Well-being and Social Affairs
UTB Sustainability Plan for 2026+
- Sustainability activities with departments, ORLZ, the Counseling Center, and student clubs
- World Health Day and Earth Day
- May “Cycle to Work” challenge
- European Sustainable Development Week (ETUR) in conjunction with Car-Free Day – theme: “Education for Sustainability”
Sustainability at UTB in 2025
- Activities of ORLZ and the Counseling Center
- European Sustainable Development Week (ETUR) across UTB – theme “Resilience and Balance”
- Small Projects for Big Things
Sustainable Development Strategy 2025–2030
Sub-goal 3.G. Increase employee satisfaction and health, educate employees in sustainability, ensure equal opportunities, prevent discrimination, and support disadvantaged groups
Sub-objective 3.H. Develop programs focused on students’ mental and physical health and work-life balance; support activities aimed at preventing discrimination and supporting disadvantaged groups
Implementation Measures for the Period 2025–2026
- Update the Human Resources Development Strategy of Tomas Bata University in Zlín 2026–2030, including the action plan, and the Gender Equality Plan of Tomas Bata University in Zlín and the 2026–2030 action plan, and incorporate tools and measures for promoting well-being into these documents
- Regularly organize activities for students focused primarily on a healthy lifestyle, well-being, and the prevention of discrimination against students at TBU
- Support student clubs and initiatives related to sustainability
- Promote student projects and creative outputs focused on sustainability
Sustainability at TBU in 2024
Employees
In 2024, a total of 1,095 people were employed at UTB, of whom 908 were full-time and 187 were part-time. The majority were academic staff. Data is valid as of October 31, 2024.
In 2024, the Human Resources Development Department organized a total of 42 training sessions for employees on sustainability, the prevention of discrimination or harassment, and a gender-equal environment. Unconventional workshops were also held as part of European Sustainable Development Week, during which employees had the opportunity to attend demonstration classes in Port De Bras and Pilates or participate in animal-assisted therapy.
Internal Rector’s Directive on Employee Well-being and Social Affairs:
- Rector’s Directive No. 42/2024 – Rules for the Provision of Contributions from the Social Fund
- Rector’s Directive No. 39/2024 – Rules for arranging shorter working hours or other adjustments to working hours to help employees balance work and personal life
- Rector’s Directive No. 33/2024 – Rules for the Implementation of Remote Work (so-called “home office”) at Tomáš Baťa University in Zlín
- Rector’s Directive No. 28/2024 – Human Resources Security Policy
- Rector’s Directive No. 6/2024 – Rules of Procedure of the TBU Ethics Committee
Students
In 2024, there were 9,638 students enrolled at UTB, the majority of whom—6,543—were enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs. In 2024, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FaME) had the highest number of students. That year, 2,132 students successfully graduated from UTB. As with the data on employees, these figures are valid as of October 31, 2024.
The highest number of students at our university was recorded in 2021, when a total of 10,228 students were enrolled at UTB. Over the past three years, there has been a slight decline to the current total of 9,638 students.
In 2024, several activities were carried out to support students’ mental and physical health and to strengthen the balance between their academic and personal lives. Courses and workshops were held focusing on effective learning, time management, well-being, concentration in the digital age, overcoming anxiety and stress, psychosomatics, and setting healthy boundaries.
As part of the implementation of the Gender Equality Plan, 8 training sessions and seminars were held to raise awareness of gender issues, deepen gender sensitivity, and eliminate unconscious biases and stereotypes, along with 12 workshops aimed at raising awareness of social safety within the university environment.
In 2024, Rector’s Directive No. 26/2024, “Support for Applicants and Students with Special Needs at Tomas Bata University in Zlín,” was approved. This directive addresses ensuring support for applicants and students with special needs during the admissions process and while studying at TBU. The directive is based on Act No. 111/1998 Coll. and is implemented in accordance with the Strategic Plan for Educational and Creative Activities at TBU in Zlín, with the aim of continuously creating conditions to level the playing field for applicants and students with special needs at TBU.
In 2024, UTB significantly strengthened the area of so-called social safety through a series of measures and educational activities. At the beginning of 2024, a new website for the UTB Counseling Center (poradenstvi.utb.cz) was launched, which includes a link to the Social Safety at UTB website. The creation of a separate Social Safety section at TBU allowed for a deeper focus within the university on issues of inappropriate behavior (including sexual and gender-based harassment and other topics); it also provided an opportunity to reiterate existing procedures for addressing inappropriate behavior and the process for its further identification. Another significant step was the integration of the concept of social safety into the broader “Safety at UTB” strategy toward the end of 2024.
At the initiative of the physical security manager, TBU was the first in the Czech Republic to begin using security barriers to block doors. These are barriers installed directly into the door system, particularly in rooms and lecture halls with a high concentration of people and minimal opportunity to use furniture for an improvised barricade. A major challenge was addressing fire safety requirements, which we successfully resolved. As part of this effort, we partnered with Charles University, which is also grappling with lockdown procedures, and through this collaboration, we presented the solution to emergency services—including firefighters and police—as well as the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Education, and representatives from other universities, where our solution was met with great interest.