Visit the website for more details and opening hours.

Library
The Library will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but will resume normal opening hours on Saturday and Monday.

Visit the website for full details.

Food outlets on campus
Food and beverage outlets around campus will be closed all long weekend, with the exception of Crunch Café and the Library Café which will be open for limited hours when the Sport and Aquatic Centre and Library are open, respectively.

MUSE
MUSE will be closed all weekend.

Security
The Campus Security Office (C1A) is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. If you’re on campus this weekend and need assistance,  contact the office on 9850 7112, or 9850 9999 (ext 9999) in an emergency.

Aimed at primary school aged children from Year two to six,  the program is designed to help children develop their understanding of science concepts and extend their school science learning in a fun, hands-on way.

The program is supported by Faculty of Science and Engineering academic staff, delivered by final-year University student teachers, and is aligned with the NSW science curriculum.

During the April holidays a new course in Energy is available and also a course for children in year 1 at school.

Children may attend single, multiple or all days of each program, which run from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

Learn more about the Junior Science Academy or explore other April school holiday programs on campus.

Chloë Spackman | Manager, Global Leadership Program

I’ve been at Macquarie for…
approximately seven years.

In a nutshell, my job is to…
Manage the Global Leadership Program and our component of the Global Leadership Entry Program.

I make sure our 3000 enrolled students are provided with workshops covering a range of pertinent international issues; give them access to inspiring and relevant keynote speakers, diplomats and business professionals; and connect them with opportunities to build their soft skills and capacity as responsible global citizens.

The question I hear most often in my work is…
“What is a colloquium?”, closely followed by “will [going on a Contiki trip / watching a foreign film / washing my dog] count for experiential credit points”?

The top three things on my to-do list today are…
1) Present to guests visiting from overseas partner institutions; 2) complete the UniForum survey; 3) write a keynote speaker briefing document.

If I could do any other job at Macquarie it would be…
Researcher in cognitive sciences or neuroscience – it’s fascinating and has so many implications for our everyday lives.  I have the neurolaw pioneering minds podcast with Professor Jeanette Kennett earmarked to listen to asap.

I’m really looking forward to….
Our inaugural Innovative Leaders Series event on April 13 with speaker Dr Jason Fox. It’s a new take on our existing speaker series and we’re working to find speakers who are genuinely pioneering leaders who can articulate their purpose and how they execute on that purpose.

The most amazing place I’ve ever visited is…
That’s a tough one, but I will go with the Yunnan Province of China. I cycled from the Tibetan border to Kunming city over 11 days and while it was the toughest physical challenge I’ve ever embarked on, it was a genuinely incredible adventure. 

In ten years from now, I hope to be…
Running my own certified B Corporation, sourcing and selling unique products from social enterprises and communities around the world, while writing about my travels and the positive examples of social change I encounter along the way.

Professor Deb Kane from the Department of Physics and Astronomy is commencing her third term on Council and aspires for “our University community to function collectively so that we can all read the University’s Ethical framework, with a sense that its principles are alive and well at Macquarie University”.

Professor Richie Howitt from the Department of Geography and Planning, has been elected for a second term and sees the big challenge of his term “as ensuring that Council nurtures Macquarie’s capacity to respond to change in ways that are consistent with our Ethics Statement and that support our capacity to nurture successful academic career paths for future staff”.

Deb and Richie are joined by Professor Catherine Dean, the Head of Department and Director of the Physiotherapy Program, who has been elected to Council for the first time. Cath is looking forward to working on Council “to ensure the University realises its strategic vision”.

More information on University Council and all its members can be found on the Council website.

27 diverse student societies were also present, and more than $1400 was raised to support the work of the UN Women International Committee Australia to end violence against women and girls in the Pacific region.

As of today, visitors to mgsm.edu.au will encounter a brand new website for the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. A key component of the Shared Identity project, the new site aligns MGSM with the University’s new identity while still maintaining a distinct brand look for the leading business school. Other major improvements include responsive mobile-friendly design and a new site structure that better meets audience needs.

[Front row, left] Emeritus Professor Jim Piper from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. [Back row, centre] Dr Lee Spitler from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. [Back row, far right] Dr Alfonso Garcia-Bennett from the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences.

‘Science Meets Parliament 2016’ Science & Technology Australia President, Emeritus Professor Jim Piper and delegates Dr Lee Spitler from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Dr Alfonso Garcia-Bennett from the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences met with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in his office at Parliament House earlier this month.

The 16th annual Science meets Parliament brought 200 working scientists to Canberra for a two-day program of professional development and networking aimed at helping them better communicate their science to the media, policymakers and parliamentarians.

[Left] The newly refurbished Department of Linguistics. [Right] Unveiling of the ‘We Are Ubuntu’ artwork by the Head of the Department of Linguistics, Associate Professor Jan-Louis Kruger (pictured right), and Macquarie University Visual Voices Art Group artist, Olegario Gonzalez.

The long awaited refurbishment of The Linguistics Department C5A building has been completed, in the record time of five months, by the company Inaphase. The new interior has proven to be a hit among staff, showcasing crisp modern features in neutral tones, complemented with splashes of turquoise and copper.

To celebrate, the Department of Linguistics held an opening last Friday afternoon in the elegant space, during which they unveiled the newly installed artwork created by members of the Macquarie University Visual Voices Art Group. The group was established in August 2014 by speech pathologist Christine Sheard in the Macquarie University Speech and Hearing Clinic. The group encourages people with some physical paralysis and language communication difficulties (aphasia) following stroke, to use art as a medium to practise friendship, social participation, renewed self-identity and autonomy.

The unveiled piece pictured is called “We are Ubuntu” from three artists from the group, John Giliberti, Olegario Gonzalez, Alasdair MacLennan and their artistic facilitators Viviene Mewing, Romny Vandoros and Karlene Wilcox; who named the piece after the African term ‘ubuntu’ which means “l am what I am because of who we are”. The artwork rejoices in the fact that communication can occur in more ways than just via speech and that its ultimate success resides also in the attitudes and engagement of people in all our social contexts.

Congratulations to the Macquarie University Catering team on receiving the New South Wales Banquet and Catering Award at the Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) industry awards for the second consecutive year.

The Award recognises organisations that provide catering services for business events either as a stand-alone catering business or as a banquet department providing food and beverage services for conferences and events.

This adds to the long list of awards the team have received throughout the years for their outstanding effort.  Learn more about their achievements.

Late last month more than 800 mathematics teachers from across New South Wales, including many from regional and remote areas came to campus to take part in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) Mathematics Review day.

Run by the Mathematic Department in partnership with the Mathematical Association of New South Wales, and with the assistance of the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards New South Wales, the day included a number of sessions reviewing each of the mathematics papers from the 2015 HSC. It was an opportunity to highlight areas of concern and provide information and insight to help classroom teachers better prepare their students.

The 2016 Macquarie University Amazing Race is on again, and all staff are invited to get involved. So dust off that fancy dress costume, bring out your competitive spirit and get ready for an afternoon of fun and team building.

Teams of four can register now through the Macquarie website, or individuals can sign up and be allocated a team. On race day, teams will leave the start point with a map and their first clue which they must crack to determine their next check point. At each destination, teams must work together quickly to complete a fun, physical or mental challenge in order to gain points and to receive the clue to continue the race.

“The race only took a couple of hours but our team talked about it for months afterwards; it was a real hoot!” said Campus Engagement Development Officer Lauren Hargreaves, who was one quarter of the ‘Welcome 1’ team from Campus Engagement in 2015.

The event is focused on fun, participation and community spirit. For Macquarie staff, it is the perfect opportunity for an afternoon team-building activity or some friendly office rivalry; the crew from Campus Engagement entered two teams in 2015!

For any staff new to Macquarie, it’s also a nice occasion to get out of the office and find areas of the campus they might have not yet discovered.

“We were probably the slowest team but it really didn’t matter; it was good fun and a great way to get everyone out of the office and around the campus,” said Robert Ephraums, Team Leader, Campus Engagement and part of the 2015 ‘Welcome 1’ team.

Giveaways and prizes will be awarded for the fastest team, the team with the most points and the most creative team costume. A free barbecue will conclude the event for participants.

For more details and to register, visit the Amazing Race website.

