Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor Tim Ralph tim.ralph@mq.edu.au Contact via tim.ralph@mq.edu.au E7A 628a Email for an appointment Senior Lecturer Grant Edwards grant.edwards@mq.edu.au Contact via grant.edwards@mq.edu.au E7A 621 Email for an appointment Lecturer Kerrie Tomkins kerrie.tomkins@mq.edu.au Contact via kerrie.tomkins@mq.edu.au E7A 628b Email for an appointment
Credit points	Credit points 3
Prerequisites	Prerequisites 39cp including [(ENV267(P) or GEOS267(P) or ENVE214) and (3cp in ENV or ENVE or ENVG units at 300 level)]
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit provides an advanced understanding of the interdisciplinary links between environmental research, management strategies and policy frameworks that are fundamental to environmental management. We explore significant issues and challenges associated with managing our dynamic environment, including catchment assessment and prioritisation, river and wetland rehabilitation, land degradation and recovery, coastal erosion, atmospheric pollution, climate change, and variability. To emphasise practical applications and outcomes, the unit includes a field visit to sites of environmental importance in the Sydney region and students develop skills in environmental impact assessment and professional literacy that are designed to enhance employability.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

General Assessment Information

Submission of Assessment Tasks

All assessment tasks in ENVE362 (except the oral presentations and the final exam) must be submitted online through Turnitin. Links for the submission of each assessment task will be available on iLearn. Information regarding assignment submission to Turnitin can be found at: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm

Your assignments will be marked through Turnitin and your grades will be returned to you online through Turnitin (your grade will be added to the top of your Turnitin submission in the form of a comment, along with other feedback). Please do not submit a hardcopy of your assignment/s unless you have obtained prior permission from the lecturer responsible for that assignment.

Penalties for Late Assessments

The penalty for late submission of assessments in ENVE362 is ten percent (10 %) of the assessment value per day, calculated from the due time and date. This means that if the assignment is worth a total of 25 marks (or 25 % of the unit) you will lose 2.5 marks for each day late. The penalty will be applied over weekdays and weekends unless you have been granted an extension by the lecturer responsible for the assignment prior to the due date. To obtain an extension you will need to provide appropriate supporting documentation (e.g. medical certificate). The final decision regarding the late penalty imposed lies with the lecturer responsible for the assignment.

Return of Marked Assessments

We aim to return your assignments with feedback within three weeks of the date that you submit your assignment, and before your next assignment is due. We will advise you through iLearn when your marked assignments are available for viewing.

Exams

Details of University exam conditions and exam timetables can be found at: http://www.exams.mq.edu.au/

It is very important to note that the final exam period includes weekdays and weekends and all students (including international exchange students) are expected to present themselves for the ENVE362 exam at the time and place designated in the exam timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the exams and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of the exams.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Due
Assessment 1	10%	Week 3
Assessment 2	25%	Week 6
Assessment 3	5%	Weeks 8, 9 and 10
Assessment 4	20%	Week 11
Assessment 5	40%	Final Exam Period

Assessment 1

Due: Week 3
Weighting: 10%

Original map and short written report - submit online through Turnitin

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Assessment 2

Due: Week 6
Weighting: 25%

Written report - submit online through Turnitin

On successful completion you will be able to:

Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Assessment 3

Due: Weeks 8, 9 and 10
Weighting: 5%

Oral presentations - attend weekly classes

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.

Assessment 4

Due: Week 11
Weighting: 20%

Written report - submit online through Turnitin

On successful completion you will be able to:

Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Assessment 5

Due: Final Exam Period
Weighting: 40%

Formal examination (closed book)

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Delivery and Resources

Delivery

Classes

The timetable for ENVE362 can be found at: https://timetables.mq.edu.au/

A detailed class schedule with lecture and practical topics will be made available to all enrolled students through iLearn.

ENVE362 is taught via lectures, practicals, readings and assessment tasks. Students should make use of iLearn to access teaching and learning materials, to submit assignments, to stay in touch with the unit, to contact lecturers, and to discuss issues and concepts with classmates.

Workload

ENVE362 earns 3 credit points towards your degree. University guidelines state that this will involve at least 3 hours per week, per credit point. Therefore, for a 3 credit point unit you are expected to put in at least 9 hours of study per week on average over the semester; around 135 hours in total. This requires planning on your part to do all the work required in lectures, practicals, assignmnets, reading and the final exam.

Resources

iLearn

The ENVE362 iLearn page can be found at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/

Information about how students can access iLearn can be found at: http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/index.htm

The iLearn page uses Macquarie University’s standard interface and has links, discussion threads and access to lectures (as audio files through Echo360, and as downloadable PDF presentations) and practical material. Important announcements will be made through iLearn, so please check the ENVE362 page regularly.

