Your SSAF at TUSA

TUSA Student Advocacy Service  

• TUSA Student Advocates provide free advocacy and support services to all UTAS students. Assisting students with university processes, appeals, allegations and complaints, we can ensure that students voices are heard. Our service is independent and confidential. TUSA Student Advocates also assist with referrals to other services and have access to financial support for students during periods of increased need. 
• TUSA Student Advocacy Service continues to grow having assisted a total of 413 students YTD, increasing by 22% as compared to the same period last year.  

TUSA Student Legal Service – Youth Law Australia Partnership 

• The Student Legal Service is a free and confidential legal service for all UTAS students, supported by TUSA and Youth Law Australia. 
• The Student Legal Service provides legal help to any UTAS student in most areas of law including:
  • Minor criminal law matters 
  • University issues, including disciplinary matters. 
  • Discrimination 
  • Abuse and harassment, including family violence and sexual harassment. 
  • Issues connected with student visas for international students. 
  • Employment and rights at work 
  • Housing and accommodation 
  • Credit and debt 
  • Consumer law 
  • Fines and accidents 
• To date in 2025, the Student Legal Service has:
  • Opened 304 new files, compared with 210 new files opened YTD in 2024 (a significant increase of 45%). 
  • Provided legal advice, casework, information and referrals in 262 matters, including 52 legal tasks, compared with 175 matters YTD in 2024 (a significant increase of 50%). 
• The Student Legal Service, in partnership with the Faculty of Law, delivers the Clinical Legal Education Program. There were 16 students who completed the Public Interest Law Clinic unit in semester 1. 
• The Student Legal Service also provides several community legal information sessions to students, in partnership with the Student Legal Service Committee. To date in 2025, the Student Legal Service has: 
  • Facilitated 2 discrimination law information sessions attended by 12 students. 
  • Facilitated 2 pathways to permanent residency sessions attended by over 116 students. 
  • Facilitated a Law Week BBQ attended by 5 community and legal organisations, and around 30 students. 
• The Student Legal Service also works in partnership with Dobson Mitchell Allport to provide a free monthly migration law clinic for more complex migration matters. Around 46 international students attended these clinics held in Hobart and Launceston this year. 
• The Student Legal Service has also developed partnerships with law firm, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, to provide 2 secondments for their lawyers to work in the Student Legal Service this year. 
• The Student Legal Service has also co-convened the National Student Legal Service Network this year, provided assistance to the Tasmania University Law Society’s law student competitions, and collaborated with the TUSA State Council on advocacy initiatives. 

TUSA Hygiene and Food Relief Program

• TUSA’s Hygiene & Food Relief Program assists students to access appropriate emergency food supplies, hygiene supplies and other basic needs in a timely and effective manner. Reflective of the cost-of-living crisis experienced by students in Australia, the program is experiencing a 70% increase in demand, YTD in 2025 as compared to last year, through: 
  • Provision of $8,250 in 165 x $50 grocery vouchers. 
  • Provision of 100 hygiene packs, and on-campus provision of hygiene and sanitary supplies. 
  • Provision of winter items through the Winter Warmer’s campaign in collaboration with UTAS.  
  • Provision of free laundry services on the Sandy Bay campus to 166 students within the reportable period. 
• TUSA’s flagship Food Security Program is a non-SSAF funded initiative.  A small contribution of $10,000 was funded to support food purchases through the 2024 UTAS SSAF Underspend allocation, to be expended in Q3 and Q4 2025. 

Unique Tassie Experiences (UTE)

• In Semester 1, 2025, the UTE program connected 440 students with their island campus across 20 events spanning adventure, culture, conservation, and exploration. This included 358 students in the South, 70 in the North, 6 at Cradle, 6 at Rozelle, and 75 online/distance students through the UTE Subscription Box initiative. The program delivered subsidised and accessible experiences that supported student transition, mental health, resilience, and belonging, while also providing employment for 10 student guides and leaders. 
• The UTE Program has seen a YTD increase of 53% when compared with the same period in 2024.  

TUSA Student Led Experience and Activation  

• Provides students with opportunities for connection with the TUSA and the services and supports that TUSA offers through events, workshops, socials, information stalls, food stalls and more. 
• TUSA Events program delivered the following events/initiations during the reportable period:  
  • Clubs & Societies Day and market days. 
  • Student Life Expo.  
  • Healthy food pop-up series including paella. 
  • Eat It All – 200-person 3 course meal with food waste focus (held on Inveresk Campus during this period). 
  • Exam support and self-care support events. 
  • TUSA Discord server. 
  • Collaborative events with UTAS Sports. 
  • Inclusion events such as IDAHOBIT event series, and much more.  

Student Led Clubs & Societies

• Provides students with a platform for creating their own opportunities for connection with the Student population and broader community, with support from TUSA, including:  
  • Engineering Society – Laneway. 
  • Engineering, Law, Med – Suits, Scrubs and Spanners. 

TUSA Clubs & Societies Grants

• Provides over 80 Clubs & Societies and 5,722 members with the opportunity to access funding to support their activities, initiatives and events that build community and enhance the student experience.  

TUSA Clubs & Societies Administration & Support 

• Providing guidance and support to TUSA Clubs & Societies, including: 
  • Implementation and delivery of activities, events, programs and initiatives.  
  • Oversight and approval of the TUSA risk assessment and mitigations processes.  
  • Support in the understanding and execution of all aspects of Clubs & Societies management, including systems and processes.  
  • Oversight of Clubs & Societies governance, including constitutions, affiliation, auspices, grants, SSAF compliance, and compliance with policies and procedures.   
  • Training and development of Clubs & Societies executives.  
  • Maintain asset registers and manage audits.  
  • Provision and ongoing maintenance of equipment for clubs & societies to support their events 
  • Support the growth of Clubs & Societies at the University of Tasmania.  

