Sustainable Development Goals at our University
In 2019, we signed the University Commitment which recognises the significant scope of work needed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the important role university communities play in reaching these goals. We are committed to sustainability for ourselves, our surrounding communities, and the world.
The SDGs offer a shared framework for all levels of government, businesses, community groups and education organisations to prioritise action between 2015 to 2030, across environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.
How we measure our impact for the SDGs
We use the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings (previously Impact Rankings) and other frameworks, such as the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS), to measure our progress towards sustainability. The THE Impact Ratings aim to evaluate university performance in relation to the SDGs.
SDG8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
Decent Work and Economic Growth aims to drive sustained and inclusive economic growth, create decent work for all, and improve living standards. This can be achieved through technological innovation, sustainable development policies, reducing youth unemployment, procurement policies, protecting labour rights, efficient resource use, and decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation..
The University partners with government, business and communities to ensure that our students and graduates have opportunities to work in diverse, inclusive, innovative, sustainable existing and emerging industries. Our connection to Tasmania’s economy ensures we contribute to local innovation and provides opportunities to share our research and knowledge with the world. Tasmania’s environment uniquely places us to explore sustainable industries.
Employment practice
Employment practice living wage
Employment practice unions
Employment policy on discrimination
https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1368554/Behaviour-Procedure.pdf
Employment policy modern slavery
https://www.utas.edu.au/about/safety-security-and-wellbeing/modern-slavery
Employment rights for third parties
The University of Tasmania has procurement and supplier management provisions that extend human rights, ethical employment and modern slavery protections to workers engaged through outsourced, contracted and third-party arrangements. These provisions are embedded within the University's procurement and supplier management processes and apply to organisations providing goods and services on the University's behalf. The University maintains a zero-tolerance approach to slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and child labour and works to identify and address risks throughout its operations and supply chains.
The University’s Procurement Procedure requires all procurement activities to be undertaken in a sustainable and ethical manner and incorporates social responsibility considerations into purchasing decisions. These considerations include human rights, ethical production processes, diversity, and the identification and mitigation of modern slavery risks. University purchasers are required to assess suppliers and the goods and services being procured to understand and reduce risks relating to modern slavery and labour exploitation.
These requirements apply to outsourced services and third-party providers. Clause 5.2 (p. 5) of the Procedure requires all suppliers responding to tenders, proposals and quotations to demonstrate their approach to sustainable and social procurement. Specifically, suppliers must address Social responsibility (including the risk of modern slavery). Clause 5.2.e) states that “Social responsibility should be considered in all procurement decisions, including human rights, ethical production processes, diversity, and other social impacts” and “purchasers should review all suppliers and the proposed goods and services being purchased to understand and reduce the risk of modern slavery.” (p. 6). As a result, procurement and tender evaluation processes consider organisational governance, labour practices, ethical conduct, conflict of interest management, and the management of human rights and modern slavery risks.
The University also publishes annual Modern Slavery Statements, which identify, assess and address modern slavery risks across both University operations and supply chains. These statements outline the University's actions to engage with suppliers and partners, strengthen transparency, undertake due diligence, and continuously improve the management of labour exploitation and modern slavery risks across outsourced activities.
Through procurement planning, supplier assessment, tender evaluation, due diligence and ongoing supplier oversight, the University applies measures designed to protect workers engaged through outsourced arrangements and promote working conditions consistent with the standards expected throughout the University community. These measures extend consideration of human rights, ethical employment practices and modern slavery risks beyond the University's direct workforce to contractors, suppliers and third-party service providers operating on its behalf.
Pay Scale Equity and Gender Pay Gap Elimination
The University of Tasmania has a clear goal to eliminate the gender pay gap entirely. This goal is publicly stated in the University’s Gender Equity Portal. The University also maintains formal processes to measure, monitor and address pay equity across its workforce, with progress publicly reported and reviewed annually. Progress is publicly reported through the University's Gender Equity Portal and to the Australian Government Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), enabling ongoing monitoring of performance and transparency regarding gender pay outcomes. The University regularly reviews the drivers of gender pay disparity and uses this evidence to inform institutional actions aimed at reducing inequity.
The University's Staff Agreement 2021-2025 (which applies to academic and professional employees) supports pay equity through transparent classification structures and salary scales. Staff performing work at the same classification level are remunerated according to common salary rates and employment conditions established through the Agreement, irrespective of gender. This supports equitable and consistent remuneration practices across the institution.
