With the morning sun illuminating the lakeside backdrop, it was difficult to feel anything but optimistic as Macquarie staff came together for the annual All Staff Breakfast on Monday 5 December.

More than 1000 staff registered for the breakfast – a rare chance for everyone to gather from all corners of the campus, enjoy a hot breakfast served by the Executive, and celebrate the community connectedness that is so unique to Macquarie.

It is a connectedness that Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton was particularly cognisant of this year, having resumed interstate and international travel after the easing of border restrictions.

“I don’t know any university in the world that has what we have,” he remarked in his event address. “During my travels, I am reminded of all the things we appreciate about our campus and the reasons why people have come back to Macquarie with such enthusiasm.”

This ‘reassembly of community’ was one of the Vice-Chancellor’s greatest highlights in a year that saw many ‘new normals’ return to… well, just normal.  Seeing students relaxing on the 1CC lawn, throwing a frisbee – (“maybe even reading a book,” the Vice-Chancellor joked) – “that is what the university experience should be about,” he said.

New Executive Dean of Science and Engineering, Professor Lucy Marshall

So too, said the Vice-Chancellor, was he buoyed by the diversity of the staff standing before him and the ways in which they came together to deliver the University’s teaching and discovery mission through the residual impacts of COVID.

“Macquarie is a micro-community representing many aspects of the world at large,” he noted. “I feel a great sense of privilege knowing that we are a welcoming community – one that has shown great re-emergence in the past 12 months.

“To see the momentum we achieved together has been remarkable and I look forward to 2023 with a tremendous sense of anticipation.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sakkie Pretorius

Maxi is a bichon-toy poodle cross who just happens to be owned by Taleen Biberian, Macquarie’s Wellbeing Services Coordinator. For the week of R U OK? Day it feels right to spotlight Maxi’s boundless commitment to MQ students. His employment is backed by science too, with research showing canine cuddles can release oxytocin, and lower the heart rate and blood pressure.

Something you’d like staff to know about

I LOVE belly rubs, any day, any time. So I beg you to come visit.

Something you feel proud of

Following in the footsteps of the late, great Snowy, dec. 2017.

A person you admire at Macquarie, and why

Student Wellbeing staff, they do such important work supporting students. They are my real role models in this job.

What you need to do your best work

Look, it’s a truth universally accepted that a small dog, in possession of a large sleep mat, must be in want of nothing else. So, if I know said sleep mat awaits me at the end of the day… I can play and snuggle for Australia.

The coolest bit of equipment you use in your work, and what it does

My staff ID – it means I’m a real boy!

Something people usually ask you when they find out what you do for a living

Do you have the best job at Macquarie? Ahh, yup.

Something you’ve read recently that has had an impact on you

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles. It strengthened my resolve to champion canine emancipation.

A favourite photo from your camera roll

The selfie published here. This year I’ve been working on my bikini selfies. #nailedit

A website or app you can’t live without

Puppr. obvs

Something you’re trying to do differently in 2022

Learning to do tricks, without treats

Term of Office – 4 years from election

UniSuper is the Superannuation Fund that covers the majority of employees at Macquarie University.

An important part of the Fund governance is the Consultative Committee, made up of employer and employee representatives. More information about the Consultative Committee can be found here.

Macquarie University has two employee representatives on the Consultative Committee, one elected by academic staff and one elected by professional (non-academic) staff. Representatives serve a four-year term.

The University is calling for nominations for the professional staff representative on the Consultative Committee from eligible professional staff.

Who is eligible?

Nominations are only open to employees who are members of either the Defined Benefit Division or Accumulation 2. Staff members can check their Division membership details via their UniSuper statement or UniSuper online.

How do I nominate?

Nominations open on Tuesday, 16 August 2022 and will close at 5pm on Tuesday, 23rd August 2022.

In the event that there is more than one nomination, an electronic ballot will be held.

Eligible staff can self-nominate for this role, by emailing their nomination to ChiefPeopleOfficer@mq.edu.au.

The nomination should specify the staff member’s name, Macquarie University staff number and their Fund Division membership.

For any enquiries contact: Mandi Larsen, Executive Assistant to the Chief People Officer, Human Resources at mandi.larsen@mq.edu.au

As students return for Session 2 they are being reminded of the University’s commitment to free speech and of ways to report inappropriate behaviour.

Pro Vice Chancellor (Research Services) Ross McLennan says, “the value of a university as a public institution depends upon its ability and determination to create new knowledge and understanding, to challenge accepted ideas, test novel hypotheses, and encourage rigorous academic debate.”

“Free expression is critical to our culture, so staff and students are encouraged to report incidences where they feel this is being impinged. As an institution, we are actively monitoring these events and will report all incidents of suspected foreign interference in our community as appropriate.”

