MGSE staff news

Update on COVID-19

Social gatherings, work and end-of year functions

The University recognises that as restrictions ease, people will naturally want to take advantage of being able to come together - for work and social purposes. While the University welcomes these changes, as an industry we remain classified as 'restricted' and this influences how we can interact as colleagues. Therefore, to provide guidance and direction, and to ensure a consistent and equitable approach for staff, the University has developed the following guidance around work and social gatherings:

• Where gatherings are predominantly for work purposes (for example, team workshops and meetings) activities should be conducted in line with the relevant UoM policy settings, ensuring no disadvantage to any individual or group, and comply with the University's current COVID Safe approach to face-to-face activity. Local management approval should be sought to confirm that: the activity is genuinely required to be undertaken face to face, is connected to the requirements of the role and/or function, and can feasibly be done in an on or off-campus setting.

• Where gatherings are exclusively for social purposes (for example, social lunches, informal catch-ups outside work hours), the University does not need to be informed or provide approval, even where these gatherings occur at retail or hospitality venues on campus. We would encourage all staff to exercise judgment and comply with local vendor and Government regulations around COVID Safe behaviours.

• End of year functions - this year, in line with current restrictions and the University's guidance around social gatherings, end of year work functions should be deferred. The University understands that divisions want to recognise and thank staff for their efforts, and encourages managers to think of ways of doing so that take into account the guidance around social gatherings as well as the University's current financial position.

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MGSE return to campus update

• The University’s industry status has moved from ‘Heavily Restricted’ to ‘Restricted’. The Premier has re-iterated "if you can work from home you must work from home" and the University Return to Campus roadmap has been updated.
• MGSE will have very limited on campus activity for the remainder of the year - only those who need to be on campus.
• Extensive planning is underway for a COVIDSafe return to campus in 2021.
• We know that under ‘COVID Normal’, the COVIDSafe principles of limiting density and movement, and promoting appropriate hygiene will still apply. This means that we will not be able to return all staff to the office full time and we will need to change the way that we use our spaces. Staff should expect that they will continue working from home for some portion of their week for the foreseeable future.

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MGSE Staff Return to Campus survey

To inform our return to campus planning, all staff are invited to complete a quick survey. The planning team need an indication of how soon our staff would like to be working on campus, so they can prepare the buildings for a gradual, phased return of staff activity in 2021. The survey is not anonymous as the team need to know which spaces and/or teams will return, and in which order.

Take the survey

UoM Early Childhood Education Services 2021 waiting list

UoM's Early Childhood Education Services 2021 application is now open.  There are vacancies across the 2-3 and 3-4 year old rooms in addition to the funded four year old kinder program. Forms and information are available online. To apply, please complete and return the form as soon as possible to be considered for vacancies commencing from 27 January 2021 at Queensberry and Swanston Street Children's Centres.

Digital Taskforce Update

2021 LMS Content Copying Process

Coordinators of 2021 (non-MSPACE) subjects are reminded to confirm any LMS content copying in this spreadsheet.

Content copies from 2020 to 2021 subjects will be completed weekly according to copy preferences entered in the spreadsheet.

If you are a 2021 subject coordinator and didn’t receive the email about this, or if you have any questions about the process, please contact mgse-lms@unimelb.edu.au.

Visit the Digital Taskforce page for further updates.

Dookie new release wines

The new release wines from Dookie winery are now available and at a special price delivered to your door. The wines are sourced from the Tallis family vineyard about 3kms from the campus and made at the historic winery by FVAS Wine and Viticulture lecturer Chris Barnes. There are two six packs available to purchase until Thursday 3 December. Each pack contains the following wines:

• 2020 Bertie Rose
• 2020 Bertie Riesling
• 2019 Bertie Shiraz

For more information visit the FVAS website or for any enquiries contact Chris Barnes on 0411 264 114  or via email barnesc@unimelb.edu.au.

