UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS  

• You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in Ilearn discussion forums and preparing assessments.  

• Internal students are expected to attend all seminar or tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities.  

• In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit.  

 REQUIRED READINGS  

• The citations for all the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site.  Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.  

   TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED  

• Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement.  

• This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/  

• Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.  

• Information about IT used at Macquarie University is available at  http://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/  

   SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS  

• All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.   

• Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS word document by the due date.  

• Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process.  

• The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration  

   LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS  

• Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page.  

• Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure.  

• If the number of words deviates from the limit by more than 10%, then penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of the awarded mark for every 100 words deviation from the word limit. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance, it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%).  

• The application of this penalty is at the discretion of the course convener.  

  REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER  

• Macquarie University operates a Grade Appeal Policy in cases where students feel their work was graded inappropriately: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html  

• In accordance with the Grade Appeal Policy, individual works are not subject to regrading.  

STAFF AVAILABILITY  

• Department staff will endeavour to answer student enquiries in a timely manner. However, emails or iLearn messages will not usually be answered over the weekend or public holiday period.  

• Students are encouraged to read the Unit Guide and look at instructions posted on the iLearn site before sending email requests to staff. 

Week 9 topic on Afghanistan is replaced with the Israel and Hamas Conflict. This is changed to reflect the current geo-strategic challenge in the MiffleEast.