As a requirement of the federal government’s Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference, updated in 2021, Australian universities must develop additional actions to better align their resilience to foreign interference.

Macquarie offers training for staff engaged in foreign collaboration or other partnership activities at risk of interference.
That training addresses how to recognise, mitigate and handle concerns of foreign interference.

These behaviours in the higher education context are described in the Human Rights Watch 2021 report ‘They Don’t Understand the Fear We Have‘ and in the 2022 Parliamentary Joint Committee of Intelligence and Security’s report ‘Inquiry into national security risks affecting the Australian higher education and research sector‘.

Tools have been developed to assist researchers in self-assessing when to seek advice from the National Security and Defence team.

Macquarie University has established a procedure for reviewing and controlling the foreign interference risk for research projects.

Anyone can report suspected foreign interference.

“This framework gives us permission to acknowledge that different accountabilities and outcomes will require different modes of work and we can intentionally design our work day to best achieve those outcomes,” says Dr Louise Dwyer, Operations Director, Graduate Research, and Flex Champion.

In addition to having in-depth knowledge, your nominated Flex Champion is trained to facilitate conversations about the guiding principles of the framework and to assist teams in creating a solution that balances the needs of the individual, team, and stakeholders. Everyone is encouraged to actively contribute to co-designing their team’s work practices but ultimately the responsibility for implementing the framework lies with the Manager.

“Successful implementation of the framework depends on trust, which in turn relies on clear and respectful communication. I hope we can bring clarity in helping define and facilitate discussions around the parts of the framework that might revolve around new concepts and ways of thinking about work, and in doing so have a positive impact on the process,” says Phillip Nakad, Head of Faculty Operations, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, and Flex Champion.

The Flexible Work Companion is now available to support staff. It is a ‘one stop’ guide to implementation of the Flexible Work Framework, containing key concepts, guiding principles, and examples of flexible work practices.

“I think the Flexible Work Framework is crucial in the way that we work moving forward, as it will support family life patterns, distance that people need to travel to work and will create an opportunity for a good work life balance,” says Elton Button, School Technical Manager, Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Flex Champion.

A list of all the Flex Champions can be found here.

If you haven’t seen the Flexible Work launch video from Nicole Gower and Professor Patrick McNeil, Executive Sponsors, Our People Program Board, you can watch it below.

It’s an all-too-familiar problem. The clothes clear-out comes around and we can easily part with the worn-out corduroy pants and pilled sweaters; but what about the faded Macquarie merch that has seen better days? Perhaps it elicits fond memories, or maybe we’re simply not sure whether items can or should be donated if they have old logos on them. Whatever the reason, too often it’s simply easier to shove it back in the drawer. 

In an exciting new initiative from the team at Campus Life’s MacShop, you can now recycle these items without the guilt that they’re simply going to landfill. To encourage participation, MacShop is also offering a 20% discount on your next purchase from MacShop Online. 

And it’s not just restricted to the cupboards at home. If you have old tablecloths with an out-of-date logo up the back of your department’s cupboard, now’s the time to dig them out and free up some space. 

Pre-loved Macquarie textile items are sought by the MacShop team, who will then send them to a local textile recycler to be processed into usable yarns and fabrics. 

To get a better idea how this all came about and to find out exactly how staff can use the service, we chatted to the person behind the scenes, Campus Life’s Merchandise Manager, Berend du Plessis. 

What got you started on a textile recycling initiative? 

The MacShop stockroom has a lot of garments which are not usable or donatable. Throwing these away to end up in landfill is not environmentally okay, so it just ends up taking up space that can be better utilised. Collecting them for recycling is a positive environmental action for sustainability. When we began the initiative, it occurred to us that individuals and departments across the Macquarie community would be facing the same issue as MacShop, so we thought it made sense to extend the program to everyone. 

I have my Macquarie Open Day t-shirt from 2012 – how do I return it and get a discount? 

First, fill in the online form on the MacShop website. We will get in touch with you to arrange collection on campus and to give you your individualised single-use discount code for MacShop Online.   

Can I just show up at MacShop with my bag of stuff for recycling and get my discount on the spot? 

No. This is an online promotional offer only. We wish we could take goods in person, but we simply don’t have the space. To make it work, it has to be digital and coordinated in advance.   

Can I use the discount code at MacShop on campus? 

Sorry, no. As this is an online promotion, the discount needs to be used for online purchases only. However, you can always come by the MacShop on campus to check out what we’ve got. Being winter it’s a great time to grab a new jumper, jacket or tracksuit pants. You can find us in the foyer of 18 Wally’s Walk. 

