IDEA News

Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue44 1–30 September 2023

A slate of networking events is in the making. Starting this month, the RSAA IDEA committee will sponsor monthly morning teas, with “R U OK?” day on September 14th and “World Mental Health” day on October 10th. Mark your calendars and join us for a warm cup of tea, snacks, and a chance to check in with your colleagues and friends. CoS IDEA is also launching a community event series with the goal of increasing belonging and inclusion. The first event will be hosted by MSI on September 12th, with the theme being “coffee”. These events are designed to bring together people from different Schools, so consider attending if you can. For further information, please see here. In the coming months, most CoS Schools will host similar events (but different drinks!), with RSAA scheduled for later in November. Keep an eye out for the next Lunations!

We would also like to remind you that registration for the RSAA co-sponsored annual gala of Women* in Physics, Astro, and Engineering is now open. Please sign up on Evenbrite by September 5th if you would like to attend. 

Last week, the ANU Respectful Relationship Unit ran the “Understanding Sexual Violence and Bystander Intervention” workshop at Mt Stromlo. It was great to see so many people attending, and for those who missed out, a similar workshop will be organized again at Mt Stromlo in mid-November. The student Buddy system is up and running with 26 students (HDR and coursework, from both RSAA and AITC) currently involved in the program, and more are interested in joining. An IDEA-sponsored Buddy lunch was held last month (see photo), and new buddies are now being matched for the mid-year intake!

Finally, with the new Enterprise Agreement, staff members of the University will soon have access to gender affirmation leave. The College of Science School Directors have committed to providing HDR students undergoing gender affirmation procedures with a 6 week extension to their scholarship. See here for further info. 

Luca Casagrande