Governance

Sustainability Vision Statement

The University of Tasmania plays a vital role in leading our place-based and globally-connected communities in understanding and delivering sustainable futures.

Sustainability Mission Statement

Sustainability is essential to planetary health and human flourishing. Through our operations and academic activities, we have a vital role in facilitating sustainable forms of living. We uphold that sustainability is central to open and rigorous learning and knowledge creation that also recognises thousands of human generations of Tasmanian Aboriginal and other traditional knowledges and value systems. We are committed to embodying sustainable forms of production and consumption within the University and enable pathways towards a just and viable future. We commit to accountability and authenticity in our endeavours. We empower the University’s students, staff and alumni to be facilitators in their fields and contribute to sustainable living now and into the future.”

After consultation via the Policy Network, the current University of Tasmania's Sustainability Policy was approved in September 2020: Policy and Delegation.

The University of Tasmania Strategic Framework for Sustainability (PDF 2.5 MB), approved in 2020, provides a collective focus on activities in and for sustainability across the University and in so doing encapsulates our commitment across four areas:

• Goal 1: A leader in sustainability governance and implementation
• Goal 2: A leader in sustainability education and research
• Goal 3: Partnerships and engagement activities deliver sustainability outcomes
• Goal 4: A university committed to sustainability in its facilities and operations management.

Terms of Reference

The Sustainability Committee plays a key role in enabling the achievement of the University’s sustainability objectives through the University of Tasmania Strategic Framework for Sustainability. The Committee will perform this role through:

1. Providing high-level direction and advice on environmental, social and economic sustainability across the University, including assessing and developing advice on matters of policy, strategy and planning to achieve sustainable outcomes for the University and broader community, including in relation to:
   - facilities and operations
   - learning, teaching and research
   - partnerships and engagement
   - leadership and governance.
2. Reviewing and monitoring progress against the objectives and goals of the University of Tasmania Strategic Framework for Sustainability and providing guidance on further actions and initiatives to achieve these objectives.
3. Promoting a culture of continuous improvement in sustainability through identification and sharing of actions and initiatives that embed sustainability principles and deliver positive outcomes across Colleges and Divisions.

The Executive Sponsor of the Sustainability Committee is the Chief Operating Officer, who will notify key initiatives to the University Executive team (and through to University Council committees as appropriate).

A University Executive Team Sustainability Working Group will actively engage with the work of the Committee, and will consist of:

• the Vice Chancellor
• the Vice President (Strategy, Finance and Marketing)
• the Deputy Vic-Chancellor (Education)
• the Chief Operating Officer
• the Executive Director Infrastructure Services and Development
• the Chair; and
• the Deputy Chair.

Relationships

• The Sustainability Committee will consult with the Academic Senate and relevant academic and research committees on sustainability initiatives that affect curriculum and research.
• The Sustainability Committee will consult with other relevant committees on sustainability initiatives that affect other areas.
• The Sustainability Committee will coordinate with and advise Colleges and Divisions across the University on internal sustainability matters and initiatives.

Membership

• Chair (Chief Sustainability Officer or equivalent)
• Deputy Chair (senior academic)
• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) or delegate
• Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) or delegate
• Vice President Strategy, Finance and Marketing or delegate
• Pro Vice-Chancellor (Aboriginal Leadership)
• Chief Financial Officer or delegate
• Chief People Officer or delegate
• Executive Deans/Chief Executive, College of Arts, Law and Education or delegate
• Executive Deans/Chief Executive, College of Business and Economics or delegate
• Executive Deans/Chief Executive, College of Health and Medicine or delegate
• Executive Deans/Chief Executive, College of Sciences and Engineering or delegate
• Principal, University College or delegate
• Executive Director, Student Experience or delegate
• Executive Director, Strategic Communications or delegate
• Executive Director, Infrastructure Services and Development or delegate
• Chief Executive, University Services
• Education for Sustainability Community of Practice representative
• Tasmanian University Student Association (TUSA) - 2 representatives (e.g., President, Environmental Officer, Equity Officer, Postgraduate representative, preferably one South, one North)
• Students for Sustainability Working Group Chair or delegate

Where delegates attend meetings on behalf of named member positions, in order to fulfill the mandate of the Committee to provide a conduit for reporting and oversight, the delegate should be in a leadership role within that organisational unit.

Secretariat

Secretariat will be provided by Infrastructure Services and Development.

Dr Carmen Primo Perez is the Secretary to the Sustainability Committee.

Member roles

Members are expected to:

• regularly identify and share actions and initiatives that embed sustainability principles and deliver positive outcomes in their areas
• proactively liaise with their areas of the University to promulgate the efforts of the Committee and serve as a conduit of activity from their area back to the Committee
• formally report back to and seek direction from the appointed member with respect to Committee activities

Membership Appointment and Terms

The Chair and Deputy Chair will be appointed by the Vice-Chancellor

Members, other than student representatives, will be appointed to the Committee for a period of two years (renewable). Student representatives will be members for a period of one year, coinciding with their roles as elected Tasmanian University Student Association (TUSA) and Student for Sustainability Working Group representatives.

The Chair, in conjunction with the Executive Sponsor, may co-opt members (to a maximum of two) whose expertise, background or current work are especially relevant to the Committee for a period of up to one year (renewable).

The Chair may also include invitees for consideration of relevant agenda items.

In appointment of members, gender-balanced representation is the goal (maximum 60% representation for either gender, if not 50/50) as is having multi campus representation.

Mode of Operation

The Sustainability Committee will at minimum have five scheduled meetings per year. Further meetings can be added as required, at the discretion of the Chair.

Quorum is more than half of members (including the Chair and/or Deputy Chair).

Working Groups

Specific initiatives may be progressed through Working Groups of the Committee, which will operate with Committee oversight (e.g. to address regional campus issues).

While some working groups are quite specific in membership, others are open to interested parties that want to help deliver sustainable change across the breadth of sustainability areas. Current Working Groups include:

The Sustainability Committee Terms of Reference were approved by the UET Sustainability Working Group on 06 December 2022

Meeting Dates 2023

Queries

If you have any questions regarding the Sustainability Committee please contact Secretariat.