Statement on Renew ANU

ANU Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Rebekah Brown has outlined her vision for the way forward for the University. 

Her draft roadmap on the University’s immediate direction is themed around three objectives: 

* Create stability  
* Rebuild trust based on action and evidence and 
* Go into the future with a deliberate and transparent plan that unites our community 
 
“We have heard loud and clear that we need greater community input into strategic planning, stronger and transparent accountability and improved communication,” Professor Brown said. 
 
“This draft Roadmap will be iterative as we’ll be having many conversations about the way forward.” 

Professor Brown also made a series of key announcements during a packed Community Address at Llewellyn Hall.

Australian National Dictionary Centre

A generous philanthropic gift has ensured the Australian Dictionary Centre will continue to operate. 
 
An anonymous donor made the gift in honour of Bill Ramson and Joan Hughes who established, and were the editors of, the first edition of the Australian National Dictionary.  
 
This gift will enable the Centre to continue to operate over the next two years, while the University seeks to secure alternative long-term funding. 
 
Advancement have identified funds that can be reallocated to support the Australian Dictionary of Biography while it seeks to secure alternative funding. 

Involuntary redundancies

Professor Brown also clarified the status of Renew ANU as it applies to different teams across the campus. 

For recently approved implementation plans – such as Information Technology Services (ITS), Information Security Office (ISO) and Planning and Service Performance (PSP) – the process will continue as planned.  

Five change proposals – the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), College of Science and Medicine (CoSM), Campus Environment (CE), Residential Experience Division (RED) and the Academic Portfolio – have completed change proposal consultation. Feedback is being reviewed, and implementation plans encompassing the centralisation of services are in development.   

Higher-than-anticipated uptake of the Voluntary Separation Scheme, along with increased rates of staff attrition, retirements and vacancy management, means involuntary redundancies are no longer required for the five change proposals still in progress as listed above. 

Once implementation plans for the above areas are finalised and delivered, the Renew ANU program will be considered complete.  

The College of Business and Economics (CBE), College of Systems and Society (CSS), College of Law, Governance and Policy (CLGP), and College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) – will meet their 2025 budget targets through vacancy management, retirements and attrition.  

School of Music

Professor Brown also announced that the University is in discussions with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra about how we can continue to work in partnership to support classical performance education in the Canberra region in exciting new ways. 

 Professor Brown also appealed to staff to help build a trusting environment. 
 
“We need an environment that is focused on the future, is focused on solutions and is focused on each other,” Professor Brown said. 

A recording of the address is available here: 
https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/anu-community-meeting