has been visiting old and new colleagues in Parliament House. In recent weeks I’ve been meeting with many of our local representatives including Andrew Leigh, Katy Gallagher, Alicia Payne, David Smith and David Pocock; as well as our Minister for Education Jason Clare, Assistant Minister for International Education Julian Hill and the Shadow Minister for Education, Jon Duniam. There is such a lot of regard for the national University and what we do. We are privileged to have such a diversity of champions and advocates and even critics who care about this place and our unique role for the nation. I am looking forward to continuing the many partnerships and relationships we have across Parliament and ensuring our experts are also supporting our parliamentarians to make thoughtful and informed decisions that benefit all Australians.

With the new parliament opening, we expect that the Minister will table our Annual Report in the coming weeks. As we have done in previous years, we will share it with our community as soon as we can, including publication on our website. In the meantime, the ANU Corporate Plan, which we are required to produce as a Commonwealth entity, is available and this document sets our key performance indicators and should be one every staff member has read. After our next Council meeting on 1 August, we are looking to publish an update on our 2025 progress against the Plan’s KPIs via On Campus.

The return of parliament also kicks off a new cycle of regulation and reform for our sector. It all starts this week with the Albanese Government’s legislation to reduce the current HECS debt by 20 per cent. Here at ANU, we have a proud history of supporting Australian students from all backgrounds to pursue tertiary education. In the 1980s, this was realised through the development of the HECS model by Emeritus Professor Bruce Chapman AO, allowing students from all walks of life to pursue study and pay their fees off over time, relative to their income. We know the proposed legislation will make a tremendous difference to students and alumni from across Australia who are facing cost of living pressures and help break down barriers to accessing higher education – every Australian should have the ability to pursue tertiary study regardless of their background or financial means and this is a welcome support.

There will be continued interest in the higher education sector with the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) getting officially underway and the second tranche of reforms from the University Accord under discussion, as well as ongoing reviews into university governance and research and development funding. Student numbers and managed growth are also on the docket for this parliament, and both will have implications for ANU and the entire sector. I am actively working with colleagues across the sector and parliament to ensure the voice of universities is included in these discussions and eventual decisions.

Closer to home, we have our own rituals and customs too. This week sees the start of Semester 2 teaching and it has been good to see our campus bustling with students again. A big thanks to ANUSA and the ANU staff teams who have been making sure our new students are welcomed and aware of all the things our campus has to offer. For our faculty, there have been the announcements of hard won ARC awards, and big congratulations are in order for 17 ANU staff. The full list and projects are , and I look forward to hosting a small thank you in the coming weeks to recognise and celebrate this cohort, along with the professional staff who supported the applications, in person.

Over the last week, I’ve been continuing to meet staff through the ‘Facing the Future' conversations.  And there has been much to discuss and some very different viewpoints depending on where you are from at the University. I am reminded at each one that whilst we may have different views and experiences about ANU, there is real pride in the work we do and a real commitment to importance of teaching and research to ensure this is a place that continues a remarkable story for our nation. The next set of conversation dates for August will be published in the next week, and I encourage you to sign up if you haven’t yet attended.

Finally, consultation is still open for three change proposals, and I encourage our community to engage thoughtfully and substantively. We are committed to evolving proposals in line with feedback, and every Implementation Plan has been different (and better) because of the community feedback. I know these conversations continue to be difficult, and I encourage you to access support if you need it.

Good thoughts to where this may find you,

G