The University of Tasmania (sometimes referred to as UTas or UTAS) is a public Australian university in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in Australia. The University of Tasmania is a sandstone university and is a member of the international Association of Commonwealth Universities. It is currently the only university located in Tasmania.
The University offers various undergraduate and graduate programs in a range of disciplines, and has links with 20 specialist research institutes, cooperative research centres and faculty based research centres; many of which are regarded as nationally and internationally competitive leaders. The University has a student population of nearly 26,800, including over 6,000 international students (on and offshore) and 1000 PhD students.
§History
§Founding
The University of Tasmania was established on 1 January 1890, after the abolition of overseas scholarships freed up funds. It immediately took over the role of the Tasmanian Council for Education. Richard Deodatus Poulett Harris, who had long advocated the establishment of the University, became its first warden of the senate. The first degrees to graduates admitted ad eundem gradum and diplomas were awarded in June 1890. The University was offered an ornate sandstone building on the Queens Domain in Hobart, previously the High School of Hobart, though it was leased by others until mid-1892. This eventually became known as University House. Three lecturers began teaching eleven students from 22 March 1893, once University House had been renovated. Parliamentarians branding it an unnecessary luxury made the university's early existence precarious. The institution's encouragement of female students fuelled criticism. James Backhouse Walker, a local lawyer and briefly Vice-Chancellor, mounted a courageous defence. By the First World War there were over one hundred students and several Tasmanian graduates were influential in law and politics.
According to Chancellor Sir John Morris, from 1918 until 1939 the institution still 'limped along'. Distinguished staff had already been appointed, such as historian William Jethro Brown, physicists and mathematicians Alexander McAulay and his son Alexander Leicester McAulay, classicist RL Dunbabin, and philosopher and polymath Edmund Morris Miller. Housed in the former Hobart High School, facilities were totally outgrown, but the state government was slow to fund a new campus.
§Letters Patent
In 1914 the University petitioned King George V for Letters Patent, which request he granted. The Letters Patent, sometimes called the Royal Charter, granted the University's degrees status as equivalent to the established universities of the United Kingdom, where such equivalents existed.
§World War II
During the Second World War, while the Optical Munitions Annexe assisted the war effort, local graduates, replacing soldier academics, taught a handful of students. New post-war staff, many with overseas experience, pressed for removal to adequate facilities at Sandy Bay on an old rifle range. Chancellor Sir John Morris, also Chief Justice, though a dynamic reformer, antagonised academics by his authoritarianism. Vice-Chancellor Torliev Hytten, an eminent economist, saw contention peak while the move to Sandy Bay was delayed. In a passionate open letter to the premier, Philosophy Professor Sydney Orr goaded the government into establishing the 1955 Royal Commission into the University. The Commission report demanded extensive reform of both University and governing council. Staff were delighted, while lay administrators fumed.
§First PhD
On 10 May 1949, the university awarded its first Doctor of Philosophy to Joan Munro Ford. Ford worked as a research biologist in the University of Tasmania's Department of Physics between 1940 and 1950.
§The Orr Case
In early 1956 Orr was summarily dismissed, mainly for his alleged though denied seduction of a student. A ten-year battle involved academics in Australia and overseas. Orr lost an unfair dismissal action in the Tasmanian Supreme Court and the High Court of Australia. The Tasmanian Chair of Philosophy was boycotted. In 1966 Orr received some financial compensation from the University, which also established a cast-iron tenure system. The latter disappeared with the federal reorganisation of higher education in the late 1980s.
§The 1960s
In the early 1960s The University of Tasmania at last transferred to a purpose-built new campus at Sandy Bay, though many departments were initially housed in ex-WWII wooden huts. It profited from increasing federal finance following the 1957 Murray Report. Medical and Agricultural Schools were established and the sciences obtained adequate laboratories. Physics achieved world recognition in astronomy (optical, radio and cosmic rays), while other departments attracted good scholars and graduates were celebrated in many fields. Student facilities improved remarkably.
§Mergers and the 'new' University
The 1965 Martin Report established a traditional role for universities, and a more practical role for colleges of advanced education. The Tasmanian Government duly created the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education (TCAE) in 1966 sited on Mount Nelson above the University. It initially incorporated The School of Art, the Conservatorium of Music and the Hobart Teachers College. In 1971, a Launceston campus of the TCAE was announced. These were fateful decisions, as events over the next years showed. It was argued that the TCAE attempted to compete with the University, not complement it.
In 1978 the University of Tasmania took over two of the courses offered by the TCAE in Hobart, Pharmacy and Surveying, following a report by Professor Karmel, and another by H.E. Cosgrove. Some other TCAE courses in Hobart moved to Launceston. The curious situation of three separate courses in teacher education in the State could not last, however, and following two more reports, the University incorporated the remaining courses of the Hobart campus of the College of Advanced Education in 1981, which raised its numbers to 5000. The Launceston campus of the TCAE renamed itself the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology (TSIT).
In 1987, the University Council resolved to approach the TSIT to negotiate a merger to minmise ongoing conflict. The 'Dawkins Revolution' and the 'unified national system' provided later support for this initiative. The Tasmanian State Institute of Technology became the Newnham Campus of the University on 1 January 1991, exactly 101 years after the University's founding. A new campus at Burnie on the North-West Coast of Tasmania was opened in 1995, and later became known as the Cradle Coast Campus. Though the amalgamated institution retained the old name of University of Tasmania, like other contemporary institutions a new era dominated by market forces rather than generous public funding controls its future.
The Australian Maritime College (AMC), situated adjacent to the Newnham campus, integrated with the university in 2008. The University of Tasmania and TasTAFE are now the only institutions of higher education in Tasmania.
§Campuses
The University of Tasmania has three main generalist campuses: Sandy Bay, Newnham and the Cradle Coast campuses, and numerous satellite campuses listed below.
§Southern
- Sandy Bay - the Sandy Bay campus is set on 100 hectares of land in the suburb of Sandy Bay - about 35 minutes walk from the centre of Hobart. The Sandy Bay campus overlooks the estuary of the River Derwent and has the majestic Mount Wellington as its backdrop. Much of the upper campus is in natural bushland. About 10,000 students are enrolled at the southern campuses.
- The Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music (the Conservatorium of Music campus is no longer a public building; access to the premises by the public, students and staff is restricted).
- Medical Sciences Precinct in the inner city that encompasses the School of Medicine and the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania.
- Centre for the Arts in Hobart's cultural precinct encompassing the Tasmanian College of the Arts' fine arts courses, as well as the Centre for Legal Studies offering the practical legal training course.
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Science (IMAS) site on the Hobart docks.
- Queen's Domain, the University's original site that encompasses the School of Nursing.
- University Farm, a 334 hectare farm property located 20 km from the Sandy Bay campus and numerous other land parcels. The University Farm is set in the cropping and grape growing area of Cambridge located in the Coal River valley, serving the teaching and research needs of the School of Agricultural Science.
§Northern
- Newnham - the Newnham campus is Launceston's main campus, looking down to the Tamar River, about 10 minutes from the city centre. Over 5000 students are enrolled at the Launceston campuses.
- The Australian Maritime College is located adjacent to the Newnham campus.
- The Tasmanian College of the Arts and the School of Architecture & Design are housed in the Inveresk Arts Precinct in Launceston, an award-winning 17-hectare inner city site comprising arts studios, galleries, performance spaces, a museum and specialist workshops. The Inveresk precinct is based on developed buildings from a disused rail-yards site.
§North-West
- Cradle Coast - established in 1995 as the North-West Study Centre, the now Cradle Coast campus in Burnie caters for researchers and students in the State's north-west. It underwent significant expansion in 2008.
- Rural Clinical School, the University's state-of-the-art rural clinical school operated by the School of Medicine.
§Sydney
- Darlinghurst - established in 2006, the Darlinghurst campus delivers nursing, paramedic practice and health management courses.
- Rozelle - established in 2010, the Rozelle campus delivers paramedic practice courses in association with the Ambulance Service of NSW.
§Libraries
The University of Tasmania library system comprises seven physical libraries integrated into a single library system:
- Morris Miller Library (Sandy Bay) including Special & Rare Collections
- Law Library (Sandy Bay)
- Art Library (Centre for the Arts)
- Music Library (Conservatorium of Music)
- Clinical Library (Medical Sciences Precinct)
- Launceston Campus Library (Newnham)
- Cradle Coast Campus Library (Cradle Coast)
§Academics
§Organisation
The University of Tasmania has six faculties, some divided into schools, and three institutes:
- Faculty of Arts
- School of Humanities
- School of Social Sciences
- Tasmanian College of the Arts
- Tasmanian School of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Health
- School of Medicine
- School of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Law. Current Dean is Margaret Otlowski, former Deans include Sam Blay and Kate Warner.
- Faculty of Science, Engineering & Technology
- School of Physical Sciences
- School of Engineering and ICT
- School of Architecture and Design
- School of Land and Food
- School of Biological Sciences
- Australian Maritime College
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
- Menzies Research Institute Tasmania
The University currently holds the secretariat role of the International Antarctic Institute established in 2006 in partnership with 19 institutions in 12 countries.
