Submission of Assignments:

All written work will be assessed by your supervisor and must be submitted via Turnitin through the AHIS350 iLearn site.

Note that you should always keep a copy of completed tasks in case of loss.

Grading:

The grade a student receives will signify their overall performance in meeting the learning outcomes of the unit. Grades will not be awarded by reference to the achievement of other students nor allocated to fit a predetermined distribution. In determining a grade, due weight will be given to the learning outcomes and level of the unit. Markers in the unit will use the following grades:

HD = High Distinction 85–100

D = Distinction 75–84

Cr = Credit 65–74

P = Pass 50–64

F = Fail 0–49

Marking rubrics will be used and sample papers provided in this unit.

AHIS350 Unit Description

Students will undertake extended research on a topic arising from an AHIS unit which they have previously completed, and produce a research project which will be presented orally at a unit mini-conference and as a written paper (2500-3000 words). In preparation for the larger research project students will submit an annotated bibliography and research plan together with a review of a book relevant to the project. Students must contact the unit convenor by the end of the first week of the session with regard to their chosen topic and supervisor.

Finding a Supervisor

As stated above, students will undertake research on a topic arising from an AHIS unit which they have previously undertaken. Usually, supervisors will be the course convenor of the unit chosen. For your convenience, a list of academic staff and their research interests can be found at:

<http://www.mq.edu.au/about/about-the-university/faculties-and-departments/faculty-of-arts/departments-and-centres/department-of-ancient-history/about-us/staff>

Students are advised strongly to make contact with the relevant member of staff as soon as the unit guide is published and to set up a meeting as soon as possible to gain a staff member's approval to act in a supervisory capacity and to discuss a potential topic. (Staff contact information can be found at the url given immediately above.) The general rule is that staff members should not supervise more than three AHIS350 students at a time. Students must contact the unit convenor by the end of the first week of the session to register their topic and the name of their supervisor.

Classes

There will be four group meetings in this unit. There will be two short meetings in Week 1 (Wednesday 1st March, 5.00–7.00pm) and Week 7 (Wednesday 12th April, 5–7pm). The first group meeting will be organisational (no preparation is required) and the second is intended for students to meet and discuss any issues which might have arisen in the course of their research. Attendance at the mid-session meeting is optional. Students will be reminded of the dates and times of these meetings via an Announcement on the unit's iLearn site. Both meetings will be held in the Ancient History Documentary Research Centre (W6A Room 308).

Attendance at the mini-conference held on the mornings of the Wednesday and Thursday of Week 13 (7–8th June) is compulsory. Students should consult with their supervisors about their research on a regular basis. It is compulsory for students to have met at least twice with their supervisor and obtained feedback on their developing research project by the end of Week 4.

Required Reading and Texts

Students should consult with their supervisors regarding required and recommended reading.

Technology used and Required

The unit has an iLearn page which can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/.

PC and internet access are therefore required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements.

Examinations

Please note that there are no examinations in this unit.

Satisfactory Completion of Unit

A student is required to undertake all forms of assessment and achieve an overall mark of 50% or above to complete the unit satisfactorily.

There will be four group meetings in this unit. There will be two short meetings in Week 1 (Wednesday 1st March, 5.00–7.00pm) and Week 7 (Wednesday 12th April, 5–7pm). The first group meeting will be organisational (no preparation is required) and the second is intended for students to meet and discuss any issues which might have arisen in the course of their research. Attendance at the mid-session meeting is optional. Students will be reminded of the dates and times of these meetings via an Announcement on the unit's iLearn site. Both meetings will be held in the Ancient History Documentary Research Centre (W6A Room 308).

Attendance at the mini-conference held on the mornings of the Wednesday and Thursday of Week 13 (7–8th June) is compulsory. Students should consult with their supervisors about their research on a regular basis. It is compulsory for students to have met at least twice with their supervisor and obtained feedback on their developing research project by the end of Week 4.

In response to student feedback the one-day mini-conference has been split into two half-days rather than one marathon day.

Also, in response to student feedback, the weighting of the final written paper (Assessment 4) has been increased from 35% to 45%. Accordingly, the weighting of the Bibliography and Research Plan (Assessment 1) has been reduced from 30% to 25% and the weighting of the Short Book Review (Assessment 2) has been reduced from 20% to 15%.

As a result of the implementation of a new Assessment Policy which requires staff to give feedback to Coursework students by the Census Date, it is compulsory for students to seek feedback from their supervisors on the progress of their research project by the end of Week 4.

Again, in response to student feedback, guidelines have been added with regards to finding a supervisor at the beginning of the session.

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION

Assignments must be submitted through Turnitin on the unit's iLearn website.

ASSIGNMENT LENGTH

Markers will stop reading assignments which are more than 10% over the specified word length. Students who submit assignments which are under 10% of the prescribed word length may be asked to resubmit.

EXTENSIONS AND LATE WORK

Extensions for assignments can only be granted for serious and unavoidable disruptions that arise after a study period has commenced (see under 'Disruption to Studies' immediately below) and may only be sought in consultation with the unit convenor and with the support of documentary evidence. If you anticipate any difficulty in meeting assigned due dates then it is important that you contact the unit convenor as early as possible and before the deadline. 

EXTENSION REQUEST PROCEDURE

The granting of extensions is subject to the University's Disruptions Policy: http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html.

Disruption to Studies

If you require an extension, you will be required to submit a 'Disruption to Studies' Notification. Please follow the procedure below:

1. Visit https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/forms/display/disruptions and use your OneID to log in.
2. Select your unit code from the drop down list and fill in your relevant details. Note: A notification needs to be submitted for each unit you believe is affected by the disruption.
3. Click "Submit form".
4. Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a note/attachment', click 'browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'submit note' to send your notification and supporting documents
5. Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process.

Please ensure that supporting documentation is included with your request. Notify your convenor via your iLearn dialogue box if you are submitting a 'Disruption to Studies' Notification. Your request will be considered once all the documentation has been received. If you have issues, please contact your convenor via the dialogue tool immediately.

PENALTIES TO BE APPLIED FOR THE SUBMISSION OF LATE WORK

Without documentation (e.g. medical or counselling certificates) or prior staff approval, a penalty of 2% a day, including weekends, will be applied. If required, applications for extensions should be made to the course convenor before the assignment's due date.

N.B. (NOTA BENE), i.e. NOTE WELL: You should always keep a copy of completed assignment tasks in case of loss.

DISRUPTION TO STUDIES POLICY

<http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html>

This Policy applies only to serious and unavoidable disruptions that arise after a study period has commenced. Such disruptions commonly result from personal, social or domestic circumstances and may include illness (either physical or psychological), accident, injury, societal demands (such as jury service), bereavement, family breakdown or unexpected changes in employment situations.

Notification of Disruption to Studies

In order to support students who have experienced serious and unavoidable disruption, the University will provide affected students with an additional opportunity to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes of a unit.

An additional opportunity provided under such circumstances is referred to as Special Consideration. Special Consideration will be granted after careful evaluation of evidence supporting a notification for disruption to studies.

DISRUPTION TO STUDIES NOTIFICATION

It is a student’s responsibility to notify the University of their circumstances. All students of the University have the right to provide notification of a disruption to studies.

A student may notify the University of a disruption to their studies regardless of whether the disruption meets the serious and unavoidable criteria.

To be eligible for Special Consideration, a student must notify the University of a serious and unavoidable disruption within five (5) working days of the commencement of the disruption (Disruption to Studies notification).  

All Disruption to Studies notifications are to be made online via the University’s Ask MQ system.

Students granted a Disruption to Studies may by awarded an Incomplete Grade in first session results released in mid-July.