Since inception Torrens University has prioritised being home to global citizens and digital leaders. We are excited to have Torrens University Australia on board as a Supporting Partner of Champions Retreat this year! In this blog, Todd Wegner, Chief of Staff at Laureate Australia & Torrens University Australia shares more on the values that guide Torrens and his experience as a seasoned Champions Retreat attendee.
When Torrens University Australia (TUA) was established in 2014, it became Australia’s first new
university in more than 20 years.
Only five years later, we now have over 13,500 students descending from 105 different countries,
proudly delivering programs at campuses across Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland,
China and online.
Since inception, TUA has focused on ensuring its graduates are career-ready, global citizens. The
delivery of quality education and bringing public benefit to society, communities and the
environment has always been paramount.
As such, TUA has always been strongly aligned to B Corp. In 2015, TUA became a Certified B
Corporation, and in 2017, it was re-certified with a 12% score increase. TUA’s journey to become a B
Corp, however, is more than a “badge of honour”. The values and beliefs that make up the B Corp
movement are built into the fabric of our business, with our mission to transform lives through
education and our commitment to the communities we serve, while meeting the highest social and
environmental standards, accountability and transparency.
As both a B Corp and a higher education institution, we measure ourselves against our core values –
begin and end with people, be good, be creative, be bold, and be global. These values extend from
our boardroom to our student services and our academic staff who are at the forefront of preparing
our students to be global leaders.
This year’s Champions Retreat in Tasmania, which we are supporting wholeheartedly, has particular
meaning for me. In my previous role at Laureate Education in the United States, I was lucky to attend
three Global B Corp Champions Retreats – Philadelphia, Toronto, and New Orleans – seeing first-
hand the power of collaboration to achieve a common goal. These experiences have always left me
feeling humbled by the incredible companies and people working tirelessly to use business as a force
for good, but questioning what role I play in helping growing this movement.
Now, having recently relocated to Sydney to work for TUA, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to
contribute to the growing B Corp community in Australia and New Zealand. What is particularly
meaningful for me – joining me at this year’s event will be four of our incredible Hospitality students
who will be helping the B Lab team make the event magical for all attendees.
More importantly,these students are giving up their time to come take part in this event - eager to learn, but also to contribute to growing the movement of companies using business as a force for good. If you see
them around, be sure to say hi, ask them where they are from, and thank them!
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