IDEA Committee Update
Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue18 1–31 July 2021
The RSAA IDEA committee has had some membership changes this month; we gladly welcome James Cameron from Siding Spring Observatory as a new member. James is our first representative from SSO, so we’re particularly excited to now be connected with our remote campus. Luca Casagrande has also moved into a co-chair position, relieving Roger Haynes. We thank Roger for his outstanding service in the role, and look forward to where Luca and Noelia will take us.
Since our last Lunations update, we have received the Bronze Pleiades Award from the ASA (valid until January 2023). The Bronze Pleiades is the entry-level award for organisations that are committed to the aims of the IDEA Chapter. We have satisfactorily shown that we have examined our conduct against the aims of the Chapter, developed a credible and measurable plan of action and demonstrated commitment to implement changes consistently across our organisation. We now have our sights set on the Silver Pleiades Award, which recognises organisations with a sustained record of at least two years monitoring and improving the working environment. It also recognises leadership in promoting positive actions as examples of best practice to other organisations in the astronomy community. More information can be found at asa-idea.org or during the upcoming ASA meeting IDEA chapter town hall (Thursday 15th July, 12.30pm).
In other good news, after a successful round of strategic initiatives funding your IDEA committee now has a budget! We have a number of exciting initiatives to deliver by the end of 2021 (remember that the funds need to be used this calendar year, folks). We hope to collaborate with some of the active working groups to bring these to you, so be ready to contribute if you can. The successful proposal can be found our website
It’s time for Culture Action Plan Stage II (CAP II) where we hope to build on the strong first steps taken by the working groups. We have learned a lot in the last year, and are now working hard on CAP II to prepare it for an August rollout. As always, it takes the community to build a community, so we will be calling for a number of active volunteers in the coming months. If anyone is particularly keen to get involved early (even just for a discussion), contact one of our committee members. We can often be found at the Wednesday coffee van or Friday BBQ...
While classes don’t start back up until the end of July, it is conference season for many of us, with a number of local sessions set to be held on site at Mount Stromlo. The PhD researchers will also be giving their yearly update talks in July, so it will be a busy month! Remember to look after yourselves during this time - if you can fit any reading into your schedule, we recommend Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski Ph.D. and Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A.
July also hosts NAIDOC week (4th-11th July), which celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s theme is Heal Country, which calls for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage. This is a timely opportunity for all of us to reflect on what it means to live and work in Ngunnawal and Ngambri country, and to contribute to healing. There are a number of local and virtual events to participate in, see www.naidoc.org.au for more details.
Georgie Taylor, on behalf of the IDEA committee (Luca Casagrande, Noelia Martinez, Rafat Alam, James Cameron, Josephine Munro, Naomi Somerville, Rajsekhar Mohapatra, Ralph Sutherland, Roger Haynes)
