Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Sandie Suchet-Pearson sandie.suchet@mq.edu.au Contact via Email Katherine Dafforn katherine.dafforn@mq.edu.au Contact via Email Emilie Ens emilie.ens@mq.edu.au Contact via Email
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit explores human interactions with the environment through the lens of sustainability and connectivity; concepts that are central to environmental management in our ever-changing world. It will help students to understand their environment from social and scientific viewpoints and will demonstrate how an interdisciplinary approach to environmental management is integral to human and ecosystem health. Current, real-world examples from terrestrial and marine ecosystems, social systems, atmospheric and climate systems, and their dynamic interplay encourage critical thinking about environmental management issues in Australia and globally. This unit is designed for students who care about the environment and the world's future and will lay firm foundations for a range of environmental and geographical studies.

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: Define the core concepts of environmental management, including society, environment, sustainability and connectivity.
ULO2: Describe examples of the ways that population, environment and resources interact to affect human societies and ecosystems, from local to global scales.
ULO3: Utilise maps, graphs and other forms of environmental and social data to analyse the key relationships in environmental and human systems.
ULO4: Critically review information relating to environmental management issues and communicate the results to a target audience.
ULO5: Demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in the learning process.

General Assessment Information

Assessment Criteria

Assessment at Macquarie University is standards-based, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. This means that your work will be assessed against clear criteria, and these criteria (e.g. in a rubric) will be made available when the assessment tasks are released to you on iLearn.

Hurdle Requirements

A hurdle requirement is an activity for which a minimum level of performance or participation is a condition of passing the unit (see the Assessment Policy). Failure to meet the hurdle requirement will result in failure of the unit.

In this unit, the hurdle requirement is weekly tutorial worksheets.

Submission of Assessments

All assessments must be submitted online through Turnitin unless otherwise indicated. Links for the submission of each assessment will be available on iLearn.

You should always check that you have uploaded the correct file. If you have a problem, please email the Unit Convenor with your correct file. You must also keep a copy of your assessments until the end of semester in case there is a problem with your submission. It is your responsibility to ensure that you can provide a copy of your assessment if requested.

Marking of Assessments

Assignments will usually be marked through Turnitin with grades provided through Gradebook on iLearn. Please do not submit your assessments via email or in hard copy unless requested (e.g. a sketch or drawing).

We aim to return your assessment grades and feedback within three weeks of the date that you submitted it. We appreciate your patience and will advise you through iLearn when your marked assessments and feedback are available for viewing.

Penalties for Late Assessments

The penalty for late submission of assessments in this unit 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 30 marks (or 30% of the unit) you will lose 3 marks for each day it is late. This is a hefty penalty designed to make you aware of the importance of organising yourself around assessment due dates. The penalty will be applied over weekdays and weekends unless you have been granted an extension prior to the due date.

Extensions for Assessments

To obtain an extension for an assessment task, you will need to follow the formal process as outlined in the Special Consideration Policy, and you must provide appropriate supporting evidence (e.g. medical certificate - see advice for Special Consideration requests). The final decision regarding the granting of an extension lies with the unit convenor. Permission for extensions must be sought before the due date unless there are exceptional circumstances. Please let us know of problems in advance or as soon as possible, not after the event. We are likely to be much more sympathetic and able to accommodate your circumstance if you follow this advice.

There is no exam in this unit

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Weekly tutorials	0%	Yes	Weekly
Online quiz	15%	No	Week 4, 8, 12
Data analysis	30%	No	Week 6
Podcast	25%	No	Week 9
Poster	30%	No	Week 13

Weekly tutorials

Assessment Type ¹: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task ²: 20 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 0%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

Includes completion of the required readings, related summary and worksheet for each weekly tutorial .