Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Benjamin Pitcher
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit deals with the theory and practice of the conservation and management of wild populations of animals and plants. Lectures and workshops concentrate on the application of population biology to problems in wildlife conservation, including demographics, risk assessment, conservation genetics and monitoring protocols. Case studies will drawn from Australia and the rest of the world. Note that there is a small cost associated with fieldtrips to Taronga Zoo and local National Parks. Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Life on Land |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Requirements to Pass this Unit
To pass this unit you need to achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50% across all assessments.
We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. This unit includes presentation from a range of conservation professionals and practitioners, as such participation offers the chance to engage in questions and discussions. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.
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.
Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted
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 https://connect.mq.edu.au.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Short Test | 20% | No | 16 March, 6 April, 11 May, 1 June |
Species Assessment | 20% | No | 23/03/2025 |
Project Outline: Conservation of an Australasian species | 20% | No | 13/04/2025 |
Developing a grant application | 40% | No | 08/06/2025 |
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 16 March, 6 April, 11 May, 1 June
Weighting: 20%
There will be several short tests to be completed in your own time. Each test will be based on any lecture or workshop material given up to that point. The questions may involve interpretation of a graph or some data, or may be numerical.
Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 23/03/2025
Weighting: 20%
Prepare a presentation on a threatened native Australasian species. The species must be listed on a national list of threatened species (such as the EPBC List of Threatened Fauna) or on the IUCN Red List).
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 13/04/2025
Weighting: 20%
Prepare a concise outline for a project that involves monitoring and/or experimental manipulation of your chosen Australasian species that assesses a conservation action or addresses a critical knowledge gap. This proposal will include a clear research question(s), a description of the data to be collected and a brief description of the experimental or sampling design.
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 29 hours
Due: 08/06/2025
Weighting: 40%
You will develop a grant application to undertake research on a species or ecological community of conservation interest. The application will include essential background, research question, study design, ethical concerns, appropriate timelines, realistic budget and expected outcomes.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Classes begin in week 1.
This course is delivered in weekly in-person sessions combining lectures and interactive workshops. There will be some off-campus visits to local fieldsites. Please see iLearn for more details.
There will be an in person session from 9 am - 1 pm on Fridays. The first part of this session (9 am to 11 am) will be held in 1CC 218 Teaching Space. The second part of this session (11 am to 1 pm) will be held in 14EaR 386 Computer Lab.
We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to the convenor can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via email.
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.
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 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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
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.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Academic Success 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.
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
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.
We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page. Student feedback from the previous offering of this unit was very positive overall, with students pleased with the clarity around assessment requirements and the level of support from teaching staff. As such, no change to the delivery of the unit is planned, however we will continue to strive to improve the level of support and the level of student engagement.
Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook