PACE units in Science and Engineering, their Unit Convenors, and their students, are supported by a PACE Team within the Faculty. Throughout the unit offering, members of the Team may be in contact with students to provide or collect information. If you have any questions about PACE in Science and Engineering, please email: pace.science@mq.edu.au

WHAT TO DO IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY:

1. Remove yourself from any danger.
2. Call 000, if necessary.
3. Speak to your partner-based supervisor, if possible. The Organisation may have emergency procedures to follow. THEN - if the emergency occurs in office hours (i.e. Monday - Friday 9am-5pm)
4. Contact your Unit Convenor or Faculty PACE Manager by phone/email as soon as you can.

       OR - if the emergency occurs outside of office hours (i.e. outside of Monday - Friday 9am-5pm)

       5. Phone Campus Security Office on (02) 9850-9999 as soon as you can. This is a 24 hour, 7 days a week service and it does not matter where in Australia you are when you call. Please identify yourself as a PACE student when you call.

N.B. For any minor issues with your participation activity, please speak to your partner-based Supervisor. If the problem is more serious, please contact your Unit Convenor or your Faculty PACE Manager.

If you are experiencing difficulties and need to speak to a counsellor:

• Contact the MQ Counselling Service at Campus Wellbeing on 9850-7497 (Monday - Friday, 8am-6pm)
• 1800 MQ CARELINE (1800-227-367) - information and referral

 

WORK, HEALTH, AND SAFETY (WHS)

A PACE Activity is a practical experience allocated to, and undertaken by, a student within a PACE unit which may take place in premises other than the University (usually the Partner Organisation’s premises). When working or studying in non-University premises, the primary responsibility for the health and safety of our students becomes that of the Partner Organisation hosting the student. All host organisations must comply with the NSW Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011.

During your PACE activity your host supervisor should:

• make your responsibilities clear
• provide any necessary training
• inform you about professional codes of conduct
• supervise and provide feedback.

During your PACE activity you must have:

• a safe work environment
• a WHS safety orientation
• safe work systems
• protection from bullying and harassment

You must also:

• take reasonable care of yourself
• ensure your actions don’t affect the safety of others
• follow the safety procedures of the host organisation

WHS and risk for fieldwork-based PACE activities: Some EESC3000 activities involve fieldwork. Fieldwork includes professional experience whereby the fieldwork i) forms the majority of the activity; ii) is essential to partner benefit; and iii) requires the application of discipline specific knowledge and skills. Fieldwork-based activities are undertaken in collaboration with a partner and are conducted on a site in the natural and/or built environment in order to collect data (e.g. soil, water or rock samples, asking questions of humans, documenting information about animals, etc.) for the purposes of informing a study about that environment or site. Fieldwork may be led by students as the discipline experts; however, it requires supervision by an appropriately qualified Macquarie University staff or external partner.  Before commencing your activity, clarify with your partner organisation if fieldwork will be necessary and, if there is a cost associated, who will pay. Students who will undertake fieldwork-based PACE activities must consult with host supervisor regarding additional WHS and risk procedures that might be necessary. All fieldwork must be officially approved by relevant staff before it commences.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PACE AND PACE FORMS

If you require information about PACE in general or access to forms such as those for the PACE Travel Grants, please log into the PACE student wiki:

https://students.mq.edu.au/experience/practical-experience/pace-experience/how-do-i-start

PACE Activity – Early Commencement Procedure: to outline the conditions under which the unit convenor of a PACE unit will consider a request from a student to commence or complete a PACE activity prior to the official start date of the associated PACE unit.

https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/participation_activity

PACE - Managing Other Commitments Procedure: to outline the University’s approach to an absence or other form of disruption during the session due to a student undertaking a PACE activity.

https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/pace-managing-other-commitments

PACE - Reasonable Adjustments, Guideline and Procedure: Macquarie University will endeavour to match students with an appropriate host and feasible PACE activity to maximise student success. Thesedocumentsprovidegoodpracticeinformationforstudentsandstafftoencourageearly disclosure of circumstances (e.g. disability, medical condition, flexible time arrangements, or leave days for official observances, etc.), which may impact on a student’s PACE activity, and the subsequent arrangement of reasonable adjustments when enrolling or participating in a PACE Unit (Guideline).

https: /staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/pace-reasonable-adjustments

PACE activities requiring background checks: Some partner organisations may require students to complete certain background checks and/or clearances in cases where they will be working with children, young people, people with disabilities, the frail-aged, at-risk clients, and government/statutory agencies. It’s very important that students complete the required background clearances before beginning the PACE activity. Any necessary information on background checks will be communicated directly to students by the Unit Convenor or the Faculty PACE team. Please note there is an extra verification step required for students who need to complete a Working with Children Check. Students will be required to provide their WWCC number to the Faculty PACE Team electronically and the result of their check will need to be verified by MQ WWCC Administrator (Governance Services) before they start their activity.

Policy regarding PACE and the AHEGS statement: PACE units will be flagged on student transcripts with the symbol "π" after the unit code and before the unit title. Students can highlight this designation to future employers and academic institutions as the following definition, which details the value of such units, will also be included after the list of units and before Special Achievements, Recognition and Prizes (if included) or the Key to Grading:

π: Units marked with π are designated PACE units. These units provide students with an opportunity to learn through practical experience and make a valuable contribution to the community by applying knowledge and skills acquired at the University.

PACE and Ethical Practice: Ethical considerations feature heavily in the PACE Initiative. As ambassadors of the University, students are expected to engage with the wider community in a responsible and ethically informed manner that respects the rights of individuals, communities and the environment. This expectation applies to all PACE activities regardless of their nature. Ethical practice involves negotiating the ethical complexities of the context with which you are working. This involves critically thinking about issues of power, hierarchy, culture and position, and about the potential risks of your work and interactions with others, immediate and over time. It is important to ensure that risks are mitigated and experiences are enriching and worthwhile for all those involved.

In addition to the role of students as ambassadors, partners must conform to the University’s ethical standards; PACE activities must be aligned with the wellbeing of people and planet; there are research-based PACE activities as well as collaborative research with partners; and, the way in which everybody’s PACE experiences are captured and shared must be ethical. If a student ever feels that unethical behaviour has occurred during a PACE activity, they should consult with their Unit Convenors and/or the Faculty PACE staff immediately. Further, any students whose PACE activity will involve research must consult with their convenor prior to commencement to confirm whether or not research ethics permission is required.

PACE and IP: Students enrolled in PACE units may be working with external industry partners. Although it is uncommon, during some activities Intellectual Property may be created and there may be some instances when the partner requires the assignment of IP. Students are encouraged to seek legal advice prior to entering into any such agreement. Students uncertain of their rights relating to IP ownership can seek advice from the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research). This should be done by contacting the relevant Faculty PACE Manager.

PACE Grants and Prizes: There are several ways in which PACE might support students financially to undertake PACE activities. PACE students are also eligible to apply for the prestigious Prof. Judyth Sachs PACE Prizes.

https://students.mq.edu.au/experience/practical-experience/pace-experience/apply-for-a-prize

PACEWISE

Re-visit PACEWISE to find out more about:

• Hints to present yourself professionally
• The Judyth Sachs Prize
• PACE Equity and Travel grants
• Your Roles and Responsibilities
• Work Health and Safety

EESC3000 PACE in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Semester 1, 2021 WORKSHOPS and ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE:

Week	WORKSHOPS MONDAY 12 - 2pm, 11WW - 130	ASSIGNMENT DEADLINE / WEIGHTING
1	Introduction to professional practice - CV/Cover Letter workshop   (by Serene Lin-Stephens, Career Development Consultant)
2	Risk Assessment workshop (by  PACE Health and Safety Advisor)	Week 2	Risk Assessment Assignment (5%)
3		Week 3	CV and Cover Letter (10%)
4		Week 4	Reflective Journal (5%)
5
6
7
	Session Break
8		Week 8	Reflective Journal (5%)
9
10
11
12	Poster Presentation Workshop (by Elena Belousova)	Week 12	Reflective Journal (10%) Final Report (45%)
13		Week 13	Poster (20%) Day of the Presentation TBA

 

Unit Convenors:	Contact Details:	Location
A/Prof. Elena Belousova	elena.belousova@mq.edu.au Ph: 9850-6126	E7A - 12 Wally's Walk, Level 2, office 224