RSAA Committees
Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue6 1–31 July 2020
The RSAA Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) committee is here with you to “Think, Care and Act!” promoting inclusion, diversity, equity and access at RSAA. Guided by you, RSAA and the University we aspire to develop IDEA (L) culture here on Mt Stromlo.
In October last year, we reformed the committee with eleven members: Amit, Josie, Luca, Matthew, Naomi, Noelia, Rafat, Ralph, Roger, Shanae, and Sowmya. Each of us is here to help and listen to what YOU have to say. Our aim is to make the RSAA an inclusive, diverse, equal and accessible environment to which everyone wants to belong.
All of us have the responsibility to participate and act on IDEA issues! To get everyone involved we are organising a number of events throughout the year, including: educational talks, IDEA training workshops, documentary screenings, discussions and morning teas. No matter where you are in life, you never stop learning. We should use every opportunity to grow as better colleagues, better supervisors, better students and most importantly better people. We are all constantly improving on our research and technical abilities, so let’s apply the same determination to improving the way we interact with each other.
Behind the scenes, we are reviewing RSAA policies and statistics, ANU pulse training modules, and IDEA related funding sources. We are engaging with the ANU’s IDEA Oversight Committee, Gender Institute, and Respectful Relationships Unit to ensure we are learning from one another and dealing with issues consistently across the University. We are also looking to collaborate with other committees across the Australian astronomical community.
Within the committee, all members have dedicated themselves to becoming “ANU Allies”, and we encourage everyone to do the same. Remember: All ANU Allies can be identified by their rainbow Ally sticker… keep an eye out for them on doors, walls and laptops!
If you feel like something needs to change, contact us! We are all here to help you. Although we have some great ideas on how to promote IDEA culture within the School, your input will be what makes the biggest difference.
RSAA IDEA Committee
The RSAA IDEA Ultimate Guide to “Think, Care and Act!” is bringing to you the following activities in July and August:
- 21 July: Talk by Tony Dreise (director of the ANU Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research) about the impact of COVID-19 on Aboriginal communities in Australia. Zoom ID: 997 8534 1005!
- 17 August: Ally training, the University’s course to learn about LGBTIQ+ inclusion on campus, is now FREE for all staff.
- o Register here: https://services.anu.edu.au/training/lgbtiq-ally-training-edhr05
Keep an eye out for updates on future events. We look forward to seeing you ALL there!
Reach out! You can find us in the MSO intranet website under “People”. Send an email (idea.rsaa@anu.edu.au) or click in “Have your say” at the bottom of the IDEA website:
https://www.mso.anu.edu.au/syswiki/doku.php?id=idea:home. You can also contact any of the members. If we don’t know the answer to your question or concern, we will point to the right place!
(Left-to-right: Shanae King, Luca Casagrande, Noelia Martinez Rey, Roger Haynes, Sowmya Krishna, Rafat Alam, Amit Seta, Josie Munro), (Absent: Matthew Alger, Naomi Somerville, Ralph Sutherland)
