Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lecturer in Charge and Tutor
Sonya Fehler
Contact via sonya.fehler@mqc.edu.au
MQC
Check with instructor
Tutor
Francisca Castro
Contact via Francisca.Castro@mqc.edu.au
MQC
Contact lecturer
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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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 course has been developed to assist students entering tertiary education in Australia to develop relevant skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for tertiary studies.
Through practical individual and group work and research the course builds on an objective study of the skills, insights and concepts that care characteristic of the western educational model of tertiary education delivery.
Note-taking, summarising, paraphrasing, writing, research enquiry, referencing and time management are some of the core areas covered. This unit is orientated towards encouraging a spirit of enquiry, establishing lifelong learning and enabling students to become ethical local & global citizens.
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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:
The only exception to not sitting an in-class test or examination at the designated time or handing in an assessment on the due date is because of a serious or unavoidable disruption.
Students who miss a formal assessment held in class or a final examination due to a serious and unavoidable disruption which commenced after the start of the study period must lodge a Disruption to Studies Notification via ask.mq.edu.au within five (5) working days of the commencement of the disruption in order to apply for Special Consideration. The notification must be supported by appropriate evidence.
In submitting a Disruption to Studies Notification, a student is acknowledging that they may be required to undertake additional work. The time and date, deadline or format of any required extra assessable work as a result of a Disruption to Studies Notification is not negotiable. Further, in submitting a Disruption to Studies Notification, a student is agreeing to make themselves available so that they can complete any extra work as required.
Students will be advised of the outcome of their Disruption to Studies Application via ask.mq.edu.au.
Please refer to the Disruption to Studies Policy for further details.
To apply for an extension of time for submission of an assessment item, students must submit a notification of Disruptions to Studies via ask.mq.edu.au.
Grounds for extensions are usually serious illness, accident, disability, bereavement or other compassionate circumstances and must be substantiated with relevant evidence (e.g. professional authority form).
Late submissions without an approved extension will be penalised at a rate of 10% per day (weekend inclusive). This applies to assessments completed outside of class such as essays and assignments.
Final exams and final assessments typically take place in Week 13 and the first 3 days of week 14. Please note that you must pass the final exam or final assessment task in order to pass this unit.You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the Final Examination Timetable. Please note that no special consideration will be given to students who have booked flights out of the country prior to the conclusion of the examination period.
The Final Examination Timetable will be available in provisional form on the MQC Student Portal Noticeboard at https://student.mqc.edu.au/NoticeBoard.htm in approximately week 10 of this Session. You will have 1 week to give feedback to the Student Administration Manager should you have concerns or note any clashes in your final exam timetable. From week 12, you will also be able to view your personal final exam timetable via the MQC Student Portal.
The examination timetable is produced to provide the maximum number of students with the least number of consecutive examinations. It is not uncommon for students of Macquarie University at both the City and North Ryde Campuses to be required to sit two consecutive examinations. A maximum of three consecutive exams is also permitted (for example, two on one day, and one the following morning). However, no student is required to sit four consecutive exams and if any student discovers their examination timetable contains four consecutive exams, they should immediately contact the Student Administration Manager to have an exam rescheduled.
Prior to the examination period, you should ensure that you are familiar with the Examination Rules. You can find these under Exam Information on the MQC Student Portal Noticeboard. A breach in any of these rules will lead to disciplinary action being undertaken.
Students who miss a final exam or final assessment will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task and cannot pass the unit, except for cases where a Disruption to Studies Notification is lodged and a Special Consideration is awarded. Please note that in submitting a Disruption to Studies Notification, a student is acknowledging that they may be required to undertake additional work. The time and date, deadline or format of any required extra assessable work as a result of a Disruption to Studies Notification is not negotiable.
Supplementary final examinations are held during the scheduled Supplementary Final exam Period in the lead up to the subsequent teaching period.
Please note that results for supplementary exams may not be available until the conclusion of Week 2 of the subsequent teaching session and until supplementary results are released, continuing students may be prevented from enrolling in certain units in the subsequent teaching session.
Students in their final semester of study who undertake supplementary final exams should note that Formal Completion of the Foundation Program will not be possible until supplementary results are released and this may impact on their ability to enrol subsequent programs of study on time.
It is the responsibility of the student to retain a copy of any work submitted and produce another copy of all work submitted if requested. Copies should be retained until after the release of final results each Session.
In the event that a student is asked to produce another copy of work submitted and is unable to do so, they may be awarded zero (0) for that particular assessment task.
The University also reserves the right to request and retain the originals of any documentation/ evidence submitted to support notifications of disruptions to studies. Requests for original documentation will be sent to the applicant’s University email address within six (6) months of notification by the student. Students must retain all original documentation for the duration of this six (6) month period and must supply original documents to the University within ten (10) working days of such a request being made.
Students will be requested to submit assessments via Turnitin and in such instances any hard copies submitted without a Turnitin Report will receive grade deductions.
Step by step guidance for Turnitin submissions can be found here. Should you experience any difficulties with Turnitin submission, please see a Lab Demonstrator in Lab 311 at MQC.
If you experience difficulties submitting through Turnitin on the due date, you must submit your hard copy to reception as soon as possible to be stamped with a time and date of receipt. Late submissions will be penalised at 10% per day.(weekends inclusive)
This unit will use the following grading system:
Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Grading Policy which is available at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
To pass this unit, you must attempt all assessable components of the unit, pass the final exam and attain an overall mark of at least 50%. Failure to do so will result in an F (fail) grade being recorded.
Marks awarded for assessment items will generally be available within fourteen (14) days of the due date.
If you wish to receive further feedback from your instructor, you should contact them directly using the contact details provided in this guide.
Students may seek general feedback about their performance in a unit up to 6 months following results release.
Foundation students may approach teaching staff for one-on-one help in one of three ways:
For all university related correspondence, students are required to use their official MQ student email account which may be accessed via the Macquarie University Student Portal. Enquiries from personal email accounts will not be replied to.
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Skills Quizzes | 15% | Weeks 3, 5, 7 & 11 |
Report | 30% | Week 9 |
Presentation and Reflection | 25% | Week 10 & 11 |
Final Examination | 30% | Examination Period |
Due: Weeks 3, 5, 7 & 11
Weighting: 15%
These will be 4 short quizzes encompassing referencing & research skills, summarising, paraphrasing & analytical thinking. Quizzes may be conducted online or in class. The final mark for this assessment will consist of the best 3 quiz attempts. No Special Consideration will be awarded for missed quizzes.
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 30%
This will be an individual report on a topic chosen from a list of topics provided or approved by the instructor. The report will include in-text references and a reference list following Harvard referencing conventions. Further specifications including model and marking criteria for the report will be given in class.
This assessment must be submitted through Turnitin in iLearn. Step by step guidance for Turnitin submissions will be provided in class, instructions have been provided on iLearn and can also be found here: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm#how. Should you experience any difficulties with Turnitin submission, please see a Lab Demonstrator in Lab 311 at MQC. Late submissions will be penalised at 10% per day.
Due: Week 10 & 11
Weighting: 25%
This assessment will require students to research and present on their chosen Macquarie University Undergraduate degree and career prospects and/or some other aspect of Macquarie University in pairs or small groups. Students will need to conduct their research using recommended university resources, present their findings to the class as well as respond to any questions from the audience. Students who fail to submit on the scheduled day will need to apply for special consideration in order to be given another opportunity to deliver their presentation.
Students will be marked as a group on the quality of their content, structure, delivery and collaboration as a team (10%), as well as on their individual contribution and presentations skills (10%). As part of the individual mark, students will be required to reflect on the presentation and group collaboration, either verbally or in writing (5%).
The only exception to not sitting an in-class test or examination at the designated time is because of a serious or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you should consider lodging a Disruption to Studies Notification via www.ask.mq.edu.au within five (5) working days of the commencement of the disruption otherwise you will not receive any mark for this component of assessment. Please refer to the Disruption to Studies section below for further details.
Due: Examination Period
Weighting: 30%
The final exam will be scheduled in the exam period. It will cover all the skills studied and practiced throughout the session including paraphrasing, summarising, referencing and short answer questions. The final exam will be held during the final examination period in either Week 13 or 14 at the City Campus. Please note that you must pass the final exam in order to pass this unit.
Weekly contact will be 5 hours consisting of a 2 hour lecture, a 2 hour tutorial and 1 hour consultation session.
During Lectures, new content will typically be presented and explained by the lecturer. During tutorials participants will have more opportunities to engage in discussion and activities.
In the one-hour consultation session, students will be given individual guidance and assistance with their assessment and homework tasks and assignments. This hour is also an opportunity for students to engage in independent research and reading related to the unit, complete additional tasks to extend their knowledge of the field or catch up on any work they have missed.
Attendance of all three sessions (lectures, tutorials and consultation sessions) is compulsory and students must attend at least one consultation session per week.
Timetables for lectures and tutorials as well as consultation sessions can be found on the Noticeboard on the City Campus Student Portal.
If any scheduled class falls on a public holiday a make-up lesson may be scheduled, usually on a Saturday. Where appropriate, the instructor may instead organise an online make-up lesson which would require students to access online learning materials and/or complete activities outside of class rather than attending a make-up lesson. Scheduled make-up days are noted in the Teaching Schedule and attendance is taken for both weekend and online make-up lessons.
This unit will contain a mixture of theory and practical activities during which students will have to complete set exercises, based on material discussed in lectures and tutorials. Students will be required to work independently as well as in small groups and engage in class discussions. Some lessons may also be dedicated to research in the computer laboratories.
As there is no prescribed text for this unit, iLearn will also be used to post lecture and tutorial materials and additional resources and also to communicate with students so it is expected that students will check this resource on a regular basis.
iLearn is Macquarie's online learning management systems. The following unit specific information will be available on the website:
Please note that you must enrol in a unit via eStudent in gain access to the unit in iLearn.
You are required to regularly check the website and use it as an information and resource centre to assist with your learning.
Ensure that when you have finished using the website, you log out. Failure to do so could allow unauthorised access to your account.
Please contact the IT helpdesk (Ph. 02 9850 4357) or lodge a ticket using OneHelp if you need assistance accessing iLearn.
Prescribed textbook(s)
There are no prescribed texts for this unit. Students should bring a pen and notebook or binder with pages for note-taking to every class.
Recommended textbook(s):
Ancillary reading:
All prescribed textbooks will be made available to students to purchase at the Phillip Street Coop Bookshop.
Students can view a full list of textbooks for all units on the Macquarie City Campus Student Portal Noticeboard.
Technology Used and Required
iLearn will be utilised to put up lecture slides and additional resources, so students should login to the system on a regular basis.
Week Beginning: |
Topic |
Readings |
Week 1 Mon 22 June |
Introduction to the course and Australian learning environment. • Overview of the course – topics, objectives, assessments • Important links and resources • Macquarie University policies, procedures, services.
• Overview of Australian learning environment
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Week 2 Mon 29 June |
Research & Referencing
- Why research? - Why reference? - Intellectual property/copyright - Plagiarism
Summarizing
- What is summarizing? - Why summarise? - Summarising techniques |
- Library Research Presentation - Plagiarism ppt - Plagiarism mini case study - Recognizing plagiarism exercises - Understanding voice in writing
Summarising exercise |
Week 3 Mon 6 July |
Introduction to referencing systems - What is a referencing system?? - Different referencing systems - Where to find referencing guides - MQ referencing guide - Referencing-related terminology - Difference between a reference list in-text referencing
Paraphrasing - What is paraphrasing? - How is paraphrasing related to in-text referencing? |
Quiz 1 - MQ referencing guide - Students search for different types of referencing guides on internet & note differences.
