Students

ENVS8525 – Sustainability and Transitions

2023 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Asuramuni Chathurika Sewwandi Perera
chathurika.perera@mq.edu.au
Convenor
Peter Davies
peter.davies@mq.edu.au
lecturer
Thelma Raman
thelma.raman@mq.edu.au
Asuramuni Chathurika Sewwandi Perera
chathurika.perera@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MEnvEd or MSc or MEngMgt or MEnvMgt or MEnvStud or MSusDev or MEnvPlan or MPlan or MDevCult or MIntRel or MEnv or MPPP or MSocEntre or GradDipEnv or GradCertEnv or GradCertSusDev or GradDipSusDev or GradDipIntRel or MPH or MDevStud or GradCertDevStudGlobalHlth or MTransInterMIntRel or MMarScMgt or GradCertSocEntre or MEngEnvSafetyEng or MScInnovationEnvSc
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines the origins, issues, policies, principles and processes of sustainable development (SD) and transition theories. Students are engaged in a process of identifying how sustainable development principles are interpreted in practice in different sectors including in national frameworks, local government and business and how these relate to social, environmental, economic and governance transitions. The unit involves the students in analysis of the theoretical, ideological and value bases of SD and a critical appraisal of the policy and practical approaches that exist, are emerging and required to support a transition towards sustainability.

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 knowledge of the Goals, their role in sustainable development and generate applications to policy/ practice.
  • ULO2: Articulate a position on 'sustainable development' and explain the bases for contestation
  • ULO3: Apply critical and analytical skills to policies, strategies and practices to bring about change for sustainable development
  • ULO4: Research sustainable development practice with key stakeholders, analyse findings and reflectively report on the findings and research process
  • ULO5: Communicate and present findings in different forms including multimedia, and cogent, structured reports, addressing defined issues

General Assessment Information

Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit you must achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration. 

  • Late Submissions will be accepted for assessments 1, 2 and 3 and standard late penalties apply, as above. 
  • Late submissions will not be accepted unless Special Consideration is granted for Assessment 4.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Sustainable Development Goal presentation 10% No 06/03/23
An aspect of contention on sustainable development 25% No 03/04/23
Analysis of a sustainable development topic 30% No 24/04/23
Research report of practice for sustainable development and reflection 35% No 22/05/23

Sustainable Development Goal presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 11 hours
Due: 06/03/23
Weighting: 10%

 

Goal, interdependence, trigger for discussion; in a particular context

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a knowledge of the Goals, their role in sustainable development and generate applications to policy/ practice.
  • Apply critical and analytical skills to policies, strategies and practices to bring about change for sustainable development
  • Communicate and present findings in different forms including multimedia, and cogent, structured reports, addressing defined issues

An aspect of contention on sustainable development

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 27 hours
Due: 03/04/23
Weighting: 25%

 

Critical analysis

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Articulate a position on 'sustainable development' and explain the bases for contestation
  • Apply critical and analytical skills to policies, strategies and practices to bring about change for sustainable development
  • Research sustainable development practice with key stakeholders, analyse findings and reflectively report on the findings and research process
  • Communicate and present findings in different forms including multimedia, and cogent, structured reports, addressing defined issues

Analysis of a sustainable development topic

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 32 hours
Due: 24/04/23
Weighting: 30%

 

critical analysis to recommend how to progress a sustainable development issue

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a knowledge of the Goals, their role in sustainable development and generate applications to policy/ practice.
  • Apply critical and analytical skills to policies, strategies and practices to bring about change for sustainable development
  • Communicate and present findings in different forms including multimedia, and cogent, structured reports, addressing defined issues

Research report of practice for sustainable development and reflection

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 37 hours
Due: 22/05/23
Weighting: 35%

 

A group-based task to prepare a report related to a sustainability topic

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply critical and analytical skills to policies, strategies and practices to bring about change for sustainable development
  • Research sustainable development practice with key stakeholders, analyse findings and reflectively report on the findings and research process
  • Communicate and present findings in different forms including multimedia, and cogent, structured reports, addressing defined issues

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 of the unit

The unit is delivered by face to face in block mode sessions.

Combined lecture and workshop activities will be carried out across 6 full-day sessions including an off-site (field trip) day - locations to be set. 

Learning and teaching involves:

  • Background reading by the students to provide you with the foundational knowledge of the forthcoming workshop
  • Lectures (recorded on Zoom) to introduce theories and concepts
  • Practical workshop sessions to provide opportunities for experiential learning on tasks and through discussion with other class members (preparation is essential)
  • Student presentations of tasks prepared in advance
  • Talks from guest lecturers that convey the practice of sustainability and the ways change is facilitated
  • A field trip to appreciate the practical, technical and socio-political aspects of sustainability (this may be modified for 2022 due to concurrent online and face to face program).
  • Assignments that require students to practice key skills, including critical and integrative thinking, taking a systems perspective, listening to stakeholders, and communicating through diverse forms including digital stories, writing and presenting in a logical and clearly argued manner
  • Assignments provide opportunities for presenting in different formats and working with people of different skills and cultural perspectives.

Students are expected to:

  • Read set readings in advance for classes (there are optional readings for those that want to explore the literature more deeply)
  • Participate in workshop activities in small groups
  • Follow current developments with regard to sustainable development in the media/ internationally (students should use the News forum on the ilearn page to post articles or media of interest).

Methods of Communication 

We will communicate with you via your university email or through announcements on iLearn.

Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenors email (e.g. peter.davies@mq.edu.au) from your student MQ email address.

COVID Information

Given that the COVID situation can change rapidly, remove any specific text, direct students to the COVID FAQs on the MQ website and remind them to check the page regularly:

Therefore, consider adding: For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

 

Unit Schedule

Week

Monday

Theme

Activity / Assessments

1

20 Feb

Workshop 1
  • Introduction to the unit
  • History of sustainable development
  • Key theories and UNSDGs
  • MQ sustainability

Understanding SDGs: values and actions

MQ Campus and sustainability walk and presentation

2

27 Feb

 

 

3

6 March

Workshop 2
  • Corporate to individual actions: values and discourses  

Assessment 1 due including in-class Student presentations

4

13 March

 

 

5

20 March

Workshop 3

  • Transition theories and models

Overcoming path dependencies

Report writing

6

27 March

 

 

7

3 April

Workshop 4
  • Science to policy transfer
  • Resilience planning and practice Resilience planning: what matters and how to address it?

How to get policy traction

Assessment 2 due

Break

10 April

 

 

Break

17 April

 

 

8

24 April

 

Assessment 3 due

9

1 May

Workshop 5

Field trip- Sustainability case studies

  • Governance and reporting of SDGs
  • Sustainability reporting

Industry perspectives on sustainable development

 

10

8 May

 

 

11

15 May Workshop 6
  • Corporate social responsibility

  • SD and behaviour change

Group presentations on Resilience strategy

12

22 May

 

Assessment 4 due

13

28 June

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Unit information based on version 2023.02 of the Handbook