Operational Sustainability and UTS 2030

It’s a challenging time for our university and the higher education sector generally with significant changes in the Australian and global higher education environment. Like other universities, UTS has been impacted by the disruption of a global pandemic, increasing costs, and government policy changes that have reduced our funding and limited near term revenue growth arising from policy to limit international student numbers.

UTS has responded to this volatile and changing environment by resetting our strategic priorities in a new UTS 2030 strategy, with a focus on identifying measures to achieve savings, transform the university and set the foundations for long-term success. 

Putting the university on a sustainable financial footing requires decisions that are not easy and are not taken lightly, including the need to reduce our staffing, but the need to reduce expenditure is a reality. We’re taking a considered approach to setting the university on a more sustainable footing.

UTS 2030 will be implemented over 5 years with a focus in the first year on achieving operational and financial sustainability to enable the university to support continued investment in teaching and research, improve our student experience, and strengthen our reputation as a technology university driven by creativity and innovation.

I want to assure you that safeguarding and improving learning and teaching and the student experience is at the forefront of our strategy and our approach. We’re working to ensure we are setting UTS graduates up for future success through a review and alignment of our course portfolio, transformation of our curriculum and research impact and continuing to provide outstanding student experience and research that is critical to our communities.  

What changes are happening that will impact students?

We’re reviewing our course portfolio to ensure it is future focused. This work is being undertaken through the Sustainable Teaching and Learning Program. We’re looking to streamline our subjects and courses based on student demand, enrolment and employment trends, and alignment with areas of research strength.

Additionally, we will be revising subjects as part of our ‘curriculum transformation’ program of work. This will include a focus on academic integrity, assessment reform, GenAI integration and graduate employability. While this work is expected to deliver some savings, it aims to improve the student experience and deliver a relevant curriculum.

We understand that hearing about changes within the uni may leave students with questions. We’ve compiled a list of FAQs we’ve been hearing.  

Will my degree be suddenly discontinued?

No. Changing a course while ensuring all students can meet their course completion requirements and graduate on time requires careful planning and consultation. There’s an established policy and process for courses that are being phased out and discontinued.

If, as part of the Sustainable Teaching and Learning Program, a course is identified as no longer being sustainable, this process will be followed. This typically allows students currently admitted to the course to continue their studies in accordance with the existing course structure and requirements. 

No new students are admitted to a course being phased out. All course changes that impact students must involve the Responsible Academic Officer from your faculty, who will complete a change plan to understand any impact on students, notify students, and help them manage their study plans.  

Will student support services be impacted?

Student support services will not be negatively impacted. Maintaining or improving the student experience is a key focus of the work underway in the curriculum portfolio transformation.

Will students have diminished learning opportunities?

No. Subjects will continue to have relevant learning outcomes and opportunities, including professional experience in relevant subjects. Part of the work being undertaken is systemic course-wide reviews to transform our curriculum to improve the student learning experience. 

How will any changes being considered impact the student experience?

We’re using data and educational design principles to improve the student experience. We’ll do this at the course level by ensuring student progression is easier to follow and by embedding academic integrity into securely designed assessments. We’ll also ensure subject learning outcomes support student progression as you move through your course. At the subject level we’ll be uplifting Canvas subject sites, using inclusive design to make better use of education technology.

Will students have less subject choice, reduced specialisations or be forced into narrower academic pathways?

We currently offer more than 3000 subjects, many of which have very low enrolments over time. We’re working to identify those courses and electives that have low demand from not only students but employers and those that have limited alignment with our areas of research. Part of this work will be to streamline very similar subjects that sit in different courses.

However, these decisions will be made in the context of each course and subject. Subjects critical to student progression and to achieving learning outcomes will continue to be available to students and an appropriate number of electives will continue to be available, chosen based on trends in student enrolment and interest.

Will reduction in subjects mean class sizes will become larger?

The curriculum transformation will focus on ensuring that learning outcomes and student learning experience drive the design of subject learning activities and the related class sizes, whether they are online or on campus. 

Class sizes are determined based on the learning activities that will occur in the classroom; different class sizes are appropriate for different student learning activities. For example, a class where students are engaging in a laboratory, clinical or other hands-on learning activity will require closer supervision than classes where the aim is to explain core concepts, like in a lecture style class.   

It's possible that in some cases, class sizes may increase to improve the student learning opportunities and experience. In some cases, smaller classes may mean limited perspectives, which don’t result in a good learning experience. Subjects with the same learning outcomes offered in different courses that have very small class sizes may be merged for this reason.  

In any case, appropriate caps to class sizes will be applied, based on the intended learning activity. Additionally, changes to subjects may provide an opportunity to use different types of learning space. Larger student numbers in one space, such as UTS’s large collaborative classrooms in Building 2 doesn’t change the staff student ratio. Larger classes in these spaces are designed to be facilitated by multiple academics.

Will more classes be forced online or delivered in a hybrid mode?

No. Classes won’t be forced online or delivered in hybrid mode. Maintaining or improving the student experience means optimising student learning opportunities in the time scheduled on campus and using educational technology to do so.

UTS has invested in cutting-edge student facilities and intends to continue to utilise these spaces for student learning. UTS supports a flexible approach to learning so student learning outcomes determine the most effective teaching delivery mode.

What’s next?  

As we move further through this process and reach key milestones, we’ll update you. If you’ve got questions, please send them to studentfeedback@uts.edu.au and we’ll answer the most common questions in our updates.