The university is organised into 9
faculties and schools, which together administers 130
undergraduate courses and 210
postgraduate courses. In 2022, the university enrolled 44,615 students, including 32,825 undergraduate students. The university is home to over 45
research centres and institutes, who regularly
collaborates along with industry and government partners.[6]
UTS recognises more than 180 different
clubs and societies. Its varsity sports teams, which is overseen by
UTS Sport, competes in the
UniSport Nationals as well as in standalone national championships throughout the year.[15] As of 2022, the university has over 270,000 alumni across 140 countries.[16]
In 1940 the NSW Parliament passed an Act to establish an
Institute of Technology, which in 1964 led to the establishment of the New South Wales Institute of Technology (NSWIT). In 1968, the NSW Institute of Technology amalgamated with the NSW Institute of Business Studies. In 1976 NSWIT established the first law school in NSW outside the university sector. The Haymarket campus officially opened in 1985.
On 8 October 1987 university status was granted to NSWIT, which was followed by the passing of the University of Technology, Sydney, Act 1987. It was reconstituted as the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) on
26 January 1988, along with the incorporation of the School of Design of the former
Sydney College of the Arts.[19] In 1989, the University of Technology, Sydney, Act 1989 (NSW) formed UTS by absorbing the Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education (KCAE) and the Institute of Technical and Adult Teacher Education (ITATE) of the
Sydney College of Advanced Education. By 1991, an academic structure of nine faculties and 25 schools was established.[19]
The School of Design was initially housed at a campus in
Balmain, which closed at the end of 1994, with the school moved to a new building at the city campus.[20][21] The environmental, biological and biomedical science schools were located on a campus at
St Leonards, which was closed in 2006, which also relocated to the city campus following a redevelopment.[22][23]
The Kuring-Gai campus closed at the end of 2015, with classes and facilities moved into the main Haymarket campus. This marked the consolidation of UTS into a single unified campus in the Sydney CBD.[24]
The campus consists of five distinct precincts.
Broadway,
Haymarket and Blackfriars are located at the city campus, while precincts at
Moore Park and
Botany integrate specialist facilities with surrounding industry organisations.[25]
Broadway (located in
Ultimo) is home to the faculties of Science, Health, Law, Arts and Social Sciences, Engineering and IT, and Design, Architecture and Building, as well as the
UTS Library. Haymarket is the location of the Business School, UTS Startups, the UTS
Animal Logic Academy and two lecture theatres in the
Powerhouse Museum. The Blackfriars precinct in
Chippendale contains the Blackfriars Children's Centre and research and innovation teams while the Moore Park precinct features sports facilities within the Rugby Australia Building and the Botany precinct consists of the specialist research facility UTS Tech Lab.[25]
The campus has been substantially transformed since 2008 by the university's City Campus Master Plan, a $1 billion-plus investment in new buildings and facilities, major upgrades and refurbishments.[26][27]
Buildings and architecture
The
UTS Tower on Broadway (Building 1) is an example of
brutalist architecture with square and block concrete designs. Completed and officially opened in 1979 by
PremierNeville Wran, the Tower initially housed the NSW Institute of Technology, which transformed to become UTS in the late 1980s. In October 2006, the UTS Tower was voted the ugliest building in Sydney in a poll hosted by The Sydney Morning Herald, receiving 22% of the total vote.[28] The Tower is the largest campus building in terms of both height and floor space.[29]
Other notable buildings in the Broadway precinct include:
Building 2,
UTS Central, is intended as a central hub for the campus. Opened in August 2019, the 17-storey building is encased in glass and includes the
UTS Library, the Faculty of Law, the Hive Super Lab, three large collaborative classrooms, student spaces and a food court. The new food court includes outlets such as Mad Mex, Chatime, PapaRich and Uni Bros, and all single-use plastic packaging has been replaced with fully compostable, reusable or recyclable alternatives.[30] It was designed by Australian architectural firm
Francis-Jones Morehan Thorp.[31]
Building 3, the Bon Marche Building, which dates to the 1890s and was named after the Parisian department store
Le Bon Marché. Originally a department store operated by
Marcus Clark & Co, the building now accommodates specialist facilities for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.[32]
Building 7, or the
Vicki Sara Building, home to Faculty of Science administration and specialist facilities, and the original home of the Graduate School of Health (which moved to Building 20 at 100 Broadway in 2020). Designed by architects Durbach Block Jaggers, in association with
BVN Architecture, it has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design and As-Built rating, certified by the
Green Building Council of Australia, and includes many sustainable features including a rooftop garden with stormwater collection and recycled building materials.[33]
Building 10 on Jones St colloquially known as 'the Fairfax Building' as it originally accommodated the printing facilities for the Fairfax-owned Sydney Morning Herald. It was later home to the
Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG), before being incorporated within the UTS campus in the early 2000s. It accommodates the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Health.[34] The refurbished building received the 2003
Sir John Sulman Award for Public Architecture.
