After an extensive round of consultation in 2011 the University has approved a new smoke-free policy for all its campuses. Our new Smoke-Free Environment Policy 2012 is effective from Monday 30 January.

The University is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for its staff, students and visitors. Recent initiatives on campus have also included the promotion of healthy eating and the development of the University’s Centre for Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.

The consultation phase for the new smoke-free policy identified strong support from within the University community for a smoke-free environment on campus.

Smoking will only be allowed in the designated smoking areas, which are signposted on each campus. You can see the location of these areas on the Occupational Health & Safety website. The University is also displaying posters on campus to raise awareness of this important health initiative.

To find out more:

• read the Smoke-Free Environment Policy 2012
• read the Smoke-Free Environment Procedures 2012
• go to the Occupational Health & Safety website to read 'frequently asked questions' and learn about resources to help you quit smoking.

University of Sydney academics have been recognised for the significant contributions they've made in their fields and to their communities with the latest round of Australia Day Honours, announced yesterday by the Governor-General.

This year's recipients have been honoured for their work in fields as diverse as nutrition, family law, history and paediatrics.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Michael Spence has extended his congratulations to the staff and community members who have received honours this year.

"I warmly congratulate all those members of the University community who have been awarded Australia Day Honours, and thank them for the outstanding contribution they have made in such a broad range of fields," said Dr Spence.

"These awards reflect the strength and breadth of teaching and research at the University, and we are delighted that the members of our community have received such prestigious public recognition."

See the winners in the full story.

Internationally renowned performer, music educator and academic, Professor Karl Kramer, has been appointed as the Dean and Principal of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Professor Kramer is currently Professor and Director of the School of Music at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign – arguably one of the best comprehensive music schools in the United States.

Previously he held several other significant academic leadership positions including professor and dean at the Purchase College Conservatory of Music at the State University of New York, and professor and dean at New World School of the Arts in Miami. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, as well as a Master of Music from Yale University.

Read the full story.

On Monday 30 January the management of casual University venue bookings will transfer from the University of Sydney Union (USU) Venue Collection to Campus Infrastructure and Services (CIS). The new management structure will have an operational title of 'University Venues'.

The Venue Collection will retain responsibility for event management and bookings for all USU venues located in the Holme Building, Manning House and the Wentworth Building on Camperdown/Darlington Campus.

University Venues will be responsible for all other casual bookings, including those in the Darlington Centre, Eastern Avenue Auditorium and Lecture Theatre Complex, and the Quadrangle.

Please note that every year room allocations for timetabled teaching space are carried out over the months of December and January. The final draft is usually available in mid-February. Casual requests cannot be processed until this is finalised.

For enquiries relating to existing bookings or University Venues bookings please contact CIS by email on university.venues@sydney.edu.au or phone 9351 1537.

If you know of any students who need to access computing facilities after normal operating hours, 24-hour swipe card access via the Butlin Avenue entrance is now be available at the Wentworth Learning Hub (Level 4, Wentworth Building, Darlington Campus).

This space contains internet, computing and printing facilities, access to ‘virtual desktops’, group and individual study areas, and power points to charge laptops and other mobile devices.

Students can also access general computing support from staff at the Wentworth Learning Hub between the hours of 9am to 5pm whilst the Fisher Access Lab is under redevelopment.

Please note that the Link Access Lab in the Engineering Link Building on Darlington Campus has been closed for general student use and has been reallocated as a teaching lab for use by the School of Information Technologies. The Link Access Lab will be replaced with a ‘Learning Hub’ within the Peter Nichol Russel Building (PNR) on Darlington Campus, which is scheduled to open during Semester One.

For information about general computing facilities on campus, please visit the Student IT website for locations and opening hours.

For information about the Learning Network and the new student facilities that are being built on the Camperdown/Darlington Campus, please visit the Campus Infrastructure and Services website.

Join a discussion with a technology specialist about ways to design interactive software to modify behaviour and influence the health choices of consumers.

The Centre for Obesity Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (CODCD) has organised a two-hour discussion with Jennifer Wilson, director of the Project Factory. She specialises in social networks, iPhone apps, virtual reality and the use of gaming approaches to modify behaviour. She has more than 20 years experience in interactive media and was the head of innovation for NineMSN.

The discussion will be an information exchange looking at possibilities of what can be done and ideas to optimally utilise interactive software.

Event details
When: 1 to 3pm, Tuesday 31 January
Where: Norman Gregg Lecture Theatre, Edward Ford Building, Camperdown Campus
Cost: Free

RSVP essential: Ali Ayoub on 9351 2688 by Monday 30 January

Are you a male aged between 18 and 50 and feel you don't get enough sleep during the working week? Do you long for the weekend to catch up?

If you're interested in participating in a research study about your sleep and health, contact Roo Killick at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research on 9114 0499.

The study involves spending two weekends at the Woolcock Institute in Glebe. You will be reimbursed for your time.

Researchers in the Faculty of Veterinary Science need volunteers for a study of separation distress in dogs, a common anxiety disorder that affects quality of life.

Affected and unaffected dogs (or controls) are needed. Owners will fill out a questionnaire to assist in determining if your dog will be eligible for the study. A DNA sample (saliva swab) from your dog may also be requested, depending on your questionnaire responses.

Contact Diane van Rooy on 0423 087 823 to participate.

The Macleay Museum celebrates Chinese New Year!

Bring the kids to an afternoon of craft and activities celebrating the Year of the Dragon. Learn about lizards and how they were cast as dragons in the realm of myth and legends. Hear our storyteller read the tale of the ‘Great Race’ in Mandarin and English, and discover the origins of Chinese New Year.

Event details
When: 12.30 to 4pm, Sunday 5 February
Where: Macleay Museum, Gosper Lane (off Science Road), Camperdown Campus
Cost: Free
Contact: Museum Reception on 9036 5253

Join the first talk of Nicholson Museum’s ‘Great Cities of the World’ lecture series for 2012.

In this talk, Dr Richard Wu uses photographs to track the tumultuous changes in Beijing from the last days of the Qing dynasty (1900) up to the end of the ‘nationalist regime’ (1949). Events explored will include the intrigue between Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu in the Forbidden City, and the invasion of the ‘League of Eight Nations’ armies. The talk will also focus on the nine city gates of Beijing – some of which still stand today as the last remnants of Imperial China.

Event details
When: 2 to 4pm, Saturday 4 February
Where: Nicholson Museum, the Quadrangle, Camperdown Campus
Cost: Free but bookings essential
Contact: Museum Reception on 9351 2812