Dear staff,
As this year’s momentum starts to build and there’s increasing activity across our campuses and sites, I wanted to give you an update on recent news from across the UQ community.
As you may have seen, a number of UQ staff and alumni were recognised with Order of Australia Awards in the Australia Day Honours list. I’d like to congratulate all of the Award recipients – and especially acknowledge Honorary Professor Melissa Little AC, Associate Professor Rhonda Faragher AO, Professor David Hume AO, and Emeritus Professor Jenny Ziviani AM for their significant contributions, both in their academic fields and more broadly throughout their careers.
We received more good news yesterday, with the Australian Research Council (ARC) announcing funding for 9 UQ-led projects in Round 1 of the 2022 Linkage Projects scheme. We topped the nation in this round, with the UQ-led projects receiving $4.23 million in grants. Congratulations to the successful applicants and their partners.
While we’re celebrating success, eight UQ academics were last week added to the ARC College of Experts for 2023. This means there are now 23 UQ academics among the 269 members of the ARC College of Experts, who are responsible for providing advice on a range of issues related to the assessment of ARC grants.
In other news, following the departure of Dr Al Jury last week, I’m pleased to announce that Shane Pitman has been appointed acting Chief Human Resources Officer, while we undertake the recruitment process to appoint a new CHRO. I trust you will offer Shane your full support over the coming months, as he steps into this important leadership role for the University.
Avalon Theatre restoration
The restoration of the UQ-owned Avalon Theatre on Sir Fred Schonell Drive in St Lucia will commence next week.
The new theatre is expected to reopen early next year. It will include two modern performance spaces, complete with state-of-the-art technology, capable of hosting a range of performances and productions. The theatre will be soundproofed to a professional level of acoustic absorption, and tiered, retractable and adjustable seating will allow for flexible use of the spaces.
The theatre will initially be used for teaching by UQ’s drama program, for student-led performances and for UQU Clubs and Societies – until the Schonell Theatre and Geoffrey Rush Drama Studio are refurbished as part of the Union Complex redevelopment project.
In time, the Avalon will also be available for local community groups and residents to use, continuing the Theatre’s tradition as being a space for the broader St Lucia community.
We are working with heritage and design experts to ensure the restoration process is carried out carefully and to the highest standards and that the site and façade are sympathetically refurbished.
While our aim is to retain as many trees as possible, including the Indigenous Hoop Pine in front of the main façade, a number of trees will need to be removed. We will also reinstate native flora on the site in line with UQ’s Campuses on Countries Design Framework.
You can find more details on the project here, including renders of the new theatre, and a brief overview of its history.
New Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom Policy
As we begin the final preparations for the start of a new academic year, it’s timely to remind everyone across the UQ community of our commitment to upholding academic freedom and freedom of speech, as foundational principles of the University.
At its final meeting for 2022, the UQ Senate endorsed a new stand-alone Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom Policy to ensure that these principles are given appropriate prominence in UQ’s policy and procedures library. I’d encourage you to familiarise yourself with the policy – and to do all that you can to ensure that its principles are upheld and respected by staff and students alike.
Staying cyber aware
Over recent months there has been a growing number of cyber-attacks across Australia, with cyber-criminals using increasingly sophisticated tactics.
While UQ makes a significant investment in our cyber-security controls, many of these attacks involve targeting individuals with phishing attacks. For instance, some of our colleagues have just this week received a fraudulent email from someone pretending to be me.
Given the threat posed by cyber-criminals, I would encourage you to be vigilant, report anything suspicious to our ITS team, and learn what you can do to protect yourself and UQ online.
Preparing for O-Week
And finally, I’d like to acknowledge the great work of our student support teams and teaching staff as we prepare for the influx of students for O-Week next week, ahead of the start of Semester 1 classes on Monday 20 February.
I expect there’s going to be a lot more life on our campuses this year, as many more international students return to Queensland for in-person learning. So, while our campuses might still feel a little sedate at the moment, I’ve no doubt that’s going to change by Monday.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the week.
With best wishes
Debbie