Is the discount regardless of volume, i.e. one shirt or 12 tablecloths? 

There are no volume limits – the only requirement is that the items need to be Macquarie-related and clean. However, individuals can only get the discount once per calendar year! 

Where does my stuff actually go? 

A company called TRA (Textile Recyclers Australia) breaks down the textiles into usable yarns that other manufacturers can use to make new items. 

Why can I only give you Macquarie-branded fabrics? 

This recycling initiative is by the University community, for the University community – to reduce our environmental impact. We have to pay for the service, so it’s about trying to make sure Macquarie-branded items don’t end up in landfill. 102kg of textile items have been redirected to environmentally sustainable solutions so far.  

Find out more and organise your Macquarie-related textile recycling today.

Historical Open Day photo source: Macquarie University Archives.

Celebration activities and events are planned already, with more to come during June. Check out the list below for what’s on around campus to get involved and be sure to keep an eye on the Macquarie University Students Facebook page and This Week for updates.

MQ Pride Wall

The Ally Network has launched the MQ Pride Wall – a digital installation that celebrates Macquarie’s LGBTQ+ staff and student community. Come and check it out in the Arts Precinct Intercultural Foyer (Level 3, 25b Wally’s Walk) before the end of the month.

Tuesdays in June at Esc and Library Cafes

Cupcakes $4.50 Tuesdays 7, 14, 21 and 28 June. Available until sold out.

16 June Thursday 5.30pm Drag Queen Trivia at Ubar

Drag Queen Charlamaine is coming to host trivia! Entry is free and there will be great prizes. Gather your friends, family and colleagues! Register now

15 – 17 June Pride Month Night Festival at MUSAC

The Sport & Aquatic Centre is having great fun with themed group fitness classes. They’ve had one already and there’s more to come: 15 June at 5.30pm, 16 June at 5.30pm, 17 June at 6.30pm. Keep an eye on their social media to book your spot.

22 June Social Sport Competition Pride Month round

Players and officials will be donning their rainbow attire, with rainbow socks and armbands supplied to teams by the University.

26 – 30 June Indigenous National University Games

This multi-sport indigenous event is held annually between 43 Australian universities and tertiary institutions. Walanga Muru athletes will be wearing Pride armbands for the tournament. Follow the team on Facebook.

Throughout the month, student residents of our on-campus accommodation will be having fun with rainbow pancake making, rainbow milkshake making and face-painting, while receiving rainbow cupcakes and rainbow facemasks.

There’s going to be plenty of great photos by the end of the month, which we look forward to sharing.

Find out more about LGBTQ+ inclusion, what it means at Macquarie to be an Ally, and how to join the Ally network:

Workplace Diversity & Inclusion

Be Brave, Be Strong, Be You – be your authentic self.

At the Wednesday night event in Melbourne, Macquarie was also one of only five Australian sporting organisations to achieve the Gold Tier in the Pride in Sport Index (PSI), a national benchmarking instrument used to assess LGBTQ inclusion within Australian sport.

“I am really proud that we have won these awards. Universities play an important role in the Australian sporting landscape, especially when it comes to supporting anyone who wants to participate in sport and wants to feel welcome to do so.  We are blazing a trail for other universities to follow,” says Campus Life CEO, Pete Boyle (pictured below with fellow staff members, Brett Morley and Sophie Curtis).

Pete says that Campus Life don’t do this work to receive awards, but the recognition validates the efforts of very dedicated staff and students.  The work done over the past two to three years has positively contributed to how the University designs and delivers inclusion strategies across the entire University.

“We are proud to create safe spaces for everyone, but our work isn’t done.  We will continue to try and be better and we remain committed to ensuring that sport is available to all. All Macquarie people can lead happy, healthy and active lives, while being exactly who they are,” says Pete.

The annual Australian Pride in Sport Awards brings sporting organisations from across the country together to celebrate the work and effort towards ensuring LGBTQ people are more included in all aspects of sport. Pride in Sport is the sport inclusion arm of ACON, and the world’s first and only membership and benchmarking program specifically designed to help include people with diverse genders and sexualities in sport.

The Pride in Sport Awards acknowledge sporting organisations’ achievements and hard work in increasing LGBTQ inclusivity across all areas of their operations and programs, with a range of sporting endeavours honoured, from individuals and coaches, to media, and community sporting teams, as well as state and national sporting bodies. Sporting Organisation of the Year is awarded to the organisation that records the highest scoring across all sporting bodies that enter. Macquarie University has been an active member of Pride in Sport since 2019 and has now won Gold two years in a row.

Find out more about Macquarie University Sport’s LGBTQ+ inclusion, including resources and their inclusion policy.

