Assessment details

Details of assessments will be provided in class, on iLearn (Macquarie University's online unit management system) and/or through the TAMS Moodle.

Assessment submission

Digital copies of all assessments will be required.  Assessments will be run through Turnitin.  As assessments need to be written in the student’s own words.

Academic honesty

Plagiarism is the presentation of thoughts and work of another as one’s own.

Examples include:

• Copying thoughts or work of another without appropriate acknowledgment
• Paraphrasing another person’s work with very minor changes
• Piecing together sections of the work of others into a new document.

The majority of assessments are individual and structured to minimise (via invigilation and Turnitin) collusion and plagiarism.  Plagiarism is discussed verbally.  All assessments need to be written in the student’s own words.  The penalties imposed by the University for plagiarism are serious and may include expulsion from the University.  ANY evidence of plagiarism will be dealt with following University policy.  Penalties for plagiarism will be imposed for each assessment and clearly defined in marking grades.  Further penalties imposed by the Faculty disciplinary committee may range from a loss of all marks and the award of zero depending on the circumstances.  Assessments are run through Turnitin for plagiarism checking.

Extensions, penalties and disruption to studies

The deadlines for assignments are not negotiable. If an assignment is submitted late a penalty of -5% of the mark allocated for the assignment will be deducted per day (i.e. 6 days late = -30% of marks available).  Submission must occur within one week (7 days) of the due date or the assignment will not be marked.

Students absent from more than one practical class without approval will be penalised 5% of their overall unit grade for every class missed.

If you experience a serious and unavoidable disruption to your studies and require an extension for an assessment please submit a Disruptions to Studies notification via ask.mq.edu.au with supporting documentation, and a Professional Authority Form completed by your health care professional.  If you anticipate as potentially serious and unavoidable disruption (e.g., upcoming surgery) speak to the unit staff early and apply for an extension before the due date.

Unit completion

To pass this unit you must achieve an overall minimum grade of 50%.

Supplementary exams

If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled in the interval between the unit exam and the start of the next session.  By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during this period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments.  Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application.  You can check the supplementary examination information page on FSE101 in iLearn (bit.ly/FSESupp) for dates, and approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.

All classes in BIOL8770 are held on Thursdays at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS, https://www.sims.org.au/)

Practical classes

The practical classes will introduce you to IMOS – Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System, a national infrastructure facility that collects marine data from Australia’s coasts and oceans.  These data are made publicly available and used by scientists to explore and monitor biological and oceanographic processes in the coastal and marine environment.  In practical classes you will analyse and interpret remotely-sensed data from IMOS, which provides comprehensive information on the biological and physical processes of Australia’s coastal and oceanic waters.

Seminars

The seminar series is built around a range of current research questions in Australian marine science.  Scientists from a number of disciplines will present their research and the most important research questions in their field in a series of 1-hour seminars.  Seminar topics cover physical and biological oceanography, climate change, molecular ecology, aquaculture, marine biology and marine geosciences.

Seminars take place weekly after the practical classes.