Building 11, which opened in 2014 and accommodates the Faculty of Engineering and IT, along with many of its specialist facilities. Designed by architects
Denton Corker Marshall, the building is encased in aluminium screens perforated with binary code. 'Gills' creased into the aluminium plates light up at night and symbolically represent the building as a living, breathing structure.[35]
Alumni Green, the central green space on campus, encircled by prominent campus buildings including the Tower. Designed by landscape architects ASPECT Studio, Alumni Green consists of three distinct zones: a garden area with outdoor seating; a paved open space modelled on celebrated town squares; and a 1200m2 raised grass platform, which creates a green roof for a 13,000m2 underground Library Retrieval System.[36]
The Haymarket precinct includes buildings such as:
Building 5, former market buildings with a heritage façade and modern interior. The building accommodates administrative, teaching and learning space for the
UTS College.
Building 8, the
Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, is the first Australian building designed by celebrated architect
Frank Gehry and is considered a contemporary architectural icon. The building accommodates teaching, learning, research and office space for the UTS Business School. Design features include a prominent polished stainless steel staircase that acts as a sculptural focal point in the main lobby, undulating brickwork with approximately 320,000 individual bricks referencing Sydney sandstone laid by hand and two oval classrooms constructed of large laminated timber beams.[37]
Additionally in the Moore Park precinct, the Rugby Australia Building contains specialist facilities for UTS students, staff and researchers working across sport and exercise science, physiotherapy and sport media. Designed by architects
Populous, the building is also the headquarters of
Rugby Australia and home to Australia's national rugby teams. The external fixed aluminium shading controls solar penetration, while internal spaces include the purpose-built laboratories of the Human Performance Research Centre.[38]
A number of UTS campus buildings have received a certified Green Star rating from the
Green Building Council of Australia. The Vicki Sara Building has been awarded a 6 Star Green Star Design and As-Built Rating,[39] while the Faculty of Engineering and IT and Dr Chau Chak Wing Buildings has been awarded 5 stars.[40][41]
UTS provides library services through the UTS Library and Reading Room in Building 2 (UTS Central), as well as a range of online services on the UTS Library website.[42][43]
UTS Art Collection
The UTS Gallery and Art Collection contains over 850 works, with a focus on contemporary Australian and
Indigenous art.[44] The artworks from the collection are on display throughout the UTS campus, including in every building.[44]
The university has been expanding its collection of digital and
new media works. UTS Central is home to a 12-metre wide
digital screen, which showcases large-scale
digital artworks by leading Australian artists.[45]
Entities within the
Central Park development, opposite the UTS Tower on Broadway, partner with the University on sustainability initiatives, which include a recycled water partnership and a district energy-sharing project commended at the 2018 Smart City Awards.[46][47]
Organisation and administration
Faculties and schools
The university consists of nine faculties and schools:[48]
In addition to the faculties, there are a number other units falling under the Provost and Senior Vice-President's division, within the remit of the Vice-Chancellor and President. As of 2021[update], these comprise three administrative units (Planning and Quality Unit, UTS Internal Audit and Chief Data Officer), as well as the:
Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research[50] (formerly Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning).[51]
The Graduate Research School, Institute for Public Policy and Governance, and the Institute for Sustainable Futures fall under the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research), a number of units relating to international students are governed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (International), and many other administrative units exist under similar divisions under the Vice-Chancellor and President.[52]
Governance
The UTS Academic Board is the principal advisory body to the UTS Council on academic matters.
The Academic Board is concerned with policy development as it relates to the University's academic programs in education, scholarship and research, and community service. It refers to policy recommendations to Council and discusses matters referred to it by Council.
