Sustainability Integration Program for Students

Follow your passion for sustainability and apply the skills you're learning to real-world sustainability challenges across our university.

Explore our award-winning SIPS program.

Our Sustainability Integration Program for Students (SIPS) is an award-winning initiative that offers you meaningful opportunities to work on real-world sustainability challenges and help the University operate more sustainably. You can be paid for your time or earn course credit for your work.

You might have a passion for a sustainability challenge or an idea you are keen to explore, or you could be looking for opportunities to apply the skills you've developed through your study in a sustainability context.

SIPS connects you with people across the University working to create sustainable change today. Students have been actively involved in shaping how sustainability is practised, and you can contribute too.

Bring your critical thinking and creativity, and develop your skills for a life and career that supports sustainability into the future.

All study levels and areas

Whether you're an undergraduate, postgraduate or research student, SIPS is open to students of all levels and study areas.

Shape sustainability at our uni

Help the University of Tasmania have a positive environmental impact and to be a leader in sustainable campus management.

2,300+ students over 10 years

Kick start a new initiative, or help an ongoing project developed by past students come to fruition by applying your skills.

Get in touch with the SIPS Coordinator Access the Student Portal if you're a current student

Sustainability@UTAS

Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies student, Ellen-Rose Sorensen, created this podcast series through a SIPS Fellowship.

Each episode brings together students and staff to explore sustainability highlights and strategic initiatives at the University of Tasmania.

Listen now on Apple or Listen Notes.

Listen now on Spotify

To help achieve a number of our sustainability goals, SIPS Internships are offered regularly throughout the year.

The Sustainability team works across the University partnering with staff in academic and professional roles who are expert mentors and specialists.

Previous projects have included:

  • An energy audit of student accommodation and a report recommending various sustainability retrofits presented to the ISD team
  • Developing and running the University's Ride to Uni breakfast
  • Assisting in the development and rollout of a campus furniture recycling scheme.

View completed projects (PDF 269.7 KB)

Whether you are a student, staff member or part of the community, we welcome your project ideas for SIPS. Our goal is to integrate sustainability across all areas of the University, therefore we invite projects from all disciplines and departments.

Get in touch with your project idea

Get involved with SIPS

Frequently asked questions

SIPS students undertaking internships, fellowship and work integrated learning placements have the opportunity to present their work to relevant stakeholders they identify at the University at the end of each semester.

The outcomes and outputs of a SIPS project are co-designed by the students and their mentors at the start of the project. There are a wide range of outputs that students could be involved in depending on their project, an output could include a project report, cost-benefit analysis, a virtual or on-campus event such as a gardening bee or workshop, artworks, a presentation, grant proposal, survey or focus group design, media release, communication materials.

The outcomes of some SIPS projects are physically evident on campus, such as recycling walls, food garden wicking beds, the Dobson Road Bike Hub and water sensitive gardens. A project that you can visit is just as valuable as one you can’t, such as a student forum on climate change.

Depending on the project, summary or full project reports are available for internal and external audiences on request.

Students identify the intended audience for their report so that the material is written for their needs, for example a student preparing a guide for how to run biodiversity citizen science projects on campus was writing for student clubs and societies. A student evaluating night lighting cost-benefits has prepared their report for the energy management staff who have mentored their project. The scope and design of the report is determined by the student and their mentor to ensure the project meets both their needs.

The Sustainability Team works to support students and staff across disciplines, academic and professional teams to practice sustainability.

Our team can assist with:

  • Providing data
  • Guidance for project planning
  • Expertise in sustainability
  • Access to mentors and resources (depending on the project)

Contact us early in your project so that there is enough time for us to introduce you to people or access resources.

A typical SIPS project will take place over one semester or across a whole year.

With each new project, you'll begin by learning about projects that have come before you. This allows you to discover how something you experience at the University today, was put into place by students in the years before you and how change actually happens.

Sustainability major

Did you know you can study the Sustainability major offered in the Bachelor of Science as part of most other bachelor's degrees as well?

Gain skills and techniques to help create sustainable societies, learn to identify sustainability-oriented impacts and come up with effective solutions.

Learn more