University of Tasmania, Australia

The Student Centre within the Division of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students & Education) has responsibility for a range of activities and programs that support a growing and increasingly diverse student population from the point of transition, through university life and to graduation.

The Student Centre promotes the University of Tasmania’s commitment to a policy of equal opportunity in education.  This includes the provision of a teaching and learning environment that is free from all forms of harassment and discrimination and in which all individuals are treated with dignity, courtesy and respect.

Through its Equity and Diversity Plan Building an Inclusive Community, the University gives high priority to the principles and practice of equal opportunity in all areas of teaching, learning, research, human resource policy and management.  The objectives of the Plan extend to addressing barriers which may hinder the attraction, retention and success of staff and students studying and working at UTAS, and highlight the University’s focus on addressing work-life balance issues and eliminating unlawful discrimination. 

UTAS has identified eight key principles that underpin the goals of the Equity and Diversity Plan and which articulate the University’s equity and diversity values. These principles are:

• All people have inherent dignity and have the right to be treated with courtesy and respect.
• The University has a responsibility to provide an environment that is free from harassment and discrimination for all of its members.
• All members of the University community, including staff, students and visitors, have an active role to play in implementing the Equity and Diversity Plan.
• Inclusive practices are usually more effective and less discriminatory than residual services that target the needs of particular groups.
• Diversity and difference amongst the University population are acknowledged and accepted as valuable characteristics that have a legitimate place within the University.
• Staff and students have the right to determine for themselves whether they require special consideration for their particular needs.
• The indigenous peoples of Tasmania are recognised as the land’s original inhabitants and as the traditional custodians, dispossessed and disempowered in the process of European invasion.  The University acknowledges the special place of Aboriginal culture and values in the University community.
• To be effective, equal opportunity considerations must be integrated into University processes and practices at all levels.

Equity Related Links

There are a number of initiatives that support students in accessing, participating and succeeding at the University of Tasmania. The initiatives target specific groups of students, who for one reason or another, require support during their time at the University.

• Riawunna
• Disability Service
• Scholarships
• Safety Net Grant Scheme
• CALD
• Transition and enabling programs
• National website - EdEquity Australia