Requirements to Pass this Unit

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

We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. 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.

Assessment Criteria

Assessment at Macquarie University is standards-based, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. This means that your work will be assessed against clear criteria, and these criteria (e.g. in a rubric) will be made available when the assessment tasks are released to you on iLearn. 

Submission of Assessments

All assessments must be submitted online through Turnitin unless otherwise indicated. Links for the submission of each assessment will be provided on iLearn. Please do not submit your assessments via email or in hard copy.

Marking of Assessments

Written assessments will be marked through Turnitin with marks and feedback provided through GradeMark. All assessment grades will be available in Gradebook on iLearn.

We aim to return your assessment grades and feedback within three weeks of the assessment due date and before the next assignment is due. We appreciate your patience and will advise you through iLearn when your marks and feedback are available for viewing.

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:

• Literature Review - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
• Field Trip Report - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
• Abstract - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
• Presentation - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted

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.

Week 1 classes

The practicals for this unit will commence in Week 1.

Methods of Communication

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

Students should make use of iLearn to access learning and teaching materials, submit assessments, stay in touch with the unit, contact lecturers, and discuss issues and concepts with others in the class.

For any general questions about the unit, please post these in the Discussion Forum. For private matters, please send a Private message to the Unit Contact. The links for these are in the Communications folder on the ENVS8403 iLearn page.

Class schedule

Students should use Class Finder to see when and where classes are being held:

• Class Finder web page link: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/enrolling/create-timetable

This year, the ENVS8403 prac classes have been scheduled for 9 am -12 noon on Wednesdays in Building 01 Central Courtyard (01CC), room 205. There is also a weekend field trip on 22-23 March. A detailed schedule with the weekly topics and assessment due dates will be provided on the ENVS8403 iLearn site.

Note: all of the pracs are delivered face to face and will NOT be recorded.

Learning activities

The unit is comprised of 12 weeks of prac classes, including a field trip to the Blue Mountains. The format of the prac classes varies and includes lectures, writing skills workshops, lab skills workshops, data and communication skills workshops, group work and student presentations. As a result, it is essential that you attend all of classes and the field trip. 

In addition to the scheduled classes, you are also required to spend time doing your own independent reading and research with most of this time going towards completing the assessments. As a guide, you should aim to spend approximately 100 hours of your own time on the unit over the semester, in addition to the scheduled classes and field trip. This requires good planning on your part to ensure that you meet the assessment due dates.

Field trip

This unit includes a weekend field trip to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, which is home to the famous Three Sisters and Blue Mountains World Heritage area. Katoomba is the largest centre in the Blue Mountains, with a population of ~8000 people. Each year, the region receives over 4 million visitors with most of these stopping at Katoomba. As a result, the area is an ideal place to learn about the natural environment and environmental management. We will visit different sites to observe environmental management issues, record data and collect samples for subsequent analysis in the lab.

Note: The cost of the field trip is not covered by the unit fees. You will need to pay for your own transport to/from and around Katoomba each day either by driving or by catching the train. Students have the option of staying in Katoomba on the Friday and/or Saturday night or travelling up and back each day. There are several options for accommodation in Katoomba - the cheapest and best option is to stay at the Katoomba YHA: https://www.yha.com.au/hostels/nsw/blue-mountains/katoomba/  Field trip logistics will be discussed during the first week of class.

Technologies Used and Required

You will need to bring a computer to class each week. We will use basic programs such as Word and Excel. You will also need a computer to use the university systems (e.g. iLearn, library) and complete the assessment tasks. Submissions of the assessment tasks will be through iLearn using Turnitin.

Field and Lab Work, Health and Safety

To minimise the risk of WHS accidents, you must wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and bring adequate water and food for each day on the field trip. You must also wear closed shoes when working in the lab. 

Prior to the field trip, you will need to sign up to Field Friendly (via iLearn) so that you are covered by the university insurance during the trip. This sign-up is compulsory and if you haven't signed up by the closing date, you will not be permitted to attend. 

Background Reading

There is no single textbook for this course. Background reading can be found in the following:

• O'Riordan, T (1999) Environmental Science for Environmental Management, Taylor and Francis Ltd
• Aplin, G (2002), Australians and their Environment: An Introduction to Environmental Studies, Oxford University Press
• Arms K (1994). Environmental Science, Saunders College Publishing, Fort Worth, 2nd edition.
• Beckmann R (1994). Environmental Science, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra.
• Enger ED and Smith BF (2006). Environmental Science: a study of interrelationships, McGraw Hill Publish.
• Huxham M and Sumner D (2000). Science and Environmental Decision Making, Pearson Education.
• Jacobson M.C. (2000). Earth System Science: From Biogeochemical Cycles to Global Change. Academic Press, London. QH344.E17/2000 
• Munasinghe M and Swart R (2005). Primer on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Cambridge University Press.

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