IDEA Committee Update

Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue48 1–29 February 2024

Supporting mental health is a top priority within the College of Science, and we are currently seeking volunteers for video interviews featuring staff members from across CoS discussing their approaches to mental health. Additionally, we are in the process of organizing a half-day Mental Health First Aid training at RSAA, with the date to be confirmed for June/July. A new training program, developed by the ANU Respectful Relationship Unit, focuses on power imbalances and respectful relationships between HDR students and supervisors. If you are interested in participating in this pilot project or featuring in one of the College video interviews on mental health, please reach out to me.
 
One of the key initiatives of the College of Science to promote diversity is through the Equitable Hiring Strategy, which each School has developed. One year into the implementation of this strategy, RSAA has invited all chairs from hiring panels in the past 12 months to participate in an anonymous survey, benchmarking their hiring practices against the Strategy. The full report can be read here. A notable conclusion is that while most recommendations of the strategy are being implemented, diversity among applicants and offers remains similar to the status quo. This raises the question of which actions and priorities should be developed for the School as we formulate our Strategic Plan. With this goal in mind, I invite you all to participate in the IDEA Town Hall meeting on Friday, February 23, from 2-3 pm, to engage in an open discussion about our goals and initiatives in support for the next 5 years.
 
Last but not least, we now have a new IDEA webpage with information and resources that you will hopefully find useful. Please take a moment to look it over and let us know if you think anything is missing. Also, keep an eye on the event page for any activities in the IDEA space!