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.
Teaching and Learning Week 2025 is next week. From Monday 3 to Friday 7 November, get involved in a program of in-person, online and hybrid events that celebrate this year's theme, ‘Elevate’. There is still time to register for events, including the opening address delivered by Professor Tracey Bunda; Pitch and Connect: Exploring Teaching Innovation at UQ; and AI-Powered Teaching: A Teaching Innovation Grant Showcase.
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.
The UQ Postgraduate Physiotherapy Clinic will be open at St Lucia this November. Book an appointment to have your musculoskeletal or sporting injuries treated by a qualified physiotherapist currently undertaking postgraduate study. All appointments are supervised by expert clinicians. Appointments are available from Monday 3 to Friday 14 November between 1 and 6pm. As a UQ staff member, you can receive a 15% discount at the clinic.
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.
Results of the 36th UQ Senate elections have now been finalised. Congratulations to the 8 staff members, students and graduates who have been elected to serve on the Senate from Thursday 1 January 2026. The election results, as well as information about the election process, have been published on the UQ Senate elections webpage.
Don’t forget to register for our annual UQ Thanks You events, which celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of our staff. All UQ staff – continuing, fixed term and casual – are invited to celebrate another successful year with complimentary food, beverages and live entertainment. Events will be held at all 4 campuses – on Tuesday 4 November at Dutton Park, Friday 7 November at St Lucia, Thursday 27 November at Gatton, and Friday 28 November at Herston.
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.
The Student Evaluation of Course and Teaching (SECaT) and Student Evaluation of Tutors (SETutor) surveys opened on Monday 20 October and will close on Friday 7 November at 11:59pm. These surveys allow students to provide feedback on their learning experience this semester. Staff who are listed as a course coordinator, lecturer or tutor in a course profile will receive email reminders throughout the survey period to view survey QR codes and response rates. Please email evaluations@uq.edu.au if you have any questions.
Project idea submissions are now open for Round 1 of the 2026 Student–Staff Partnerships (SSP) program. The program is an opportunity for students and staff to collaborate and create change at UQ. Projects focus on teaching and learning, student experience, or governance and strategy. Project idea submissions for Round 1, which will begin in the first week of Semester 1, 2026 and run for 15 to 18 weeks, close on Friday 7 November.
The Curriculum Design at UQ course, for teaching and teaching support staff, supports you to actively design or re-design a curriculum framework through experiential learning. After completing the course, you will have a framework prototype that you can build on and refine over time. Applications close at 5pm on Friday 14 November.
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.
As the Art Museum prepares to relocate to a new purpose-built home in the Forgan Smith Tower, artwork requests will be temporarily paused. Removals can still be arranged via artoncampus@uq.edu.au. More than 500 works already displayed across campuses will remain in place as educational resources for our community.
The Gradebook in Blackboard Ultra (Learn.UQ) stores student marks from assessment throughout a course. If you are teaching this semester, you can streamline your grade finalisation by setting up a Total Percentage column and an Overall Mark column in your course’s gradebook. For Blackboard Ultra assistance and advice, book a consultation with an eLearning Adviser.
Thanks to the large number of staff who participated in the Fitness Passport 2025 annual survey in June. Fitness Passport is UQ's corporate fitness program that gives UQ staff and their immediate families exclusive access to a significantly discounted fitness membership and more than 430 pools and fitness facilities for one membership fee. Fitness Passport wishes to advise that, from Friday 7 November, the membership fees will change for both existing and new members.
Following the successful implementation of Microsoft Teams Phone at UQ St Lucia, rollout will soon commence at UQ’s other campuses and sites. Through Microsoft Teams Phone, you can make and receive phone calls from your laptop, tablet, or mobile phone, so you can stay connected from wherever you are working. The rollout across campuses in the greater Brisbane region and remote areas began on Monday 22 September.
UQ eSpace manages research publications at UQ. When you update your UQ eSpace profile to include your recent publications and research outputs, they are automatically added to your Individual Activity Profile and UQ Experts profile. To prepare for the Annual Performance and Development (APD) process, academic staff are encouraged to log in to UQ eSpace and ensure it is up to date. For assistance in managing your publications through UQ eSpace, contact the Library.
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 Curriculum Design at UQ course, for teaching and teaching support staff, develops skills in curriculum and assessment design and selection of pedagogies. This course will support you, through an experiential learning opportunity, to actively design (or re-design) a curriculum framework for an actual learning opportunity. Applications close 5pm Friday 14 November.
Enrolments are now open to participate in a UQ Disability Inclusion Masterclass during Semester 2. At this masterclass, run by the UQ Disability Inclusion Advocacy Network (UQ DIAN), learn practical ways to improve disability inclusion at UQ and build a more supportive workplace. All staff are encouraged to attend and be part of creating positive change. After completing the masterclass, you will receive an invitation to join the UQ DIAN.
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.