Macquarie University Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Ally Network intranet resources and information.

Pictured above in main photo: Macquarie University’s Brett Morley, Manager – University Sport (at front, crouching), Sophie Curtis, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Lead (behind Brett in black top), and Pete Boyle, CEO – Campus Life (third from right). Photographed with other 2022 winners from around Australia.

I am originally from Brazil and grew up in Rio de Janeiro, which makes me a bit of a beach bum  I came to Australia in 2008, straight after university, and have been working in the Sport and Recreation industry since. I started working at Macquarie University (U@MQ – Campus Life) in February 2019, in the Operations Manager role, which oversees the operations of the University Sports Facilities. It’s a very versatile and exciting role with a portfolio covering the Sport and Aquatic Centre (MUSAC), the University Sports Fields precinct, and a boat shed in Tambourine Bay that is used by our MQ Rowing Club.

1. Something you’d like staff to know about
Stay tuned for the O Week activities that MQ Sport is preparing to run at the Central Courtyard and MUSAC. It’s going to be a lot of fun for the students and very different from what we’ve done in the past.

2. Something you feel proud of
Going through COVID has been a challenge for everyone and I am very proud of my Operations team members for being agile, adaptable and for supporting other University Campus areas. When most people were working from home during the lockdown, help was needed around Campus and my staff jumped right in (e.g. place QR code signage on all buildings around Campus).

3. A person you admire at Macquarie, and why
Nicole Gower. When Nicole was on the U@MQ Board, we all got to know Nicole a bit better. She always made it her business to connect with people in Campus Life and she was a strong advocate of what we do.

I had the pleasure to work more closely with Nicole in my short stint as a representative of the People and Services portfolio on the Health and Safety Committee and she was inspiring.

4. What you need to do your best work
Support and trust.

5. Something people usually ask you when they find out what you do for living
People always ask: Is the Uni gym only open to university students/staff? And I always say that we’re open to everybody and anyone is more than welcome to join and enjoy our facilities!

6. Something you’ve read recently that has had an impact on you
A quote from Marie Curie that I read at an article recently and really resonated with me and makes perfect sense during these COVID times. It goes like this:

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.

7. A favourite photo from your camera roll
Definitely a photo of my son (when he was four years old) on Ipanema Beach (Rio de Janeiro), juggling a football. It puts a smile on my dial every time!

8. Your definition of success
Help other people around me to progress and better themselves. If I surround myself with good people they will always push me to get better.

9. The first person you go to for advice (and why)
My good friend and mentor, Marcio. He has been consistently helpful and honest no matter what.

10. A website or app you can’t live without (and why)
Weatherzone.com.au and Bureau of Meteorology. As boring as it sounds, I use it daily to know what the weather is doing so I can plan the University Sport Fields operations!

11. A personal quality you value in others
Integrity.

12. Something you’re trying to do differently in 2022
I plan on having more dinners together with my kids in 2022.

13. I’m happiest when…
I’m with my friends and family!

Please say hello to Bruno if you see him around campus! Come and visit the Sport and Aquatic Centre to check out the new membership options and new gym equipment.

The Our People Program Board would like to review the different types of flexible working.  This would incorporate the different ways people work to complete tasks, and how to balance the needs of staff, their teams, our students and the University, with the aim of positioning Macquarie University as a future-focused leader and preferred employer within the higher education sector.

We know the approach to working flexibly is something that you are keen to explore.  Both the May 2020 and October 2021 University-wide staff survey indicated that hybrid approaches to flexible working arrangements are inevitable and essential for the success of Macquarie University post the pandemic.

When it comes to work, there is not one size that fits all, given our diversity of work. Each person will have their own ways of working, what works best for them and their teams, as well as for the University in general.

With that in mind, as part of the University’s Operating Plan under the Our People program, we have commenced a three-phase Flexible Work Project to help develop and implement a University-wide framework for working flexibly.

The three phases of the Flexible Work Project are:

Phase 1:  Develop and consult on a draft flexible work framework

Phase 2:  Develop training and support tools to enable flexible work

Phase 3:  Support and embed flexible working in University-wide culture

We are now in Phase 1 of the Flexible Work Project.  Under Phase 1, the draft flexible work framework sets out proposed guiding principles for working flexibly and examines different types of flexibility from location, time, different work modes and platforms.

But to understand how this could work for you and your teams, we require your input on the draft flexible work framework.

In the next few weeks, you will receive a request to take part in Phase 1 of the Flexible Work Project.  We encourage you to take part in this project and help co-design a Macquarie University flexible work framework.  Your feedback is important to us, and more importantly gives you the opportunity to help shape the way you work with your colleagues, and the broader University community including students, in 2022 and beyond.