UTAS academics back government stance on Sandy Bay campus, urge STEM makeover

More than 50 current and former UTAS academics have co-signed a letter supporting legislative protections for the Sandy Bay campus, and urging a refurbishment of existing STEM facilities.

University of Tasmania building and signage, Sandy Bay Campus. Picture: Richard Jupe.

More than 50 current and former senior University of Tasmania academics have issued a united plea to keep STEM facilities in Sandy Bay, in a letter of support for the Rockliff government’s Bill requiring any sale of campus land be approved by parliament.

The Mercury understands the letter, which is addressed to the Premier and co-signed by Professors and Distinguished Professors from multiple UTAS faculties, will be hand-delivered to Member for Clark, Madeleine Ogilvie, on Monday.

Liberal candidates for Clark Emma Atterbury, Jon Gourlay, Simon Behrakis MP, Madeleine Ogilvie MP, Mohammad Aldergham, Catherine Searle and Marcus Vermey outside the Sandy Bay UTAS campus during the 2024 state election campaign. Picture: Chris Kidd

In June, the Tasmanian government tabled the University of Tasmania (Protection of Land) Bill, which, if passed, would remove the university’s right to dispose of land at Sandy Bay unless agreed to by both houses of parliament.

The Bill, which delivered on a government election promise made earlier this year, was subsequently opposed by Tasmanian Labor Leader Dean Winter, who last month warned that “freezing” the sale of campus land would thwart the university’s ambitions to construct a $500 million STEM facility in Hobart’s CBD.

Tasmanian Labor leader Dean Winter. Picture: Chris Kidd

But in the letter, the 55 co-signatories have instead backed the refurbishment of Sandy Bay’s existing STEM structures, arguing it would be more cost-effective option than a new build, and ensure that “world-standard facilities” were available to students sooner.

The academics told the Premier that a revitalised STEM hub in Sandy Bay would then become a central part of a “vibrant, multi-disciplinary campus”.

“Tasmania needs a strong and successful university to be the preferred choice of all Tasmanians for their higher education,” the letter reads.

Save UTAS Co-Chairs Mike Foster and Angela Bird speak to the media in Hobart in July.

Save UTAS co-chair, Angela Bird, described the academics’ letter of support for the proposed legislation as significant, and urged the university to heed ongoing calls to abandon its planned move from Sandy Bay into the city.

Ms Bird praised the “considerable courage” of the letter’s co-signatories, especially those currently employed by UTAS, to speak out against the university’s official position on the relocation.

“This letter is a reminder that our university should be focusing on teaching and research,” Ms Bird said.

“Instead hundreds of millions of dollars - and the focus of UTAS management - have been misdirected to property development.

“UTAS management needs to listen to its own academics and its own students.

“The fact that academics are speaking up now shows how deeply concerned they are about the direction which UTAS management is taking our uni”.

The letter was penned just days after UTAS management hosted a meeting on the Sandy Bay campus for its College of Sciences and Engineering staff, during which the future of the university’s STEM facilities was discussed.