UTS was formed at the beginning of 1988 from the former NSW Institute of Technology, and was restructured in 1990 with the merger of the 'Old UTS' with the Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education, the School of Design, and the Institute of Technical and Adult Teacher Education, forming the current UTS. Although its antecedent institutions go back as far as 1893, they took new shapes from the 1960s. This change in profile, combined with the University's predominantly CBD location in the city of Sydney, created a new identity. UTS is a University focused on practice-oriented education with strong links to industry, the professions and the community, and with a growing research reputation and a strong commitment to internationalisation.
UTS has had three distinct phases in its history. In the first phase, effort was concentrated on embedding an amalgamation of institutions which were different culturally, in their organisational structure, and in their approaches to teaching and research. This necessitated movement of staff and programs between campuses, and staff development to strengthen the research culture and establish more consistent approaches to teaching and learning.
The second phase, beginning in the mid 1990s, was characterised by the declining per capita Government funding and the consequent need for entrepreneurship and diversification of revenue sources. This phase saw a strong focus on international student recruitment, combined with an expansion of professional post-graduate programs for domestic students. UTS also began a unique approach to internationalisation with the creation of the Institute for International Studies: sending many of our students abroad to gain experience in a language and culture other than English. UTS recognised very early the benefits of internationalisation to the rapidly globalising city of Sydney. Greater emphasis on both research and flexible learning also became priorities during this period.
The third phase began in 2000 with a 10 year strategic vision Setting the Pace: A Vision for the next Decade. One major theme was a concentration of research funding into four major research institutes. A second theme was a significant upgrading of physical infrastructure at the city campus, including new buildings with major new student spaces and state of the art technology; and student accommodation. These changes to promote student life on campus reflected both an adjustment to the increasingly full-time profile of the UTS student population and strategic choices aimed at enhancing our future competitive position in an increasingly deregulated higher education environment. A third theme was based around enhancements to teaching and learning, and the fourth theme continued entrepreneurial activity.
Now UTS is a contemporary and progressive university with a global perspective that is linked to the life of the cosmopolitan city of Sydney and the knowledge requirements of industry and the professions. UTS is characterised by:
- Extensive and multifaceted links to the professions, industry and the community, manifested through: student learning in the workplace; extensive use of industry practitioners for teaching; involvement of industry in the strategic, educational and research direction of faculties; successful research and teaching partnerships and projects with industry; and an influential cadre of adjunct professors.
- A practice-oriented approach to education, which integrates disciplinary knowledge with professional practice and produces graduates who are industry-ready and highly employable. This orientation is evident in the UTS academic profile, the professional orientation of courses and the blending of theory and practice in curriculum design and teaching and learning methods.
- Strong commitment to internationalisation and multiculturalism. This is expressed through: a leading role in Australia in providing international experiences for Australian students; a large and diverse international student body; the considerable cultural diversity of both domestic students and staff, and the University's extensive and developing international relationships.
- Student-focus driven development of campuses and infrastructure to enhance student life. This is expressed through significant improvements in the physical and information technology infrastructure, the services provided to students and the broader conception of the student experience to include the social, sporting and culture life of our students.
- Focused development of research, as evidenced by clearly articulated areas of research strength, collaborations with other research institutions and industry, an increasing depth and quality of researchers, and a growing, well supported research student population.
