News Snapshot On A

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ANU Women’s Department Announces Birth Control Subsidy

Giselle Laszok

The ANU Women’s Department announced that from 21 March that it is subsidising 50 percent of the cost of birth control for any undergraduate students making a purchase at the University Pharmacy in Kambri.

The subsidy covers the contraceptive pill, contraceptive implants, contraceptive injections and intrauterine devices (IUDs). Students can only access the subsidy for one filled prescription at a time, through showing an undergraduate student ID card.

ANU Professor Reinstated After Relationship with Student Investigated

Rosie Welsh and Sasha Personeni

The ANU has been told to reinstate Associate Professor of Mathematics Scott Morrison into his teaching position after the Fair Work Commission ruled his 2020 dismissal as unfair.

Professor Morrison had consensually engaged in skinny dipping with a female student and kissed her on a mathematics class retreat in 2017.

The ANU has appealed the decision by Fair Work and has been granted permission to delay Dr Morrison’s reinstatement awaiting a decision by the full board of the Commission.

CRC 3: Potential Degree Mergers and Return to Exclusively In-Person Classes

Alexander Lane

The College Representatives Council (CRC) meeting in Week Seven discussed ANU’s grading system, College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) program changes, and a possible return to solely in-person classes.

After debates over ANU’s marking philosophy at its Executive Quality Assurance Meeting, it was clear the University favoured external benchmarks, though colleges still set their own standards.

CASS representatives flagged that their college is looking to merge some of its degrees, especially in the fine arts. Vice-President Chido Nyakeungama expressed concerns this could be a strategy to cut courses.

Despite College of Business and Economics (CBE) representatives’ suggestion that the University was returning to only in-person classes with online examinations in Semester Two, a University spokesperson clarified that there are currently no changes to teaching delivery next semester.

What are the Implications of ANU’s Denouncement of Russia?

Thomas Burnett

In an email to all staff and students on 3 March, the University condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This denouncement came with changes to the University’s formal relationships with Russian institutions, but stopped short of requiring individual academics cut their own ties with the invading nation.

Thus, ANU academics can continue to work with Russian scholars and institutions, including publishing with Russian academics. The University is not withdrawing from consortiums and organisations like the Association of Pacific Rim Universities which contains Russian universities.