From February 2026, the University will introduce new ways to pay for parking. These changes will make parking easier and more flexible and will increase availability for those who drive to UQ campuses. The changes include more flexible and simpler staff permit options; a new parking app, PayStay (replacing CelloPark); and updated parking rates for staff, students and visitors.
This year’s final edition of UQ Update will be distributed on Monday 8 December. Please submit your stories and events before 5pm on Thursday 4 December to be considered for inclusion in this edition. We will restart our weekly distribution of UQ Update on Monday 19 January 2026. Before making a submission, please read the UQ Update guidelines so you can easily and quickly complete our submission form.
Visit the UQ Art Museum before it closes on Saturday 6 December to enable its relocation to a new purpose-built gallery in the Forgan Smith Tower, expected to open in 2027. Mayne Hall will then be restored as an event space. The 2026 Art Museum program is being finalised and will be released in the new year.
New tools to make course content more accessible for students with disability are available in all Learn.UQ (Blackboard) Ultra courses from Monday 24 November. Students can now access automatically generated alternative formats for all course content. Teaching staff can see accessibility scores for course content and a course accessibility report, which includes guidance on how to fix any accessibility issues.
Managers and supervisors are invited to complete a short new series of online microlearning modules about Annual Performance and Development (APD). The series is designed to help managers and supervisors provide meaningful feedback and support crafting high-quality goals. They focus on having meaningful, ongoing conversations that support staff growth and performance. The 4 modules take about 20 minutes each and can be completed at any time.
After Wednesday 31 December, there will be some changes to UQ’s open access publishing agreements that may affect read and publishing access for some journals. The Library will continue to support the UQ community in accessing journal content and identifying appropriate high-quality publishing outlets for research.
Applications are now open for 2 complementary teaching courses offered by UQ’s Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation. Curriculum Design at UQ supports you to design or re-design a curriculum framework ready for implementation, while Teaching in Practice will help you develop a teaching enhancement project that matters to you. Apply by Friday 12 December (Curriculum Design) or Monday 5 January (Teaching in Practice).
UQ has been awarded a SAGE (Science in Australia Gender Equity) Athena Swan Cygnet Award for transgender and gender-diverse inclusion. The award reflects years of work to remove structural barriers, improve visibility and understanding of gender diversity, and embed inclusion in policy and practice. This is UQ’s second Cygnet Award and is part of our pathway to Silver Institutional Award accreditation.
From Tuesday 16 December, the UniTask Travel Request Form for domestic and international travel will change. The upgrades to the form will improve user experience and simplify the travel request process. If you need to submit a non-urgent travel request, the University Travel team recommends that you wait to submit your request until after the new form becomes available.
If you are a professional staff member at UQ, you can now register to join the UQ Professionals Network (UQPN) in 2026. For an annual tax-deductible fee of $35, you can access professional development workshops, structured mentoring and networking sessions, job alerts, and cross-unit knowledge sharing, along with invitations to the UQPN Annual Conference and other social events. Organisational units can also sponsor memberships for their staff.
Due to essential maintenance, mySI-net will be unavailable to staff and students from 6am to 8pm on Saturday 29 November. If you need to undertake transactions in mySI-net, please do so before the outage or wait until the system is available again. During this outage, availability of other systems linked to mySI-net may also be impacted.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 UQ Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. During Teaching and Learning Week, we celebrated and recognised our colleagues' exceptional commitment to inspiring student learning, innovation, and educational leadership. Their achievements showcase UQ’s dedication to delivering outstanding teaching and creating transformative learning experiences for our students.
Don’t forget to register for the final UQ Staff Forum of the year. Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry will share key updates from across UQ and discuss our future priorities. The forum will be held at the UQ Centre, St Lucia, on Wednesday 3 December from 1:15pm to 2:45pm. Rooms have been booked at Gatton, Herston and Dutton Park for staff to watch the livestream. You can also join via Zoom. Afternoon tea will be provided from 2:45pm to 3:15pm at all in-person venues.
An opt-in update for Turnitin will be available from Monday 24 November for use in Summer Semester courses. The update includes an enhanced similarity report, mark range rubrics, decimal totals, individual student extensions, and overall improved workflows for marking and managing submissions. This new version of Turnitin will become the default for all courses in Semester 1, 2026.
Academic staff can now apply for a grant to support collaborative research projects between UQ and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The UQ-TUM Partnership Research Collaboration Grants Scheme strengthens institutional ties and fosters joint research initiatives. The scheme will award up to 3 grants – a maximum of $15,000 each. Submit your application before Tuesday 2 December.
Applications for 2026 Teaching Foundations courses are now open across all streams. Teaching Foundations, for teaching staff, helps you build essential teaching skills, create supportive learning environments, and enhance student engagement. It balances theory and practice, exploring foundational learning theories while providing opportunities to apply them. Teaching Foundations is offered in multiple streams catering to UQ’s diverse teaching and learning contexts – Teaching@UQ, Coordinating@UQ, CaPE@UQ, LD@UQ, and RPL Module.
From Monday 10 November, areas of the UQ Sport Athletics Centre will be closed for scheduled refurbishment works. The athletics track and outdoor training facilities will remain open, and a temporary kiosk located at the lower ground will be available for payments. Works will be delivered in stages, with completion expected in early 2026.
