Students

PICT8018 – Counter Terrorism in the Global and Australian Contexts

2020 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lise Waldek
lise.waldek@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MPICT or MCPICT or GradDipPICT or GradDipCPICT or PGCertPICT or GradCertPICT or GradCertCPICT or MPICTMIntSecSt or MCPICTMIntSecSt or MIntSecStud or GradDipIntSecStud or MCTerrorism or MSecStrategicStudMCTerrorism or MIntellMCTerrorism or MCyberSecMCTerrorism or MCTerrorismMCrim or admission to BSecStudMCTerrorism
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
PICT8018 Fully online / Virtual PICX8018
Unit description Unit description

This unit will examine the structure and components of global counter-terrorism policies and initiatives. It will explore the relationships between foreign policy, international relations, and community dynamics exposing students to the complexity involved in delivering and evaluating effective solutions to the dynamic security threats posed by violent extremism. It will consider the complex and inter-connected roles played by organisations at a global, national and local level including the United Nations, Attorney General's Department, Office of Premier and Cabinet, Multicultural NSW and a range of NGOs. Contemporary literature drawn from terrorism studies and real-world case-studies will expose students to important theoretical arguments relating to radicalisation, de-radicalisation, and desistance and how these impact on the delivery of effective counter-terrorism strategies.

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:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • ULO2: Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • ULO3: Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • ULO5: Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • ULO6: Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

General Assessment Information

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply - two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date - and (b) no assignment will  be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments - e.g. quizzes, online tests. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Active Participation 10% No Weekly
Engagement Quiz 10% No Weekly
Research Essay 50% No Week 12 01/11/2020
Policy Memo 30% No Week 7 13/09/2020

Active Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 13 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 10%

 

Active participation refers to the completion of online or in-class tasks, and the demonstration that students have engaged in a sustained informed and critical manner with the set materials for the unit. Students will take an active role in learning, communicating effectively with peers, and t address substantively the given topic area making use of all available course materials.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Engagement Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 9 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 10%

 

There will be a short weekly quiz during weeks 2 - 10. This quiz is worth 10% of the final grade. The questions will be drawn from the weekly lectures and/or reading material.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Week 12 01/11/2020
Weighting: 50%

 

The completion of a 3,000 word Research Essay allows students to develop core disciplinary knowledge, enhance research and critical thinking skills, demonstrate effective written communication skills, and demonstrate originality. Students will select one essay from a list provided on the unit iLearn page. The questions will reflect issues covered by the course content and materials.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Investigate a substantial body of contemporary counter terrorism and countering violent extremism literature.
  • Demonstrate higher order communication skills including the ability to present sustained and persuasive arguments cogently and coherently.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

Policy Memo

Assessment Type 1: Professional writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 7 13/09/2020
Weighting: 30%

 

The Policy Memo is a 1,000 word written brief addressed to a high-level policy-maker who is considering the options available to the federal Australian government in response to a particular situation arising from current terrorist threats. The memo will identify and analyze the factors that should inform the policy-makers decision, and recommend a particular course of action.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a high level of critical comprehension regarding the concepts of counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.
  • Display engagement with the theoretical and practical paradigms that shape counter terrorism through the examination and exploration of contemporary global and Australian specific policies, programs, and initiatives.
  • Model research skills, particularly the ability to select appropriate knowledge and evidence from diverse sources in order to effectively evaluate its significance and relevance; formulate sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments.
  • Demonstrate higher level skills in critical analysis.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

DELIVERY AND RESOURCES

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

  • You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in iLearn discussion forums and preparing assessments. 
  • Internal students are expected to attend all seminar and tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities.
  • In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit. 

REQUIRED READINGS

  • The citations for all of the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site. Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

  • Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement. 
  • This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au
  • Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.
  • Information about IT used for this unit is available at https://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • All text based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked, and returned electronically. This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.
  • Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS Word document by the due date.
  • Most assessment tasks will be subjected to a 'Turnitin' review as an automatic part of the submission process.
  • The granting of extensions is subject to the university's Disruption Policy. Extensions will not in normal circumstances be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Disruption to Study: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration/disruption-to-studies

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approve, a penalty for lateness will apply:
    • Two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date 
    • No assignment will be accepted seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.
    • No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests. 

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS

  • Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page.
  • Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure.
  • If the number of words exceeds the limit by more than 10%, penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of the awarded mark for every 100 words over the word limit. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%).

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER

  • Macquarie University operates a Grade Appeal Policy in cases where students feel their work was graded inappropriately: http://student.mq.edu.au/support/complaints_appeals/appeals/grade_appeals/
  • Conforming to the Grade Appeal Policy, individual works are not subject to regrading

STAFF AVAILABILITY

  • Department staff will endeavor to answer student enquiries in a timely manner. However, emails or iLearn messages will not usually be answered over the weekend or public holiday period.
  • Students are encouraged to read the Unit Guide and look at instructions posted on the iLearn site before sending email requests to staff.

Unit Schedule

Please note that the incorporation of guest speakers in this unit means that the subject/week may change due to availability. 

Week 1

 

Introduction: What is Terrorism? What can be done about Terrorism?

 

Week 2

 

Instruments of Policy: Military Action

 

Week 3

 

Instruments of Policy: War by Proxy and Targeted Killing

Week 4

 

Instruments of Policy: Diplomacy and Negotiations

Week 5

 

Instruments of Policy: Countering Violent Extremism

Week 6

 

Policy Memo: Case Study 

Week 7

 

Counter Terrorism in the Australian Context 

 

RECESS

 

RECESS

Week 8

 

Counter Terrorism and Policing 

Week 9

 

Counter Terrorism in the International Environment

Week 10

 

De-radicalisation and/or desistence 

Week 11

 

Resilience in NSW

Week 12

 

Ethical and Legal Issues

 

Week 13

 

Conclusions

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

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

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.