In order to pass this unit, students must:

     (a) achieve an overall assessment mark of greater than 50%, and;

     (b) attend and participate in at least 80% of the scheduled practical classes.

Academic Honesty – this is very important

Presenting the work of another person as one’s own is a serious breach of the University’s rules and carries significant penalties. The University’s Academic Honesty Policy can be found at http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

In this unit, we will be checking written work for plagiarism using the web-based TURNITIN application. This application will check for similarity between your submitted work and all of the existing published scientific literature, across all websites, and across all work submitted previously (and contemporaneously) by Macquarie university students.

Depending upon the severity or extent of plagiarism, penalties may range from a zero mark for the assignment to failure of the unit. Identified instances of plagiarism WILL be documented on your academic record. Full details of penalties can be found at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/schedule_penalties.html

Faculty Policy on assessment submission deadlines and late penalties

Online quizzes, in-class activities, or scheduled tests and exam must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. Should these activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration. All other assessments must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date. Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration.

Assessments not submitted by the due date will receive a mark of zero unless late submissions are specifically allowed as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn. If late submissions are permitted as indicated in the unit guide or on iLearn a consistent penalty will be applied for late submissions as follows: A 12-hour grace period will be given after which the following deductions will be applied to the awarded assessment mark: 12 to 24 hours late = 10% deduction; for each day thereafter, an additional 10% per day or part thereof will be applied until five days beyond the due date. After this time, a mark of zero (0) will be given. For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 5 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 1 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 15/20. A 20% deduction is then applied to the mark of 15, resulting in the loss of three (3) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 12/20.

Unit-specific assessment information

Late completion or submission of assessment tasks will not be accepted in this unit except for the Research report, where the Faculty policy (as above) will apply.

On-campus participation

This unit aims to deliver hands-on practical experience in biology that requires on-campus attendence. Off-shore students must email the unit convenor as soon as possible to discuss study options.

Lectures

This year, to remain COVID-safe, lectures will be pre-recorded. Two 1-hour lectures will be available via the unit’s iLearn site each week. It is important for students to follow these lectures across the session because the material is closely linked to the otherwise compulsory practical classes and associated assessment tasks.

Practicals

Practical classes last for up to 2 hours and will (mostly) be conducted on campus. Students are expected to attend and participate in these classes. Failure to attend at least 80% of the practicals will result in a fail grade irrespective of the overall assessable mark for the unit.

For external and OUA students, practical classes will be held in block sessions over four days. There are two streams. Students can select to attend either Stream A or Stream B:

Stream A: 26 March, 19-20 April, on-campus in 06WW106.

Stream B: 27 March, 21-22 April, on-campus in 06WW106.

Online-only delivery for part of these block sessions may be considered, depending upon circumstances, and if so would be duly advertised to students in advance.

Staff: DK = A/Prof. Darrell Kemp; MG = Prof. Michael Gillings. Where not stated staffing will be announced.

This year the unit will be convened by A/Prof Darrell Kemp and co-taught with Professor Michael Gillings. Both are accomplished academics with speciality interests in evolution, genetics, whole-organismal biology, and biological diversity. The structrure and intellectal basis of the unit will follow that of previous years, albeit with a different flavour of delivery, and an imperitave for coherence.

On-campus teaching continues to be scheduled for Session 1, 2022. Masks are compulsory for all classes in indoor spaces and social distancing will be implemented wherever possible. Students will also be required to sanitise surfaces before and after use.

Students are requested to minimise the risk of spreading COVID to themselves and others in accordance with the university and NSW Health guidelines: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs and https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe.

Any further requirements or changes to units in relation to COVID will be communicated via iLearn.