Academic Board plays a key role in the UTS community in providing a forum for the discussion and debate of the academic directions of the University as well as the quality of its academic programs. The Board consists of academic staff members as well as student members elected for a general period of 1–2 years.[53]
As of 2023, UTS had the third highest demand for places in
New South Wales for university applicants.[57]
For domestic applications, an
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is required, with selection ranks varying between courses. Applicants may also be eligible for admission if they have completed a UTS foundation course or an AQF Diploma. Applicants applying with an
IB Diploma will have their scores converted into a UAC Rank for admission.[59]
In 2023, statistics by the
Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) revealed that the Bachelor of Business program at UTS was the second most in-demand course in the state, with 877 applicants placing it as their first preference. The Bachelor of Nursing program was the eight most in-demand course with 649 applicants.[60]
UTS ranked 1st in Australia and 8th globally in the 2022 Times Higher Education Young University Rankings (under 50 years old).[73] Similarly, in the 2021 QS Top 50 Under 50 Rankings of universities founded less than 50 years ago, UTS ranked 11th in the world and 1st in Australia.[74]
The Times Higher Education Rankings in 2022 ranked UTS; 70th in Computer Science, 81st in Law and 90th in Education in the world. In Australia, UTS is ranked 4th in Computer Science, 7th in Law and 8th in Education.[75]
The QS World University Rankings in 2021 ranked UTS; 11th in Nursing, 25th in Arts and Design and 29th in Sport and Exercise in the world. UTS is ranked in the top 100 for Accounting and Finance, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Communication & Media Studies, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Law.[76]
The US News Rankings in 2022 ranked UTS; 8th in Electrical Engineering, 13th in Computer Science, 31st in Energy and Fuels, 46th in Chemical Engineering, 52nd in Civil Engineering, 62nd in Biotechnology, 83rd in Economics and 87th in Ecology. In Australia, UTS is ranked 1st in the subject areas of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2nd in Energy and Fuels, 3rd in Chemical Engineering, 4th in Biotechnology, 6th in Civil Engineering, 7th in Economics and 11th in Ecology.[77]
UTS is home to over 50 research centres and institutes. UTS mainly focuses its research in the areas of health, data science, sustainability, future work and industry and social futures.[79]
Some of the major research centres include; the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Centre for Autonomous System, Centre for Health Technology, Advanced Analytics Institute, Centre for Forensic Science, Centre for Quantum Software and Information, the Australian Institute for Microbiology & Infection (AIMI, formerly the i3 Institute), Climate Change Cluster (C3) and the Institute for Sustainable Future.[80]
Students were enrolled in 9 schools or faculties: The largest being the School of Business at 23.7 percent followed by the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at 23 percent. Other faculties and schools by enrolment include; 11.3 percent in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; 10.9 percent in the Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building (DAB); 9.6 percent in the Faculty of science and 6.2 percent in the School of Law. Smaller number of students are enrolled in the Graduate School of Health and School of Transdisciplinary Innovation.[6]
Student life
ActivateUTS (formerly UTS Union)[81] operates a range of on-campus student services, including food and beverage outlets, cultural activities, fitness and catering services as well as clubs and societies, student publications and
Orientation Day. The City Campus is home to two licensed bars, 'The Underground' and 'The Loft'.[15]
ActivateUTS is governed by a board of thirteen directors consisting of seven students (elected by the student cohort in annual elections), two staff members (elected by the staff of the university), the CEO of ActivateUTS, the chair (appointed by the university council), the treasurer (appointed by the university council) and one other director (appointed by the university council, usually external to the university or a former student). From the seven students elected, a president and a vice-president is elected each year by the board. The chair is responsible for the conduct of the board meetings.[15]
Clubs and societies
The University of Technology Sydney recognises over 180 clubs and
societies.[82] 6,784 students were involved in a club or society in 2021.[15]
During Orientation Day in 2020, there were over 6,765 club membership purchases from 3,505 students, up nearly 200% from the previous year.[83]
Media
UTS has its own community radio station on campus,
2SER FM. The studio is located in building 18, known as the terraces, and broadcasts to the entire Sydney region. The station is jointly owned by UTS and
Macquarie University, with a second studio at Macquarie University. UTS Journalism students help produce the station's news and current affairs programs including "The Wire" and "Razors Edge".
The
UTS Students' Association is the representative student organisation at UTS. It publishes the student newspaper, Vertigo, runs the second hand bookshop and advocates on behalf of students both individually and collectively.[84]
UTS were the overall champion at the
UniSport Nationals on two occasions (2016, 2017), and were awarded the Spirit of the Games Shield (now known as the John White Spirit Trophy) in 1995.[15] UTS were the overall champion at the
Indigenous Nationals on two occasions (2003, 2019).[15] UTS were the overall champion at the
Nationals Snow on two occasions (2022, 2023), and were awarded the Spirit of the Mountain Trophy twice, in 2019 and 2023.[15][85][86]
UTS supports over 300
student athletes via the UTS Elite Athlete Program each year.[15]
The University of Technology Sydney has over 270,000 alumni across 140 countries.[16] The UTS Alumni Awards, which is held annually, recognises graduates of the university who have made important contributions in their field.[6] The university has been home to numerous
Fulbright Scholars,
John Monash Scholars, and one
Rhodes Scholar.[87]
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abcdefgh"UTS Timeline". University of Technology Sydney. 13 June 2013.
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