IT Updates

Upcoming University IT account change outage

To allow upgrades to University IT account management systems, we need a temporary outage that will freeze changes to University IT accounts. This brief outage will commence at 3pm Friday 4 December until 3pm Sunday 6 December. During this outage period, staff and students won't be able to reset passwords or provision/decommission accounts. Postgraduate students won't be able to request access to Themis during the outage period. Other than these items, this outage won't prevent you from logging into University systems.

Following the outage, all systems and functionality will return to normal. If you require support during this outage, please contact the Service Centre via the Staff Hub, online chat or phone. For further enquires contact IT services and support.

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New measures to help secure University computers

The University is working to provide additional layers of protection for your data with computer encryption. Encryption doesn't stop you from accessing and using your computer, however, it can help stop hackers from getting access to your data, by effectively making it unreadable to anybody other than yourself.

As of 2 November, compatible University-managed Mac and Windows computers are being progressively encrypted. If you want to opt in to have your computer encrypted, please reach out to the Service Centre for assistance.

• Windows users: The encryption process will automatically start when you connect your device to the University VPN or the on-campus network. Follow the instructions on how to connect to the University VPN.
• Mac users: The encryption process will commence when you restart your device. Follow these Mac encryption process steps. The encryption process only needs to run once and you can use your computer as it runs in the background.

For more information visit the Cybersecurity page.

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New file-sharing experience in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is continuously improving to make your work-from-home life easier. Teams is a comprehensive work tool that covers communication and document collaboration. Microsoft Teams brings together voice and video calling, instant chat, file sharing and collaboration in one easy app.

The latest update means you can now create shareable links for any file stored in Teams and directly set the appropriate permissions. Additionally, you can also set permissions for files stored in SharePoint or OneDrive while composing a private chat or starting a channel conversation. Contact IT services and support for any enquiries or for more information visit the Knowledge Base article about Microsoft Teams.

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Retiring Microsoft Skype for Business - time to move to Microsoft Teams

From mid-December 2020, the University is retiring Microsoft 365 Skype for Business for all University of Melbourne users. This means Skype for Business will be unavailable for all University staff and students. We encourage those using Skype to move onto Microsoft Teams. Teams offers all members of the University community a range of collaboration and communication features, including instant chat, voice and video call functionality. For further enquires contact IT services and support.

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MacOS 11.0 Big Sur upgrade now available via Self Service

MacOS 11.0 Big Sur features the first major redesign to macOS since Mac OS X. Apple is introducing a new look that's modern but familiar, with a focus on translucency, consistency, and content. The notification center has been redesigned with more interactive notifications grouped by app and iOS-style widgets that can be customised in three different sizes. Safari is faster and more battery efficient than ever. Safari privacy has been improved with a privacy report that lets users know which trackers Safari is blocking when you visit websites. Safari also comes with a built-in translation option for translating entire webpages from seven languages with a click. To update your University Mac to macOS Big Sur, login to the Self Service app, select the updates category on the left and click on macOS Big Sur upgrade.
For further enquires contact IT services and support.

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Retirement of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 11

After years of loyal service, Microsoft is retiring Internet Explorer 11. The University is rolling out Microsoft's latest internet browser, Microsoft Edge, across all University Windows computers from December. Microsoft Edge is a more secure modern browser. The latest version of Edge is currently available from the Software Centre to install on University Windows computers. For further enquires contact IT services and support.

VCE Summer School enrolment

If you know a student entering Year 11 or Year 12 in 2021, the VCE Summer School (VCESS) is a UoM Student Union two-week tutoring program, running online from Monday 11 January to Friday 22 January 2021. Applications are now open for the 2021 program. VCESS has a particular focus on creating a healthy study-life balance and on providing tutoring on the widest range of subjects. No matter how small the subject may be, we try to provide a trained tutor. The two-week program is priced at $50 AUD per student, which includes all classes, materials, activities, workshops and seminars. For any enquiries contact summerschool@union.unimelb.edu.au or visit the UMSU Summer School site.

Applications close Sunday 13 December.