Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Cassi Liardet
Contact via cassi.liardet@mq.edu.au
Margaret Wood
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is designed to support students in their transition to university by enabling them to understand and achieve standards of performance required in an academic environment. The unit provides a three-level focus which is initiated by facilitating the development of academic practices, behaviours and values. Secondly, it fosters a level of familiarity with the disciplinary language, texts and conventions used when studying in programs offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics. Finally, it raises awareness of the impact of business and economics principles when they are applied to solving problems and addressing issues in contemporary society. Learning and assessment activities are designed to build the capacity for independent and collaborative approaches to learning. Students are guided to develop their capacity for reading, thinking and expressing ideas effectively and critically.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Critical Summary | 15% | Weeks 4-5 |
Group Presentation | 15% | Weeks 6-8 |
Business Report Texts | 35% | Weeks 9-11 |
Persuasive Essay | 35% | Weeks 12-14 |
Due: Weeks 4-5
Weighting: 15%
As part of a four-stage portfolio, students will be placed in groups and assigned a topic examining a social inclusion issue. This task requires students to critically read and evaluate discipline-specific texts related to the assigned topic. Each student is required to read one (1) relevant text and write a critical summary, identifying the salient points, key statistics and points of reliability for why the article is a valid resource in the academic community.
When choosing their texts to critically summarise, students must select from the provided list of reliable resources.
Note: Students should collaborate with their groups to ensure that each student chooses a distinct resource (i.e. a group of 4 students should have 4 different resources). (500 words).
Due: Weeks 6-8
Weighting: 15%
The Oral Presentation builds on the information synthesised in the Critical Summaries. Students organise information related to their topics and collaborate to produce a coherent, multi-dimensional informative report on the topic, evaluating the situation and presenting insightful recommendations to respond to a salient issue within the topic area.
Student presentations will demonstrate an ability to collaborate effectively to identify issues and problem-solve solutions. Each group member will deliver a 5-minute portion of the presentation followed by a 5-10 minute Q&A session in which the presenters will actively respond to audience enquiry. Students who are functioning as the “audience” of a given presentation will be required to complete a “Question Development Worksheet” and will be assessed on their ability to formulate probing questions relevant to their peer’s presentations.
Due: Weeks 9-11
Weighting: 35%
The Business Report assignment involves two critical parts: (1) A formal academic essay and (2) a brochure written for a professional, non-academic audience. Both parts will focus on identical content; however, the essay will be written for a specialist, academic audience and the brochure will be written for a professional, non-academic audience.
The Business Report organises critical information collected in the critical summary and the group oral presentation to present an information report. This report will effectively integrate figures and graphs to illustrate salient information and statistics. The brochure will similarly outline the salient issues related to issue and implicitly guide readers to a "call to action" recommendation.
Students are required to reference at least four (6) sources and the prescribed format will replicate the reports examined in class. (1500 words; i.e. 1200 words for the essay; 300 for the brochure)
Due: Weeks 12-14
Weighting: 35%
The Persuasive essay will identify a recommendation in response to the social inclusion issue topic and develop a thesis to argue for this recommendation. The argument essay outlines the key arguments supporting a central thesis, referencing relevant evidence to support each argument before reiterating and reinforcing the thesis through a summary of salient arguments.
In the argument essay students are required to reference at least eight (8) sources and demonstrate the ability to synthesise information and views from a variety of perspectives to produce a coherent, well-supported recommendation. (1200 words)
Lecture: Monday 6:00-7:55pm and Wednesday 9:00-10:55pm.
“Soft” Due dates refer to the time the assignment should be completed and brought to the tutorial for final review and revision.
“Formal” due dates refer to the time the assignment should be formally submitted electronically to Turnitin and in hard copy at the opening of the tutorial.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Extension policy
Extensions are granted only on grounds of illness or misadventure, and appropriate supporting documentation must be submitted.
You may apply for an extension to the due date for an assignment by placing a request for special consideration (http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html) with AskMQ (https://ask.mq.edu.au/splash.php).
Late submissions
Assessment tasks that are submitted after the due date (without an extension) will attract a penalty of 5% for each day it is overdue (i.e. -5% for 1 day late; -10% for 2 days late; -15% for 3 days late). Work submitted more than 6 days after the “Formal” due date (i.e., the date in which assignments are returned to students) will not be accepted.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend and participate in all classes. Students should submit formal requests for attendance excusal through the ask.mq.edu.au web portal and must submit supporting documentation to merit an excused absence. Note: Attendance requires respectful student participation in a given lecture or tutorial. If the lecturer or tutor identifies a student who is physically present but who is not respectfully contributing to the class, he/she reserves the right to mark the student as “Absent”. If a student’s attendance is below 80% (without approval), he/she will be given an unsatisfactory result (F) for this unit.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by: