All assignments must be submitted via the TURNITIN links embedded in the unit’s iLearn site. A signed and scanned coversheet must be included with the submission or otherwise emailed to the unit convener.

 

TURNITIN is a powerful online tool for detecting plagiarism. It compares the text of submitted documents with the work of current classmates, past students, published material in books, journals and across the internet. As part of our commitment to academic honesty at Macquarie, you are required to submit your assignments to TURNITIN. You will be able to do so via links in iLearn (embedded in the weeks when each task is due; e.g., Week 3 for Assignment 1).

 

 

 

Due dates, extensions, penalties and special consideration

 

Overdue assignments will attract a penalty at the rate of 5 % of the total mark allocated for the assignment per day past the due date. Weekend days are included in this calculation. The penalty will be capped at 75 %, which means that once your submission is more than 15 days overdue you can earn up to a maximum of 25 % of the assessment grade. The date and time of your submission will be taken as registered by TURNITIN.

 

Deadlines for assessments are not negotiable except under circumstances when you have experienced a serious and unavoidable disruption. In such instances, you should formally lodge a disruption to studies notification via ASK@MQ. University policy and procedure in regard to disruptions is given in the links below, but please note in particular:

 

1. To be eligible for special consideration, you must notify the University of a serious and unavoidable disruption within five (5) working days of the commencement of the disruption;
2. Such requests must be lodged for the specific assessment task for which you experienced disruption. Special consideration cannot be granted retrospectively (i.e., beyond the 5-day window of each assessment due-date);
3. Unit staff will NOT be held responsible for assessing special consideration unless a disruption notification is formally lodged via ASK@MQ.

                                                                                           

Grading & return of assessment tasks

 

Assessments for assignments and mid-semester tests will be communicated in class to internal students and electronically to external students, along with feedback (specific and general) via text, structured rubrics and orally. A guide to dates for return of grades is provided above – see ‘assessment at a glance’.

 

One disclaimer: Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Ratified results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent.

 

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_2016.html.

 

Grade Appeal Policy:

http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

 

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public:

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html

 

Disruption to Studies Policy (This replaces the former Special Consideration Policy):

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

 

Other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

 

Student Code of Conduct

 

As a Macquarie University student, you have a responsibility to be familiar with (and adhere to) the Student Code of Conduct, available at: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Lectures will be provided online via zoom, tutorials will be offered either via face to face or online via zoom

Unit materials will be available on iLearn™ (https://ilearn.mq.edu.au). This is the primary conduit for communication in this subject. Use it for:

• Regularly checking subject announcements and communications;
• Downloading lecture, laboratory and reference materials;
• Uploading Assignments to TURNITIN via embedded links;
• Checking your grades.

Your user name is your student number, and your password is your myMQ student portal password.

If you are having problems logging on, please contact Student IT Help, Phone: (02) 9850 4357 (in Sydney) or 1 800 674 357 (outside Sydney).

If you are having trouble accessing your online unit due to a disability or health condition, please go to the Student Enquiry Services website at http://www.student.mq.edu.au/ses/ for information on how to get assistance.

 

The content of this unit is closely linked to Frankham R, Ballou JD and Briscoe DA (2010) Introduction to Conservation Genetics 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press. This textbook is required reading for Biol334 students. The book was written by Emeritus Prof Richard Frankham and Prof Dave Briscoe, of Macquarie Biological Sciences, together with Dr Jon Ballou (Head of the Department of Conservation Biology at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park). There is only a single copy of this book on special reserve at the university library; therefore we strongly advise that each student purchase their own copy.

Additional recommended texts (available in the University library) include:

Avise J (2000) Phylogeography: The History and Formation of Species, Harvard University Press.

Avise JC (2004) Molecular Markers, Natural History and Evolution 2nd Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Balkenhol N, Cushman S, Storfer A, Waits L (2015) Landscape genetics: Concepts, Methods, Applications 1^st Edition. Wiley-Blackwell.

DeSalle R et al. (2002) Molecular Systematics and Evolution: Theory and Practice. Birkhäuser Basel

Hillis D et al. (1996) Molecular Systematics 2nd Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Additional readings and course materials will be regularly provided via the unit’s iLearn site.