A partnership between the University and the Cradle Coast Authority established the Institute for Regional Development at the Cradle Coast campus in 2005.
§Rankings
The University is a university offering both research and teaching. Domestically, ranked within the 14-17th bracket in Australia. based on the 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), issued by Jiao Tong University. Also, in the newly published Excellence in Research for Australia, the University was ranked 14 in Australia for its research quality.
Internationally, the University is ranked 357 based on the QS World University Rankings 2012.
Research produced by the Melbourne Institute in 2006, ranked Australian universities across seven main discipline areas: Arts & Humanities, Business & Economics, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, and Science. Based on data collected, the university ranked amongst the best in several of its discipline including Arts & Humanities, Law, Medicine, and Science but fared poorly in Business & Economics, Education and Engineering.
- National Academic Ranking is based on the research output and teaching quality of institution.
- National Survey Ranking is based on Australian and overseas academics, scholars & professionals perception of institution.
§Research
The university's priority research themes include
- Antarctic and Marine
- Community, Place and Change
- Sustainable Primary Production
- Population and Health
- Environment
- Frontier Technologies
§Research institutions
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
- Menzies Research Institute Tasmania
- Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies
- Centre for Colonialism and its Aftermath
- Centre for Law and Genetics
- Tasmania Law Reform Institute
- Centre for Aboriginal Education
- Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies
- Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute
- Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies
- Centre for Marine Science
- Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC
- Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science
- Australian Innovation Research Centre
- Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits
- Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
- Australian Food Safety Centre of Excellence
The University of Tasmania maintains close linkages with the Tasmanian Government and its departments, with the teaching hospitals, with the Tasmania Police, and with relevant industry bodies such as fishing and farming.
§Student life
§Student unionism
Until 2008, there were two separate student unions: the Tasmania University Union (TUU) in Hobart and the Student Association (SA) in Launceston. Following the abolition of compulsory student unionism in 2007, the SA and the TUU amalgamated into one statewide organisation representing all UTAS students.
The TUU is responsible for the overseeing of all the university's many sports clubs and societies. Some of these include faculty-based societies providing academic and careers guidance; societies relating to various interests, such as the Old Nick Company; and various sporting clubs, including cricket, football, rugby union and soccer.
Postgraduate students are represented by the TUU through the Tasmania University Union Postgraduate Council. The TUU Postgraduate Council was previously organised as the Tasmania University Postgraduate Association (TUPA). TUPA was established in 1982 to represent postgraduate research students on campus independently of the TUU.
§Residential colleges and student accommodation
The university maintains a strong residential college system, as well as providing more independent apartment-style living. A key aspect of campus life, the residential colleges are equipped with modern facilities and host several events during the semesters. The colleges also maintain their respective student clubs, key in the passing of traditions from one cohort to the next. The southern colleges annually compete in a series of sporting events including Rugby, Australian Football, Cricket, Softball, Basketball, Table Tennis, Tennis and Soccer.
The college system comprises Christ College, Jane Franklin Hall and St. John Fisher College in Hobart, and Kerslake Hall, Leprena and Investigator Hall in Launceston. The university accommodation system also includes the University Apartments and Mount Nelson Villas in Sandy Bay, Endeavour Hall in Beauty Point for students of the Australian Maritime College, and the newly opened Newnham Apartments in Launceston.
Two other residential colleges once existed - the non-denominational Hytten Hall (1959-1980) located on the Sandy Bay campus, and now used as a building for the Faculty of Education, and the short-lived Ena Waite College, established in 1968 for Catholic women and located in central Hobart, amalgamated with St. John Fisher College when it became co-residential in 1973. Tamar Hall, a small off-campus residence, once operated in Launceston, but was closed in 2005. Clarence House, a catered residential college also in Launceston, closed in 2006.
§Tasmania Scholarships
The Tasmania Scholarships program supports the University's commitment to offer students equal learning opportunity. It assists talented students, both locally, nationally and internationally. Industry contributions now make up the backbone of the Tasmania Scholarships program. The development and growth of this initiative into one of the most successful sponsored programs in the country is exceptional by any standard. Around 10 per cent of all domestic students at UTAS receive some sort of scholarship or financial assistance.
§Notable alumni
There are over 90,000 graduates of the University of Tasmania, spanning 120 countries. The university counts Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark amoungst its most notable alumni.
§See also
- List of universities in Australia
- Australian Maritime College
- Christ College (University of Tasmania)
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
- Jane Franklin Hall
- Kerslake Hall
- Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory
- St. John Fisher College (University of Tasmania)
- Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music
- Tasmania University Union
§References
§External links
- Official website
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