You can now sign up for online and in-person cyber security training sessions for the rest of the year. UQ’s Information Technology Services team offers fun and interactive sessions for staff covering cyber security essentials and identifying risks in your workplace. In the gamified Cybercation training, put your skills to the test in a race against the clock. Register now via the Stay Cyber Safe webpage.
Applications are now open for a series of professional development courses run by UQ’s Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI). These courses – including Teaching Foundations, Curriculum Design at UQ, and Teaching in Practice – are designed for teaching staff and teaching support staff at all career stages. You will be supported to build essential teaching skills, create supportive learning environments, and enhance student engagement. Apply now to commence study during Summer Semester or Semester 1, 2026.
On Thursday 23 October, staff from across UQ were celebrated at the 2025 UQ Awards for Excellence. These annual awards highlight the exceptional achievements and contributions of our colleagues. Congratulations to all winners, commended staff, and nominees, and thank you to all staff who nominated their colleagues.
Alumni making a positive impact in fields including philanthropy, new media and global sport have been recognised at UQ’s 2025 Alumni Awards. Congratulations to the 15 changemakers from UQ’s global community of 355,000 alumni whose outstanding achievements and dedication to their communities were celebrated at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 22 October.
UQ's Cyber Security Strategy 2025–2028 has been released. The Strategy provides a clear plan to strengthen digital resilience by building a cyber-aware culture, embedding security into daily operations, and investing in workforce development. This investment will equip the UQ community to meet evolving cyber threats and contribute to growing a skilled workforce that supports the broader regional economy. You can now read the Strategy online.
Windows 10 has now reached end of support. Microsoft is no longer releasing free security updates, bug fixes and technical support for Windows 10. If you use your own device that currently runs Windows 10, consider upgrading, disposing of, or replacing the device. For assistance, please contact your faculty, institute or area’s local ITS team.
Applications are now open for Erasmus+ Scholarships for Staff Mobility. These scholarships, open to academic and professional staff, support a short-term teaching or training visit to Munich, Germany. Erasmus+ Scholarships are offered by UQ and the Technical University of Munich to foster collaboration, share best practices, and strengthen our partnership. Applications for 2026 scholarships close on Thursday 27 November.
Works have commenced beside Union Road to install underground utilities and connect essential services to the new Fitness Centre site and provide new services for nearby buildings. As works progress, temporary pedestrian detours will be in place between Union Road and Blair Drive. In the coming weeks, Union Road will be reduced to one lane with traffic controllers operating a stop/go system during the day and temporary automatic traffic lights in the evening. Please take care in the area.
The UQ Sport Aquatic Centre will be temporarily closed from Monday 1 December to Sunday 14 December to allow for essential maintenance and upgrade works to enhance the experience for all pool users. Please be advised that during this period, the Centre will be unavailable for all activities. The pool is anticipated to reopen on Monday 15 December.
UQ staff can now book a free measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine through UQ Health Care St Lucia. Measles cases are increasing in Queensland, and by keeping up to date with your vaccinations, you can protect yourself and vulnerable members of the community from this highly contagious disease. Check your vaccination records, and if you have not received 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, consider booking an appointment to receive a free vaccine at UQ Health Care, your own general practitioner, or some pharmacies.
Academic staff and research support staff are encouraged to complete an online module to enhance their knowledge of conducting research responsibly and with integrity. The module covers UQ’s research governance framework and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. You will also learn about the broad principles and practices of responsible research conduct.
The Annual Performance and Development (APD) process for 2025/26 has begun, and all continuing and fixed-term academic and professional staff have received their APD form in Workday. You can find links to helpful resources, guides, and an FAQs document on the APD website. Staff training, including the online APD Foundations course, is also available.
Honorary Awards are the University’s highest honours. These awards – the UQ Honorary Doctorate and the UQ RH Roe Award – celebrate the diversity of our global community and recognise individuals who embody the mission, values and aspirations of UQ. If you know someone deserving of this recognition, submit your nomination by Thursday 27 November to be considered for conferral in July 2026.
The UQ Ally Network is a cohort of well-informed staff who create a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for people of diverse sexes, genders and sexualities at UQ and in the broader community. All UQ staff, regardless of identity, are invited to join the network by completing a UQ Ally Workshop. In-person workshops are being hosted at St Lucia, Gatton, Dutton Park and Long Pocket throughout the second half of 2025, and enrolments are open now via Workday.
As part of UQ's commitment to fostering a safe, positive and inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ people, we provide a range of resources – including training, guides, templates and support services – to support both staff and students. These resources are designed to help ensure everyone can work and study free from discrimination, harassment and bullying.
Looking for a new furry friend? The UQ VETS Pets for Life Adoption Program, based at Gatton, has cats available for adoption. Cats of all ages, sizes, colours and attitudes are searching for a new loving home – including 1.5-year-old Sting (pictured), who loves people and wants to be your new best friend. Book an appointment to meet a cat by calling 5460 1868 or emailing svs-csc@uq.edu.au.
Volunteer for a UQ research study
Get involved in UQ research by volunteering for a wide range of studies. Your participation may be vital to solving medical mysteries or answering important research questions.