Welcome
From the Vice-Chancellor
The Australian Universities Accord Final Report was released earlier this year, presenting a clear picture of how higher education needs to evolve to meet the future needs of our society.
Thirty years ago, as the need for more people to be tertiary educated started to grow substantially, Australia’s education policy changed dramatically and drove the evolution from an elite to a mass high education system. In many ways we are still working though the implications of that change. Now we are about to embark on an equally profound change.
The Accord shows that within 25 years, 80 per cent of all jobs will require tertiary education qualifications from a university or TAFE. That means 90 per cent of school students will need to go to university or TAFE. To meet those targets Australian higher education will need to be available to anyone and to see high levels of participation from the many currently underrepresented groups in our community rise dramatically.
This is especially important for Tasmania, where we have very low participation and completion rates in our secondary schools and University. This affects all of us, with consequences right across our economy and communities. If we don’t address our low attainment rates Tasmania will fall even further behind the rest of the nation on measures of life expectancy, income, health, and productivity.
Inequality is already stark here, where a short 20km drive from Hobart’s centre to Bridgewater sees life expectancy drop 20 years (from 87 to 67). To address that kind of inequality the Accord focuses on increased educational participation and success for these communities while maintaining high standards.
Complementing this is the Accord’s emphasis on impactful research. With the University of Tasmania already deeply focused on impact, this is a welcome affirmation of our mission. Like us, the Accord realises that having impact relies on collaborating with people with a shared commitment to making a difference – no one can do this alone.
This magazine is full of wonderful examples of what working together like this can achieve – from the scholarships that provide much needed access to the University to research projects that are making a real difference. It shows what the future of higher education must look like, and I’m grateful to you and each of our benefactors who are helping shape that future.
With this strong momentum in place, and the Accord’s affirmation and support, it is a very good time to be pursuing our shared efforts to make a difference here on the island. Tasmania’s wellbeing and prosperity depends on it.
Professor Rufus Black
Vice-Chancellor
We value your support
“Remember, everyone’s path is unique, and it’s ok to make your own way … The financial assistance (from my scholarship) has allowed me to excel academically while contributing to the Tasmanian community.”
2023 scholarship student
Reading thankyou messages from scholarship students as they reflect on their experiences and the impact of philanthropic support on their lives is a uniquely rewarding part of my role and a powerful reminder of how philanthropy can change futures.
2023 was a year of profound change to philanthropy at the University of Tasmania. Significant work has been undertaken on contemporising the oversight and stewardship of gifts. Through the generosity of our benefactors the University now manages a portfolio of philanthropic funds worth $120 million, providing vital income that enables us to deliver on our mission in tangible ways. This includes funding scholarships and prizes to support our students and ensure the widest possible access to quality higher education, alongside high-impact research projects, and the infrastructure that underpins these aims.
Supporting our work is the reporting, governance and national benchmarking we undertake, ensuring that your gifts are well managed and stewarded in accordance with donor wishes. Of note in 2023 was the significant increase in donations. Philanthropic income nearly doubled from the previous year with our community particularly interested in funding globally significant sustainability projects.
Gifts in Wills continue to inspire with the permanent legacy they leave in honour of donors’ interests and passions. Last year the establishment of the Limestone Valley How Family Trust, formed through a significant bequest, will see medical research funded for generations to come.
To continue to meet these challenges and to focus our philanthropic work, the University has started an ambitious $50 million, five-year fundraising campaign: Sustain. This campaign will provide clear pathways for our alumni, donors and friends to join us in our aspiration to engender meaningful action in areas we know matter to our community. These areas include a sustainable planet; conserving our unique flora and fauna; ensuring student access to education; supporting medical research that makes a difference to Tasmanian and the world; and fostering creativity.
Such support will have lasting impacts far beyond this generation.
The shared stories of deep and meaningful partnerships that follow in this magazine are only possible because of the generosity of our donor community. Alongside our researchers and scholars I offer our profound thanks.
Rebecca Cuthill
Director, Advancement
The impact of your generosity
Thanks to your generosity, we have achieved outstanding outcomes over the last year.
Your support has changed the lives of students who would otherwise not be able to attend university, while celebrating success through scholarships, prizes and fellowships. It has also underpinned the research we need to tackle pressing concerns, from medical research to environmental restoration and beyond. Thank you.
2,730
Total donors
$18.6M
Total donations
$120M
Philanthropic funds under management across the University
$5.4M
Received from bequests
668
New and continuing students supported by philanthropic scholarships, prizes and fellowships
$14M
Total donations supporting transformational research