TUSA Orientation and Welcome Program

• Welcomes new students to UTAS and provide information about how TUSA can support and enhance their time at university. 
• Orientation and welcome programs hosted by UTAS with the TUSA contributing to the delivery of the programs in person and online. 

• The Learning and Development program has been focused on developing student leaders particularly within Clubs & Societies with the knowledge and skills to promote and engage in safe practices, support the delivery of the student experience from a student led perspective, and engage in professional development opportunities that will support them both at university and beyond. 
• The Mental Health First Aid course teaches participants how to provide support to an adult who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis, until professional help is received or the crisis resolves. Course participants learn about the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems in adults, how to recognise and respond to an emerging or worsening mental health problem and the treatments and supports available. This course provides participants with accreditation as a Mental Health First Aider, an essential requirement for many students undertaking professional placement within their course, including Nursing students.  
• Internships program provides current students and recent graduates with the opportunity to engage in Work Integrated Learning (WIL) to support their theoretical knowledge within their chosen area of study, interns range from social work to IT, nutrition science to economics and finance. Range of internships vary from 100 to 500 hours with specific projects and responsibilities to deliver as part of their internship that contribute to the strategy and objectives of the TUSA.  

TUSA Student Council

• Hundreds of hours of meetings were held by Student Council members with University leaders. Sharing student voice, advocating for complaints and issues raised by students, lobbying for progressive systemic change, and providing lived experience input into University decision-making.  
• Several key campaigns and sustained projects have been enacted and are in progress, including the Gender-Based Violence campaign and the Students as Partners 2025 refresh.  

TUSA Equity Committee 

• TUSA-led review of the University’s Diversity Inclusion Action Plan (DiAP). 
• Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) – Driven by the Equity President and Equity Committee, supported by the wider TUSA team, the RAP has been in planning and workshop stages throughout 2025, and is expected to be finalised by November 2025.   
• Supply and distribution of 50,000 anti-spiking drink covers. 
• 9 Equity Committee driven events and initiatives were held in Q1 and Q2 of 2025, including a Let’s Talk About Racism session, a Student Accessibility survey, and events for cancer awareness, Autism Awareness month, and Neurodiversity Celebration week. 

TUSA Equity & Diversity Program

• Please see TUSA Equity Committee, and State Council sections.  

TUSA Student Council Program

• Vent Tents have been a strong source of student feedback. They provide student with a safe and rewarding platform to share concerns, complaints and problems without fear of repercussions.  The Student Council then endeavour to follow up their complaints with relevant UTAS staff and teams. Students are provided with free items in exchange for their feedback, including food, pads and tampons, condoms and stationery.  
• The Gender-Based Violence campaign, underpinned by the University Gender Based Violence Action Plan, is rolling out on all campuses by Campus presidents. The campaign is centred on a visuals piece created and commissioned by a current UTAS Student. With support from the University the campaign includes posters and stickers, and a goal to provide students with learning recourses.  
• Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) – See above within TUSA Equity Committee section. 

Togatus Magazine

• Togatus provides a voice for all students, staff, and community members of UTAS through consistent and reliable fortnightly publications. Alongside the editorial team, Togatus is open to submissions from anyone who would like to be a contributor, whether once or on a regular basis, to ensure that student voices are heard. Alongside The Fortnightly Togatus, they have also published Special Editions, as well as working toward magazine releases at key points in the year. 

• Business Operations has delivered compliance requirements (audit, EA implementation, risk register), overseen staffing recruitment and development, progressed website redevelopment and IT improvements, managed UTAS–TUSA Affiliation Agreement provisions, advanced commercial projects and new campus presence. 

The Marketing & Communications portfolio delivers campaigns, communications, and promotional initiatives to engage UTAS students with TUSA services, events, and opportunities. The SSAF allocation supports: 

• Student-focused communications (email newsletters, website, social media, digital signage, posters). 
• Campaigns to promote TUSA’s SSAF-funded services and welfare initiatives (Food Hub, Advocacy, SHAG Week, UTE, Clubs & Societies, etc). 
• Partnerships and sponsorships that deliver value back to students through discounts, giveaways, and free resources. 
• Design, branding, and creative production to ensure student communications are accessible, engaging, and relevant. 
• Student Media Team – a group of paid and volunteer students coordinated through Marketing, who deliver photography, videography, design and content creation for TUSA campaigns, Clubs & Societies, and student-led initiatives. This provides hands-on creative experience, builds student portfolios, and enhances engagement across TUSA’s channels. 

In 2025, Marketing & Communications has delivered: 

• Semester 1 orientation campaigns across all campuses and online, reaching over 16,000 students. This includes branding, sponsorship engagement, and multi-channel campaign planning and delivery. 
• Ongoing Food Hub promotional campaigns, including Burnie, Rozelle, and Hobart City launch communications.  
• Regular student newsletters, website updates, and digital campaigns highlighting advocacy, wellbeing, and club events. 
• Managed partnerships with local and national brands, delivering discounts, freebies, and activations. 
• Coordinated the Student Media Team, which produced event photography, video content, and design for 20+ student events and campaigns in Semester 1.