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University of Tasmania
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The University of Tasmania (also abbreviated as UTAS, UTas or Tas Uni) is an Australian university, with three campuses in Tasmania. A 'sandstone university', it is the fourth-oldest university in Australia. It was founded on 1 January 1890, and is a member of the international Association of Commonwealth Universities. It is consistently named in the top seven universities in the nation.
Its two main campuses are the Sandy Bay Campus, about 5 minutes from the centre of the city of Hobart, and the Newnham Campus, about 10 minutes from the city of Launceston.
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Encyclopedia
The University of Tasmania (also abbreviated as UTAS, UTas or Tas Uni) is an Australian university, with three campuses in Tasmania. A 'sandstone university', it is the fourth-oldest university in Australia. It was founded on 1 January 1890, and is a member of the international Association of Commonwealth Universities. It is consistently named in the top seven universities in the nation.
Its two main campuses are the Sandy Bay Campus, about 5 minutes from the centre of the city of Hobart, and the Newnham Campus, about 10 minutes from the city of Launceston. The third is the Cradle Coast Campus (formerly called the North-West Study Centre), located in the city of Burnie, offers a small number of full degrees, and also offers first year studies in a number of subjects to attract students from that area of the state, and to facilitate rural/regional studies in particular areas.
The university, Australian Maritime College and TAFE Tasmania are the only institutions of higher education in Tasmania and, in 2008, the AMC and UTAS integrated into a single organisation.
History
The University of Tasmania was officially opened on 1 January 1890. Richard Deodatus Poulett Harris had long advocated the establishment of the University and became its first warden of the senate. The first degrees to graduates admitted ad eundem gradum and diplomas were awarded in June 1890. Referred to as one of the original sandstone universities, it was the fourth university to be established in Australia, and today maintains a strong reputation as a small to medium-sized university. The first campus location was in the Queen's Domain near Hobart, but as enrollment numbers grew and study interests expanded, the new campus at Sandy Bay was developed in the early 1940s.
The university was reorganised in 1991 when it merged with the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology, which became the Newnham Campus. The centre at Burnie was opened in 1995.
There is a sizeable international student population, and Professor Daryl Le Grew, the current vice-chancellor announced in 2004 that the university would not increase HECS (Higher Education Contribution Scheme) fees for the 2005 and subsequent academic years. . However, the university has recently announced HECS fees will rise by as much as 25% for the 2009 Academic year for most subjects excluding education, nursing and mathematics.
Faculty Organisation
Faculty of Arts
- Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music
- Riawunna (a centre for Aboriginal studies)
- School of Asian Languages & Studies
- School of English, Journalism & European Languages
- School of Government
- School of History & Classics
- School of Philosophy
- School of Sociology & Social Work
- School of Visual & Performing Arts
- Tasmanian School of Art
Faculty of Business
Faculty of Education
The school of Education is located at the Newnham campus with an additional location in Burnie. In 2008, the full degree will be offered in Burnie for the first time.
Faculty of Health Science
- School of Human Life Sciences
- School of Medicine
- School of Nursing & Midwifery
- Tasmanian School of Pharmacy
- Rural Clinical School
- Department of Rural Health
Faculty of Law
- Centre for Legal Studies
- Law School
- Tasmanian Law Reform Institute
- School of Agricultural Science
- School of Aquaculture
- School of Architecture
- School of Chemistry
- School of Computing & Information Systems
- School of Earth Sciences
- School of Engineering
- School of Geography and Environmental Studies
- School of Mathematics and Physics
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- School of Plant Science
- School of Psychology
- School of Zoology
- Marine Research Laboratories
As well as the faculties listed above, the University has six theme areas through which multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations in research and research training, learning and teaching, and community engagement are fostered. The theme areas are: Antarctic and Marine Science; Community, Place and Change; Environment; Frontier Technologies; Population and Health; and Sustainable Primary Production.
Teaching and Research
While the University of Tasmania retains a strong liberal arts focus , it is a comprehensive university covering most subjects in the arts and sciences.
The Faculty of Law has a number of senior academic staff in that faculty are leading researchers in the areas of medical and bio-technological law and ethics, Freedom of Information, legal ethics and equity. The Faculty, with the Tasmanian state government, also operates the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute.
Antarctic Research
The University currently holds the secretariat role of the International Antarctic Institute established in 2006 in partnership with 19 institutions in 12 countries.
University Library
The supports the teaching and research of the University of Tasmania. It provides access to and assistance with information resources, and leadership in information literacy. The Library operates across campuses through seven libraries and an Information Resources Area at the Cradle Coast Campus, and delivers a wide range of online resources and services both on-campus and off-campus.
Student life
Until 2008, there were two separate student unions the Tasmania University Union (TUU) in Hobart and the Student Association (SA) in Launceston. Due to the abolition of compulsory student unionism in 2007, the SA and the TUU amalgamated into one Statewide Organisation representing all UTAS students. .
The President of the TUU is elected to represent all UTAS students on all campuses, and both Hobart and Launceston have their own Vice-President and Student Representative Councils. Both the TUU State President and TUU State Postgraduate sit on University Council, which is the governing body of the University of Tasmania. In 2008, a Students Complaints website "The UTAS Blog" (www.utas.ws) was created and received support from the TUU.
The TUU is responsible for the overseeing of all the university’s many sports clubs and socieites. Some of these include faculty-based societies, such as the Law Students, Medical Students, Engineering students societies; societies related to various interests, such as TUMS (Tasmanian University Musical Society ), PLoT (Produces Lots of Theatre), The Anime Society; and various sporting clubs, including white water rafting, soccer, hockey, Touch Football , Australian Rules football, Rugby Union.
Student residences
Sandy Bay Campus
Newnham Campus
- Kerslake Hall
- Leprena
- Clarence House (Closing in November 2008)
- Investigator Hall
Notable alumna
Robert Douglas Anderson, BMedSci (Hons 1st Class) - ground breaking research into cyanide and it's role in Cystic Fibrosis.
External links
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