In 2019, we signed the University Commitment which recognises the significant scope of work needed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the important role university communities play in reaching these goals. We are committed to sustainability for ourselves, our surrounding communities, and the world.
The University takes a holistic approach to sustainability that centres the rights of first nations people and supports increased recognition of first nations peoples in the next revision of the UN SDGs framework. Respecting traditional owners and their deep history with their lands, skies and waters, we strive to act in the best interests of not only the current generation but of generations to come.
Our commitment and approach to sustainability are outlined in our Strategic Framework for Sustainability (PDF 3.1 MB). The Framework details how we work to holistically enact this approach in our teaching, learning and research activities, along with being woven through our operations and engagement with our partners and communities. As an education organisation, we know it is vital that all members of our community, whether students, staff or community members, engage with international sustainability frameworks, such as the SDGs.
The SDGs offer a shared framework for all levels of government, businesses, community groups and education organisations to prioritise action between 2015 to 2030, across environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.
“The finite qualities of islands remind us that ecologically and socially we need to be a sustainable place; we must work with ecosystems, not against them, and that we must work together. Tasmania has environmental values that are of global significance and, as islanders, we have obligations of stewardship. As we think about that stewardship and the broader tasks of being sustainable, we are guided in our thinking by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”.
Mapping our curriculum to the SDGs
Education plays a central role for the large-scale transformation needed to reach the 2030 Agenda. In 2023, to better understand how our curriculum contributes to the SDGs and opportunities for improvement, unit coordinators and academics across the University identified where and how their units taught the SDGs. To determine whether they are teaching to a specific SDG, we use the following two criteria:
- most students who have completed the unit would agree that it aligns with the identified SDG, and
- the unit teaches about the SDG, fully or partially addressing issues mentioned in the SDG description and targets.
The mapping process is just one way of identifying education for sustainability. There are many units across the University that develop critical skills needed for sustainability without directly mapping to one or more SDGs.
For feedback regarding the curriculum mapping, please contact SDG.Mapping@utas.edu.au. If the feedback relates to a specific unit or units, please provide the unit code(s) and title(s).