If racing isn’t your thing, but you’re still keen to get involved, you can volunteer to help out at one of the checkpoints during the event. Contact Manager – Sport Development, Kate Butler (kate.butler@mq.edu.au) to register your interest.

Date: Thursday 31 March
Time: 1pm, with a barbecue presentation from 4pm
Where: All around campus, starting from the Central Courtyard

Learn how to play golf in one of the best facilities in Sydney; get Scuba certified and explore the beauty of the ocean; learn the art of fencing; or the poise and expression of Latin dancing.

With ten courses available there’s something for everyone. Meet new people, learn new skills, and have fun!

Courses are open to all staff, students and members of the community.

 Learn more and register now.

The implementation process is well under way (some staff have already have been contacted to assist). The Ergo team have commenced management of all new requirements from today, Monday 14 March.

If you have a project you would like to discuss now, please contact Ergo for assistance. Please complete, reconcile and close all current projects with incumbent suppliers. Orders placed via Printerface will continue, Printerface has been redirected to Ergo.

There will be several process changes involved, and some training sessions have already been scheduled for print buyers. If you need assistance, contact the Print Production Manager and he will help you every step of the way.

Contact details
Martin Kennedy
Print Production Manager
Ph: 9850 6305
Email:martin.kennedy@ergoasia.com
Address: Group Marketing, Level 2 BD Building, 4 Research Park Drive, Macquarie University

What is a production manager/what does a production manager do?
The Ergo Print Management Centre (PMC) will be responsible for procurement and process management for all print and related activities from brief to delivery. This initiative is designed to deliver a single streamlined process which will increase efficiency, improve production standards and reduce total costs. Digital print and other on-demand requests will continue to be enabled through the Printerface technology in place today. Ergo will provide management and oversight of both requirements noted above.

Ergo will have an established panel of suppliers that have a proven history of delivering quality production at a competitive price within the lead times requested. Upon receiving a job request the production manager will assess the job requirements (be it quick turnaround, superior quality print, reduced costs etc) and will then contact the suppliers on the panel that are most capable of producing the job required.

Why was an independent print manager the solution?
Macquarie is joining the majority of government departments, educational institutions and multi-national companies who use an independent marketing production management solution to leverage their spend. It is a widely used and accepted model for obtaining greater efficiency and cost savings and for achieving better control of an organisations brand.

Who do I contact if I have further questions?
Contact Martin Kennedy, Print Production Manager – Ergo on ext 6305 or email: martin.kennedy@ergoasia.com or alternatively Fiona Rooney, Manager Marketing Services: fiona.rooney@mq.edu.au who will be happy to help with your query.

From our very beginnings, Macquarie has been consciously inclusive. From paving a path for women to pursue tertiary study, to the incredible number of nationalities and cultures to be found amongst our staff and students, ours is a place where different perspectives are welcomed and celebrated.

On Wednesday 23 March we will celebrate the diversity of our Macquarie community at a free Harmony Day event for all students and staff.

From 12pm to 2pm, the Central Courtyard will be alive with colours, sounds and tastes from around the world, with plenty of delicious food on offer.

Award-winning slam poet Abe Nouk will be performing a selection of poems reflecting on his upbringing in war-torn Africa and his new life in Australia.

As a signatory organisation to the Racism. It stops with me campaign, there will also be a screening of Unified Ryde – a film produced by Macquarie students and staff in partnership with the City of Ryde and the Salvation Army.

Harmony Day at Macquarie University
When: Wednesday 23 March
Time: 12pm – 2pm
Where: Central Courtyard

Learn more about the event.

That’s what makes Food Truck Thursdays so exciting!

Every Thursday during Session 1 there will be a different Food Truck in the Central Courtyard serving up delicious specialties.

Last Thursday the Night Hawk Truck arrived on campus to the delight of students and staff, and the rest of the month’s line up is as follows:

• Thursday 10 March: Eat Art
• Thursday 17 March: Caminito
• Thursday 24 March: Monster Rolls 
• Thursday 31 March: Agape Organic  

So roll on in to the Central Courtyard between 11am and 1pm each Thursday during Session 1 for some weekly lunch inspiration.