The University publicly reports its gender pay gap and progress over time in the University’s Gender Equity Portal and through the Australian Government WGEA. The University's average total remuneration gender pay gap reduced from 8.4% in 2020-21 to 6.2% in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. This places the University among the strongest-performing Australian universities and below both the university sector average and the national average. The University's public reporting demonstrates sustained progress in reducing the gender pay gap over time:
Year | Average total remuneration Gender Pay Gap |
2020 - 2021 | 8.4% |
2021 - 2022 | 7.1% |
2022 - 2023 | 6.9% |
2023 - 2024 | 6.2% |
2024 - 2025 | 6.2% |
The University also undertakes analysis of the factors contributing to pay inequity. Published reporting identifies workforce composition, representation in senior leadership and senior academic positions, and differing patterns of part-time employment as key contributors to the gender pay gap. This analysis enables targeted interventions designed to address structural barriers to gender equity and improve representation of women in senior and higher-remunerated positions.
The University also undertakes targeted actions to address the structural drivers of the gender pay gap. In 2025, female representation at Executive level increased from 50% to 67%, strengthening women's participation in senior leadership and higher-remunerated positions. The University also continued broader gender equity initiatives, including implementation of the Gender-Based Violence Action Plan 2025-2026 and development of a strategic action plan to further reduce gender inequities and support elimination of the remaining gender pay gap.
Through transparent salary structures, annual measurement and public reporting of gender pay outcomes, analysis of contributing factors, and targeted institutional action, the University maintains a comprehensive approach to identifying, reducing and ultimately eliminating gender-based pay disparities across its workforce in pursuit of its stated goal to eliminate the gender pay gap entirely.
Employment practice appeal process
The University of Tasmania provides employees with formal processes to raise concerns, seek review of workplace matters, and appeal decisions relating to employment rights, working conditions and remuneration. These processes are established through the University's publicly available Staff Agreement 2021-2025 and support the fair, timely and transparent resolution of workplace disputes and grievances.
The Staff Agreement includes a dedicated Dispute Resolution Procedure (Clause 78), which applies to disputes concerning the application of the Agreement and National Employment Standards, the statutory minimum employment entitlements that apply across Australian workplaces (including leave, hours of work, flexible working arrangements and other workplace rights). The appeal may be initiated by an employee, the University or a union and provides a formal mechanism for employees to raise concerns regarding employment rights, workplace conditions, remuneration-related matters and other employment issues.
Under Clause 78.2 (Representation), employees involved in a dispute are entitled to be represented by their union or another representative of their choice at any stage of the process.
Clause 78.4 (Internal Dispute Resolution) establishes a structured escalation process. Matters are initially discussed between the employee (and/or their representative) and their supervisor, or where appropriate, People and Wellbeing. Where a matter cannot be resolved at the local level, it may be escalated through successive levels of review involving senior University representatives, ensuring employees have access to a clear and transparent mechanism for seeking reconsideration of employment-related decisions.
The University's appeal and review mechanisms also extend to remuneration and classification matters. Clause 51 (Reclassification Claims - Professional Employees) allows professional employees who consider that their position has been incorrectly classified to request a formal review of their classification level. Applications are assessed through an established review process administered by People and Wellbeing, providing a pathway for employees to seek reconsideration of salary-related outcomes linked to position classification.
The University also provides formal review mechanisms for academic staff promotion decisions. Under the Academic Staff Promotion Procedure, applicants may appeal an unsuccessful promotion outcome on procedural grounds within 28 days of notification. Appeals are reviewed by an independent senior academic appointed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). Where a procedural error is identified that may have materially affected the outcome, the application is returned to the original Promotions Committee for reconsideration. This process provides an additional mechanism through which academic staff can seek review of decisions relating to career progression and associated remuneration outcomes
Where disputes remain unresolved following completion of internal processes, the Staff Agreement provides for referral to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), Australia's independent national workplace relations tribunal, giving employees access to independent external review and dispute resolution.
Through its Staff Agreement, dispute resolution procedures, representation rights, classification review processes and access to independent external review, the University maintains comprehensive processes through which employees can appeal matters relating to employee rights, workplace conditions and pay.
Employment practice labour rights
https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/1653123/UTAS-Signed-Staff-Agreement-2021-2025.pdf