- Posted on 17 Feb 2026
At UTS, respect and inclusion are core to who we are and how we show up for one another as a community.
Being part of UTS means more than going to lectures or spending a quarter of your income on bubble tea. It means treating others with dignity and kindness, being mindful of how our behaviour impacts others and taking shared responsibility for creating a campus where everyone feels safe, welcomed and able to belong.
Diversity and excellence go hand in hand.
We’re a diverse community at UTS. Half of our students were born outside Australia, and half have a language background other than English. One per cent of UTS students are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and our community includes people of many faiths, cultures, identities and lived experiences.
We recognise that this diversity is a strength. Excellence in learning, research and innovation thrives when people feel respected and valued as their whole selves, and when we embrace the different perspectives that different lived experiences bring.
At the same time, UTS acknowledges that we exist within an unequal world. Structural and systemic barriers still shape people’s experiences within our social infrastructure.
We believe the role of universities is to change that. That’s why UTS focuses not only on inclusion, but on proactively addressing inequalities in our own community and building a culture of inclusion.
Turning values into action
Building a respectful and inclusive campus culture takes more than good intentions. At UTS, this work is supported through policies, programs and everyday practices that set clear expectations for behaviour and accountability.
This includes:
- Respect at UTS, our initiative to strengthen prevention and response to gender-based violence in all its forms within our community, including Respect.Now.Always a whole-of-institution approach to education and prevention
- the UTS Cultural Diversity and Anti-Racism Action Plan, which guides how UTS confronts racism at interpersonal, institutional and systemic levels
- the UTS Equity, Inclusion and Respect Policy, which outlines the values and behaviours expected of staff and students
- gender equity initiatives with a focus on workplace and academic equality, and STEMM
- the Indigenous Graduate Attribute, ensuring all graduating students have developed professional capabilities to work effectively for and with Indigenous Australians within their profession
- rethinking merit when it comes to university entry, embodied through the UTS Pathways Plan to welcome more people from groups and backgrounds who face barriers to higher education
- a suite of programs, training, networks and events to support LGBTIQA+ inclusion
- disability access and inclusion, to normalise disability, foster an inclusive environment for all, and support access needs
Our shared responsibility
A respectful, inclusive culture doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built every day through individual choices, collective action and a shared commitment to looking out for one another.
At UTS, that means:
- treating others with dignity
- being accountable for how our behaviour impacts people around us
- speaking up against discrimination and harm
- using the supports and resources available when they’re needed
When we all play our part, UTS becomes not just a place to earn a degree, but a community where everyone can belong.