Echo360

Information about how to access lecture recordings through the Echo360 EchoCenter page in iLearn can be found at: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/lecture_recordings.htm

Turnitin

Macquarie University promotes student awareness of information management and information ethics. As well as training and the provision of information, the University tackles the issue of academic honesty through the use of the online program Turnitin.

Information about how to submit assignments to Turnitin in iLearn can be found at: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm

As well as being a key tool for assignment submission, marking and feedback, Turnitin compares your work with the work of your classmates, with previous students from Macquarie and other universities, with material available on the Internet, and with freely available and subscription-based electronic journals. The results are sent only to your lecturers, who will analyse them in reference to the University's Academic Honesty Policy.

You will be able to access the results of the Turnitin academic honesty scan for your own assignments, known as your ‘originality report’. In ENVE362, we will allow you to overwrite the initial submission file with a second submission if you choose to do so, but only up until the final due date and time for the assignment. We consider this opportunity to fine-tune your academic honesty a considerable resource, and we hope that you will use this review process constructively to ensure you are referencing other material correctly and effectively.

Recommended Texts

There is no prescribed textbook for ENVE362, however, you are expected to complete the weekly readings and the following books may be of particular interest:

Allan, C. and Stankey, G.H. (Eds.) 2009. Adaptive Environmental Management: A Practitioner's Guide. Springer, New York, and CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria.
Conacher, A. and Conacher, J. 2000. Environmental Planning and Management in Australia. Oxford University Press, U.K.
Dovers, S. and Wild River, S. (Eds.) 2003. Managing Australia’s Environment. The Federation Press, Leichhardt, New South Wales.
Hatton, T.J., Cork, S., Harper, P., Joy, R., Kanowski, P., Mackay, R., McKenzie, N. and Ward, T. (State of the Environment 2011 Committee). 2011. Australia State of the Environment 2011: An independent report presented to the Australian Government Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Available online at http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/index.html
Holling, C.S. 1978. Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.

We also recommend that students majoring in this field secure a copy of:

Hay, I. 2012. Communicating in Geography and the Environmental Sciences (Fourth Edition). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

The following journals may also be particularly useful:

Air Quality and Climate Change
Australasian Journal of Environmental Management
Environment International
Environmental Management
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management
Journal of Environmental Management
Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
Local Environment: the international journal of justice and sustainability
River Research and Applications
Water Resources

Relationship to Other Units in Your Study Program

ENVE362 is a science unit and is one of the core 300-level prerequisites for the major in Environmental Management and the major in Geography within the BEnv, BSc and BA. It is also the capstone unit for students completing a major in Geography. It is taught by staff from the Department of Environment and Geography who have expertise in environmental science and management. If you need academic advice on your program, please make an appointment to see an academic staff member in the Department of Environment and Geography.

Unit Schedule

Schedule

ENVE362 relies on a structured program to facilitate your learning and critical thinking. The unit is taught via lectures, practicals, readings and assessment tasks. A detailed class schedule will be made available to all enrolled students through iLearn, as will lecture and practical materials.

Students must attend two lectures and one practical per week (Note: there are no practicals in Weeks 1 or 13).

In Week 4 there is a one day fieldtrip in the Sydney area for all students. Full details will be provided on iLearn.

In Week 11 there is a one day on-campus session for students enrolled in the external mode (X2) of ENVE362. Full details will be provided on iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

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.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

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.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

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:

Learning outcomes

Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Commitment to Continuous Learning

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:

Learning outcomes

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

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:

Learning outcomes

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.

Assessment tasks

Assessment 1
Assessment 2
Assessment 4
Assessment 5

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

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:

Learning outcomes

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Assessment tasks

Assessment 2
Assessment 4
Assessment 5

Problem Solving and Research Capability

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:

Learning outcomes

Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Assessment tasks

Assessment 2
Assessment 3
Assessment 4

Creative and Innovative

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:

Learning outcomes

Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Assessment tasks

Assessment 3
Assessment 4
Assessment 5

Effective Communication

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:

Learning outcomes

Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.
Utilise maps, graphs, statistics and text to construct, analyse and interpret information related to environmental management.
Articulate current and future strategies to meet the needs of environmental management in Australia.
Write for a target audience and critically read, think about, interpret and evaluate environmental and social science data.

Assessment tasks

Assessment 2
Assessment 3
Assessment 4
Assessment 5

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

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:

Learning outcomes

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.

Assessment tasks

Assessment 1
Assessment 2
Assessment 3
Assessment 4

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

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:

Learning outcomes

Identify and define the key terms, concepts and approaches in environmental management.
Review and understand the principal threats to environmental systems and key approaches to environmental management.
Interpret and communicate complex issues in environmental management and match appropriate management strategies to particular environmental settings and problems.

Assessment tasks

Assessment 2
Assessment 3
Assessment 4