Recovery and renewal

A message from the Chief Operating Officer Dr Stephen Weller:

Dear colleagues,

Happy new year and I hope that each of you were able to enjoy a restful Christmas with family and friends. Christmas is such a special time of the year and a time when the demands of work come to a pause and allow us to reflect.

Amid the continuing challenges of COVID-19, the last quarter of 2020 saw a major focus on recovery in the context of managing the financial impacts of the pandemic and the regrettable foreshadowed loss of jobs across our workforce.

The first quarter of 2021 will see a continued focus on addressing these challenges and we will be releasing the first of three progress reports in early February. These progress reports will provide an update on performance against budget, workforce and enrolments. Over the first three months of 2021, we will develop a clearer position about how the impact of the pandemic will be able to be managed, and in turn how we can position the university for a sound and sustainable future.

While the challenges of recovery will remain with us alongside the pandemic, the new year also brings with it excitement and the opportunity of renewal. This month we have welcomed Professor Zlatko Skrbis as the new Vice-Chancellor, and on 8 February we will welcome Professor Belinda Tynan as the new Provost. These key senior executive appointments signal a renewal of the university, and there will be new perspectives, new opportunities and initiatives. At this time of renewal, all the strengths and achievements of the past come with us into the future. Notwithstanding prevailing challenges, we should all look forward to the coming months with hope and optimism.

I look forward to seeing you across our campuses in the coming months as we approach the resumption of our academic year and the always exciting return of our students. At this time, we are planning a resumption of the academic year in a COVIDSafe environment; however, we are actively monitoring developments across our jurisdictions and at all times will ensure our compliance with public health orders so as to ensure our campuses are safe places to study and work.

Best wishes,

Stephen