Paraphrasing exercise Refresher Orientation Session – FP Coordinator
Complete Socrative Entry Survey – See Week 3 in iLearn |
Week 4 Mon 13 July |
Reference lists - What is a reference list? - Features of a reference list - Sources – primary & secondary - Selection of sources
Essay writing - Description & Function - Types of essays - Structure - Critical analysis of sources. - Opinion & Position |
- Harvard referencing – writing a reference list ppt - Finding examples of references in a reference list - Alphabetical order exercises - Writing a reference list exercise - Exercise on evaluation of sources
Paraphrasing & Summarising practice for assessed task next week
How to incorporate source material into an essay. |
Week 5 Mon 20 July |
In-text references 1 in - Introduction to in-text references - Types of in-text references - Language for introducing in-text references
Report Writing
- Description & Function - Types of report - Structure - Critical analysis of sources |
Quiz 2
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Week 6 Mon 27 July |
Group work
- Distinguish group work from team work - Team roles and leadership - Group learning - Goals - Preparation - Meetings - Planning
How to conduct a meeting - Chairing meetings - Procedures - Agenda - Motions - Minutes - Amendments - Voting |
Tuckman’s theory of group/team formation http://salvos.org.au/scribe/sites/2020/files/Resources/Transitions/HANDOUT
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Week 7 Mon 3 August |
Oral presentation - Why present? Identifying need. - Audience - Preparation - Content - Structure - Delivery - Individual/group - Questions - Using visual aids - PowerPoint presentations.
Converting a written report into an oral presentation. |
Quiz 3
Work on oral presentations and reports |
Week 8 Mon 10 August |
Introduction to the research method.
- Distinguish primary and secondary research - Distinguish quantitative and qualitative research - Research methodology
How to construct a questionnaire - Demographics – why are they important? - What is the Census? - What is the ABS? |
Give examples of research studies. Particularly good if lecturer can relate their own research experiences. If not find good examples on websites or on database.
Show students example of the census – available in ABS website
Show students examples of results presented in different forms eg. Pie charts, graphs, columns, tables etc.
Students given exercises to interpret diagrams, tables in written summary form. |
Week 9 Mon 17 August |
Review the report structure - Parts of the report - Referencing resources - In-text & end-of-text - Presentation - Editing – how to use electronic checks |
Issue students with a report check list
Activity: Students work on their report in consultation with lecturer
Reports due in tutorial (Must be submitted through Turnitin. Please check MQ Academic Honesty Policy before submitting). |
Week 10 Mon 24 August |
Presentations |
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Week 11 Mon 31 August |
Presentations |
Quiz 4 |
Week 12 Mon 7 September |
Exam preparation
· Types of exams · Exam strategies · Time management in exams · Plans for written essays · Legible writing · How to approach multiple choice questions · Short answer questions · Interpreting essay questions · Cheating in exams
Completion of LEU surveys in class |
Return marked report Review for final exam
Presentation
Assist students to prepare for exams – students to choose subject they are having most difficulty with. |
Week 13 Mon 14 September |
Revision & Final Exam (Final Exams may be Held in Week 13 or 14, during the scheduled final exam period. Please refer to the Information Provided on the Portal Noticeboard). Please note that you must pass the final exam in order to pass this unit. |
Other Important Dates
Public holidays & make-up days No public holidays will fall on Session 2 teaching days (Please note that online lessons may be organised in lieu of make-up day). |
Census Dates Financial Census Date (last day to withdraw without financial penalty) - Friday Week 4, 17 July Academic Census Date (last day to withdraw without academic penalty) - Friday Week 8, 14 August |
Exam Period: Monday 14 September 2015 – Wednesday 23 September 2015 inclusive. Please note you must be available on these days to take exams. |
Results Release: Session 2 2015 results are scheduled to be released to students via e-Student and MQC Student Portal on Friday 9 October 2015 |
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/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
The nature of scholarly endeavour, dependent as it is on the work of others, binds all members of the University community to abide by the principles of academic honesty. Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:
Further information on the academic honesty and schedule of penalties that will apply to breaches please consult the Academic Honesty Policy.
