Students

GEOP3000 – Environmental Justice in the Anthropocene

2025 – 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
Andrew McGregor
andrew.mcgregor@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
Tutor
Christian Marando
christian.marando@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The Anthropocene is a proposed new geological epoch in which humanity is driving planetary change. This unit explores how environmental decision making and planning processes can be made more just in the context of the Anthropocene.  It draws on perspectives from environmental justice, a field of research and activism focused on addressing the social and geographic inequities associated with environmental change. Environmental justice highlights how responsibility for, and the burdens of, environmental degradation are unevenly distributed across space and scale, and divided between and within social categories such as race, class, gender, ethnicity and species. Environmental justice and decision-making are analysed through a series of case studies that are presented by academic staff and environmental professionals. An important component of the unit focuses on developing analytical and practical skills for pursuing environmental justice, which requires the ability to synthesise geographic information from the social and physical sciences and engage with multiple stakeholders, decision making tools, and forms of communication. The unit makes the relationships between justice and environment more visible in a world of rapid environmental change and provides pathways and tools for pursuing more just and resilient futures.

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: Assess environmental decisions or plans using environmental justice concepts or frameworks
  • ULO2: Synthesise geographic information from the social and physical sciences to identify environmental justice issues
  • ULO3: Describe and explain common environmental injustices associated with contemporary forms of socioecological change
  • ULO4: Investigate and appreciate diverse stakeholder perspectives using environmental justice tools and concepts to improve environmental decision-making
  • ULO5: Argue for improved environmental justice outcomes in a variety of written and spoken forms

General Assessment Information

Where can you find more information about the assessment?

Please consult the folder in the GEOP3000  iLearn page labelled 'Assessment'. Here you will find more detailed instructions for each assessment item, marking criteria and rubrics. The assessment folder contains links to useful resources and guides. You are encouraged to post questions about assignments in the General Discussion Forum on the main iLearn page.

Submitting your assignments

Unless otherwise specified, you are required to submit your assignments by the time and date provided in this Unit Guide via the Turnitin link provided in iLearn. Please keep an electronic copy of your assignment and a record of your submission for reference.

Late assessment penalty

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.

Assessment marks and feedback

Individual marks and feedback to students will be provided via Turnitin. Feedback will include the rubric, intext comments and general feedback. You are encouraged to utilise these resources to develop your skills in subsequent assessments. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Oral presentation 20% No Weeks 4-13
Team Based Learning 30% No Weeks 4, 7 and 10
Environmental Justice Assessment Report 50% No 30/05/2025

Oral presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Weeks 4-13
Weighting: 20%

 

Oral presentation related to contemporary events

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess environmental decisions or plans using environmental justice concepts or frameworks
  • Describe and explain common environmental injustices associated with contemporary forms of socioecological change
  • Argue for improved environmental justice outcomes in a variety of written and spoken forms

Team Based Learning

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: Weeks 4, 7 and 10
Weighting: 30%

 

Team based learning to test student learning and build communication skills.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess environmental decisions or plans using environmental justice concepts or frameworks
  • Synthesise geographic information from the social and physical sciences to identify environmental justice issues
  • Investigate and appreciate diverse stakeholder perspectives using environmental justice tools and concepts to improve environmental decision-making
  • Argue for improved environmental justice outcomes in a variety of written and spoken forms

Environmental Justice Assessment Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 30/05/2025
Weighting: 50%

 

Students are required to prepare a report that assesses a recent or upcoming environmental decision or plan from the perspective of environmental justice.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess environmental decisions or plans using environmental justice concepts or frameworks
  • Synthesise geographic information from the social and physical sciences to identify environmental justice issues
  • Describe and explain common environmental injustices associated with contemporary forms of socioecological change
  • Investigate and appreciate diverse stakeholder perspectives using environmental justice tools and concepts to improve environmental decision-making
  • Argue for improved environmental justice outcomes in a variety of written and spoken forms

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

GEOP3000 is available as in person/ on-campus (internal) or online-flexible (external) offerings depending on the stream you have enrolled in.

For on-campus students the unit is delivered as a 2 hour lecture/workshop and a seperate 1 hour tutorial. The classes comprise a mix of lecture, structured activities, small group work, student and guest presentations and discussion of the weekly readings. Some class time will be set aside for assignment preparation, individually and in groups.  We encourage on-campus students to reguarly attend class as workshop activities are linked to the assessment.

Online flexible (external) students will have access to the recorded lecture material in Echo360 and resources and activities are available each week on iLearn under the label "Online-flexible option". These activities are self directed and it is up to individual students to manage their time to undertake the work. We encourage online-flexible students to reguarly engage with the weekly activities as they are linked to the assessment.

Unit readings can be accessed via Leganto. The Leganto link is located in the top right panel of the GEOP3000 iLearn main page. Please contact the Unit Convenors if you are having trouble accessing the readings as they are essential to your assignments and to the class discussions.

The GEOP3000 iLearn page contains additional resources which will be added to the site throughout the semester. Please make sure that you regularly check the iLearn page and your Macquarie University student email for updates and information regarding this unit.

Unit Schedule

Week

Date

Topic

Assessment

 

Key Concepts

1

 

24 Feb

Environmental justice in the Anthropocene 

 

2

3 March

Theories and concepts of environment justice

 

3

10 March

Intersectional environments

 

4

17 March

Multispecies justice

Team based learning event

Tools and approaches

5

24 March

Environmental justice principles, tools and approaches

Oral presentations

6

31 March

Environmental decision making principles, tools and approaches

Oral presentations

7

7 April

Environmental justice case study

Team Based Learning event

Oral presentations

Mid-semester break

Environmental justice case studies

8

28 April

Environmental justice planning and law

Oral presentations

9

5 May

Indigenous peoples and environmental justice

Oral presentations

10

12 May

Climate justice

Team Based Learning event

Oral presentations

11

19 May

Food justice

Oral presentations

12

26 May

Forest justice

Environmental justice report due

Oral presentations

Summary and reflections

13

2 June

Just transitions in the Anthropocene

Oral presentations

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 connect.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 the Service Connect Portal, 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 2025.02 of the Handbook