There are seven faculties at UTS, each of which contain passionate staff who aim to foster an environment where varied perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences are not only respected but celebrated.

A diverse community of students, faculty, and staff is important, as it enriches the learning and working experience for everyone involved. Similarly, an inclusive community ensures that everyone at UTS feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute.

We used data from the years 2020 to 2022 to analyse possible trends regarding undergraduate students' perceptions of inclusion and diversity of both staff and undergraduate students, across all seven faculties.

Demographics at UTS

In the context of diversity, demographics refers to the statistical characteristics of populations. This data helps to understand the makeup of a population, identify trends, and inform policies or initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion.

Evaluating perspectives of diverse demographic groups allows us to identify actions to create a more inclusive community where everyone feels seen and valued.

While diversity encompasses many factors, we chose to focus our investigation on two indicators: gender and cultural background, in order to understand how demographics may influence perceptions of diversity and inclusion at UTS.

How many undergraduate students were in each faculty in 2022?

This small snapshot gives a quick indication that FEIT had the largest number of undergraduate students in 2022, while the Law faculty had the smallest. What insights can you gather about the different faculties?

Have the numbers of female and male undergraduate students changed?

Did you notice that FEIT had a significantly higher number of male students compared to female students, while the Health faculty showed the opposite trend. What could be some factors contributing to these gender disparities in specific faculties?

Note: UTS did collect data on the number of nonbinary students during this period but the numbers are too low to show without breaching confidentiality.

Have the numbers of international and domestic undergraduate students changed?

Now, you can see that FEIT was mostly comprised of domestic male students, while the Health faculty was mostly comprised of domestic female students. Interestingly, international male students outnumbered domestic female students in FEIT until 2022. What other insights can you gather from the chart?

What were the ratios of female and male staff in each faculty?

The staff gender ratios in FEIT and Health appear to visually correlate to the student gender ratios. Recall that the Business and Science faculties both had high proportions of female students. How do the staff gender ratios compare?

What were the ratios of 'first language is NOT English' staff and 'first language IS English' staff in each faculty?

Some faculties, like Health and Law, had consistently higher percentages of 'first language IS English' staff compared to other faculties like FEIT and Business, which showed a greater proportion of 'first language is NOT English' staff. What can you learn about your faculty?

Was there a correlation between student and staff representation?

What are your thoughts on student versus staff representation in your faculty? Do you think it is important for students to see diversity among staff? Is it necessary for students, who are typically in the minority, to see people with whom they might identify?

Students' sense of diversity at UTS

Experiencing diversity at UTS enriches education by exposing students to various perspectives and cultural backgrounds. It fosters mutual respect and understanding, preparing students for global citizenship. This diversity enhances their ability to work in multicultural settings and approach problems with a broader mindset, equipping them for success in an interconnected world.

Our main source of data on students' sense of diversity at UTS is via the Student Satisfaction Survey. More specifically, there are two questions that address inclusion.

Did students feel that students and staff embraced social diversity at UTS?

The data from this question indicates that perceptions of social diversity at UTS varied between female and male students over the years. What did it tell you about your faculty?

Did students feel that UTS provided a supportive environment for students from diverse backgrounds and circumstances?

The data from this question shows that international and domestic students also had varying perceptions. However, over the years, the levels of agreement from both groups were identical for FEIT, indicating a consistent experience among international and domestic students.

Note: There was insufficient data for students in the Faculty of Law.

Sample of survey respondents at UTS in 2022

Using a small sample from a survey can provide valuable insights and trends, offering a snapshot of opinions or behaviors. However, it is not fully indicative of the entire population. Small samples may lack diversity and can lead to skewed or biased results, limiting the generalisability of the findings.

The response rate among students to the Student Satisfaction Survey in 2022 was less than 10%.

Was survey engagement in 2022 similar between male and female students?

Female students had higher survey engagement than male students across all faculties, except Law. The most significant differences are observed in FEIT and Science. Female students may be more inclined to participate in surveys than male students. What does your faculty do to encourage survey engagement?

Was survey engagement in 2022 similar between domestic and international students?

International students had higher survey engagement than domestic students in all faculties, except Law, despite there having been more domestic students enrolled at the time. How does your faculty compare to others?

The next two charts may help you to consider whether specific staff representation, or a lack thereof, could be a motivating factor for students' survey engagement.

How did female and male student survey engagement compare to staff gender diversity in 2022?

In general, female students had higher survey engagement than male students across most faculties, even in FEIT where male staff numbers greatly outweighed female staff numbers. This suggests that the representation of female staff members had little influence on female student survey engagement. What could be motivating female students to engage more than male students?

How did international and domestic student survey engagement compare to staff cultural diversity in 2022?

International students were more engaged in the survey across all faculties. Were they potentially inspired by the presence of staff with diverse language backgrounds or were there other factors at play? This raises questions about what may have driven higher engagement among international students and how domestic student engagement can be improved.

Continuing the conversation on diversity and inclusion

After exploring the data from 2020 to 2022, it's clear that there are trends across the different faculties. The progress seen across some faculties in the representation of diverse staff underscores the positive steps UTS is taking towards inclusivity. These diverse voices and perspectives not only enrich the UTS experience but also equip students with a broader understanding of the world.

But the conversation doesn't end here. While some strides have been made, there are still areas that require ongoing attention and improvement. It's important to remember that correlation doesn't equal causation. While diversity may positively impact students' sense of belonging, there are numerous other factors at play. Institutional policies, support systems, and individual experiences all contribute to students' sense of diversity and belonging at UTS.

Project Credits: Kumi de Silva, Natalie House, Andrew Johnston, Ika Wulansari, Kun Yu and Adam Berry.
Data was extracted from the UTS Social Impact Framework Dashboards.
This project was funded by a Social Framework Dashboard grant in 2023.
Illustrations were AI-generated and then edited by hand.