If you are unsure about how to incorporate scholarly sources into your own work, please speak to your Instructor or the Student Services team well in advance of your assessment. You may also enrol in StudyWise or visit the University's Library Webpage for more resources.
If, at the conclusion of the unit, you have performed below expectations, and are considering lodging an appeal of grade and/or viewing your final exam script please refer to http://www.city.mq.edu.au/new_and_current_students/appeals/ for information about associated cut off dates.
Please note that any requests to view exam papers must be booked in immediately following results release.
Before submitting a Grade Appeal, please ensure that you read the Grade Appeal Policy and noted valid grounds for appeals.
Please refer to the Attendance Policy for Foundation Students.
A minimum level of 80% attendance is compulsory for all classes, including consultation sessions and any make-up classes scheduled on weekends. Attendance will be recorded in every lesson and note made of any lateness or period of absence from class.
Where a student is present for only for a minor portion of a lesson (for example arrives late, leaves early, leaves the class frequently or for lengthy periods, engages in inappropriate or unrelated activities or does not participate actively in the majority of the lesson) the instructor reserves the right to mark a student absent for that particular lesson and make note of such incidents.
Students should note that absenteeism (including partial absenteeism) not only has a negative impact on not only their overall attendance record and their academic progress, but could also have ramifications for their visas or eligibility for social benefits where relevant.
In cases of unavoidable non-attendance due to illness or circumstances beyond control, students are advised to lodge a Disruption to Studies Notification via ask.mq.edu.au even if they have not missed a formal assessment task so that appropriate records of the reasons for unavoidable attendance can be made on their record.
Macquarie City Campus monitors Foundation students' course progress. Please refer to the Course Progress Policy.
To maintain satisfactory program performance students are required to pass 50% or more of their enrolled units in each session.
Students who fail to make satisfactory course progress will be classified as "at risk" students and may have conditions placed upon their enrolment.
International students must comply with the Course Progress policy in order to meet the conditions of their visa.
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.
Macquarie City Campus students who require assistance or support are encouraged to contact Student Services (studentadvisor@city.mq.edu.au) or make an appointment to see a student advisor at Reception on Level 2.
Macquarie University Campus Wellbeing services are also available at the City Campus. If you would like to make an appointment, please email info@city.mq.edu.au or visit their website at: http://www.campuslife.mq.edu.au/campuswellbeing.
Macquarie city campus provides free tutoring / support classes to its student. Support is available for Accounting, numeracy and essay and report writing, research presentation and referencing skills.
Students who are experiencing difficulties in these areas are advised to attend these classes on a drop-in basis. So that the tutor can assist best, students must bring the work (e.g. assignment draft, essay draft, homework problem) with which that they are having difficulties.
For further information about tutoring services, please refer to the City Campus Portal Noticeboard under Timetables, Tutor Availability.
If you require additional support with university skills, you may also consider enrolling in UNIWISE. UNIWISE is an iLearn resource which provides:
Additional study spaces are also available on Level 1.
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.
If you need IT support with any of the Macquarie University Systems please see http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/, lodge a One Help ticket or call 02 9850-4357.
Students must use their Macquarie University email addresses to communicate with staff as it is University policy that the University issued email account is used for official University communication.
A lab demonstrator is situated in Lab 311 and can help you with any usage of university systems or resetting your password.
You may also refer to the Online Systems Password Document which has been made available on the City Campus Student Portal Noticeboard.
Whilst utilising the City Campus IT facilities, students are expected to act responsibly. The following regulations apply to the use of computing facilities and online services:
Non-compliance with these conditions may result in disciplinary action without further notice.
Students may borrow headphones for use in the Macquarie City Campus computer labs (210, 307, 311, 608) or a video recorder.
Please ask at Level 2 Reception for details. You will be required to provide your MQC Student ID card which will be held as a deposit while using the equipment.
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:
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: