Education

The College of Science and Medicine aims to make its teaching and learning fully inclusive, equitable, and able to benefit from diverse perspectives. This involves staff and students co-designing improvements to our education activities, as well as initiatives to increasing diversity.  

Key links

Resources and Initiatives

Future Research Talent

This scholarship programme aims to bring to ANU highly talented research students from India and Indonesia for a research visit. It has brought to CoS many exceptional individuals, such as Chandan Singh.

HDR scholarship extension for gender affirmation

Update October 2024: the suspension is over! This option for scholarship extension is live again, and part of a bigger pilot program of equity extensions. Find out more on this page.

Update June 2024: this policy has been suspended, pending decisions at the University level.

At the College of Science and Medicine, we strongly value the diversity that our transgender students bring to our HDR cohort, expanding our research perspectives, and helping us change our culture. We know that going through gender affirmation procedures is an intense process. With the new Enterprise Agreement, staff members of the University will soon be supported through this process with the provision of gender affirmation leave. Our HDR students, on the other hand, do not yet have access to similar support. This is why the College of Science and Medicine School Directors have committed to providing HDR students undergoing gender affirmation procedures with a 6 week extension to their scholarship. This matches the best gender affirmation leave available in the private sector.

If you are a HDR student about to go through gender affirmation procedures, talk to your supervisor about it. Your supervisor can then contact the Associate Dean Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (adidea.cos@anu.edu.au) to request the extension. The Associate Dean will have a chat with you about your plans, and any extra support you might need (using, among other things, the ANU Gender Affirmation Guide). They will contact your School Director to organise the scholarship extension.
 

HDR scholarships equity extensions

The College of Science and Medicine recognises that inequities exist in the opportunities that HDR students have to focus on their research for 48 weeks per year. These inequities arise from the diversity in our HDR cohort - a diversity that the College of Science and Medicine benefits from, and wants to increase and celebrate. To do so, the CoS has thus put in place equity measures that provide HDR students who need them with scholarship extensions. These extensions match the benefits of the inclusive leave policy available to staff in ANU's Enterprise Agreement, and complement the program leave options available to all HDR students.

Short Extensions

These extensions are automatically granted for: 

  • Caring responsibilities (up to 10 days per year)
  • Bereavement (up to 5 days)
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural responsibilities (as required)

Request procedure: email (once a year) from the candidate’s supervisor or their School HDR administrator to the Associate Dean HDR (adhdr.cos@anu.edu.au) and the Associate Dean IDEA (adidea.cos@anu.edu.au) containing basic information about the reason and length of the extension needed.

Note that there is no need to provide detailed information or justification. These short extensions are provided on the basis of trust, and with the aim to reduce stress for HDR candidates and their supervisors.

Medium Extensions

These extensions are granted for: 

  • Gender affirmation procedures (6 weeks)
  • Domestic violence (as required)

Request procedure: email from the HDR candidate, their supervisor, or their  School HDR administrator to the Associate Dean IDEA (adidea.cos@anu.edu.au), followed by a discussion.

The AD IDEA discusses the extension with the candidate, as well as other forms of support that may be needed. These extensions are provided with the aim of giving holistic support to the HDR candidate.

Long Extensions

These extensions are given for up to three months for:

  • Any life event that interrupted the PhD work.

Request procedure: email from the candidate’s supervisor or their School HDR administrator to the Associate Dean HDR (adhdr.cos@anu.edu.au) and the Associate Dean IDEA (adidea.cos@anu.edu.au) containing as much information and supporting evidence as possible.

The College of Science and Medicine aims to have such extensions granted as equitably as possible across its Schools. To do so, a committee evaluates requests for long extensions four times a year. Considering the available budget, the committee selects the most deserving applications. Along with equity considerations, the committee pays particular attention to the candidate’s progress, and to their ability to use the extension to submit their thesis.

This committee includes Associate Deans and Associate Directors with expertise in HDR supervision and/or Equity measures.  

Mental health during exams

Exam period can be a stressful time for students and staff supporting them. Below is a list of resources to assist you with exam period.  
If you are feeling overwhelmed, nervous, or are having changes in mood due to upcoming exams please don’t hesitate to reach out for help. You can contact your course convenor, your supervisor, student services at ANU and within your college, the Sub Dean of Education, Dean of Education, and the Dean of Students. Please remember that the Dean of Students and the ANU Student Association (ANUSA) are available to provide you with advice and that you can also contact Student Health, Safety and Wellbeing, ANU Counselling or Accessibility for further assistance. External resources can be found here to support your mental health.  
If you are feeling mentally unsafe after exams or when you get your results back, PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out for support from any of the above-mentioned people or support services. If you are in crisis and in need of mediate help, call 000.

The following is a list of links that can assist you during examination periods: 

Special Examination Arrangements can be found here: 

If you have been impacted by extenuating circumstances in the lead up to exam period, you can find information here: 

If you need to Defer an exam, you can find how to do so here: 

Remember that you can appeal your grade after exams, to do so, you can find information here: 

If you need counselling or psychological help: 

The Australian Women of Mathematics exhibit

What do mathematicians do? What are mathematicians like, as people? These questions have stereotypical answers that do not come anywhere close to describing the reality of what mathematics is, and who mathematicians are, in the 21st century. The Australian Women of Mathematics exhibit is an artistic and scientific project that aims to shine some light on this reality, in 2021 Australia.

Readings

  • Gender inclusive handbook (PDF, 529KB). A guidebook designed at ANU to promote gender -inclusive teaching through an exploration of contemporary research on the challenges faced by female or gender minority students, and to provide practical strategies and solutions for addressing these challenges.