A university defined by purpose, partnership and people
As a public-purpose university, UTS is shaped by academic excellence and a deep commitment to social justice, equity and innovation, values that guide not only who we are, but how we engage with the world. And how you engage with us.
The Community Engagement Charter (The Charter) is a co-designed guide, developed in partnership with community. It sets out the principles and practical commitments for meaningful collaboration; serving as an aspirational roadmap for growth and a shared foundation for strengthening our collective efforts.
Over 2026–2030, UTS will contribute at least 150,000 hours of volunteer effort that responds to community-identified priorities.
The Charter is anchored with UTS’s core strategic commitments, ensuring our work is connected, coherent and purposeful. These strategic commitments include the UTS 2030 Strategy, which affirms UTS’s responsibility to work alongside communities; the UTS Indigenous Education and Research Strategy, which centres Indigenous self-determination and transformative impact; and the UTS Social Impact Framework, which guides the university’s contribution to positive social change.
Why community engagement matters
The Charter is a shared commitment to how UTS works with communities, grounded in respect, reciprocity and care. It guides the building of meaningful, ethical and mutually beneficial partnerships across teaching, research and practice, and provides a values-led framework that supports reflection, learning and continuous improvement in everything we do.
Meaningful community engagement with UTS grows from genuine, two-way relationships where everyone’s knowledge, experiences, and hopes are valued and shape impactful work. When UTS walks alongside communities with empathy, honesty, and a shared commitment to social good and embracing diversity, we build long-lasting partnerships that strengthen capacity, address inequities, and create positive change together now and into the future.
Key themes
- Build and sustain respectful, equitable and enduring community partnerships grounded in mutual trust, shared purpose, and recognition of lived experience as vital knowledge.
- Equip staff, students and community partners with the skills, knowledge, tools and ethical foundations needed to make community engagement a defining strength of UTS.
- Celebrate and embed engagement across our systems and culture to acknowledge its essential role in UTS’s success and strengthen the lasting impact of our community partnerships.
- Commit to using UTS's voice and influence in partnership with communities to amplify shared advocacy for a more just, inclusive and sustainable society.
- Actively engage students in community engagement through teaching, learning and research to develop their skills, social responsibility and capacity to create positive impact.