Students
ENVS1018 – Environmental Management for a Changing World
2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Phoebe Everingham
lecturer
Raelene Sheppard
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit explores human interactions with the environment through the lens of sustainability and connectivity; concepts that are central to environmental management in our ever-changing world. It will help students to understand their environment from social and scientific viewpoints and will demonstrate how an interdisciplinary approach to environmental management is integral to human and ecosystem health. Current, real-world examples from terrestrial and marine ecosystems, social systems, atmospheric and climate systems, and their dynamic interplay encourage critical thinking about environmental management issues in Australia and globally. This unit is designed for students who care about the environment and the world's future and will lay firm foundations for a range of environmental and geographical studies. Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Sustainable Cities and Communities; Climate Action; Life on Land |
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: Define the core concepts of environmental management, including society, environment, sustainability and connectivity.
- ULO2: Describe examples of the ways that population, environment and resources interact to affect human societies and ecosystems, from local to global scales.
- ULO3: Utilise maps, graphs and other forms of environmental and social data to analyse the key relationships in environmental and human systems.
- ULO4: Critically review information relating to environmental management issues and communicate the results to a target audience.
- ULO5: Demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in the learning process.
General Assessment Information
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 technical concerns.
Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted
o YES, Standard Late Penalty applies to Assessment Environmental data analysis, podcast and poster
Short Extensions:
For some assessment types, students are allowed to request an extra 3 calendar days to complete eligible assessments. No reason or evidence is required. This only applies to individual assessments with the Short Extension flag in CMS marked as 'yes'.
· Assessment Criteria (rubrics are found on ilearn for written assessments)
· Submission of Assessments (Turnitin link found on ilearn), and
Marking of Assessments ( marks and feedback will be provided through turnitin)
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due | Groupwork/Individual | Short Extension | AI Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podcast | 35% | No | 09/10/2026 | Individual | Yes | Open |
| Poster | 30% | No | 06/11/2026 | Individual | Yes | Open |
| Environmental Data Analysis | 35% | No | 04/09/2026 | Individual | Yes | Open |
Podcast
Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 09/10/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open
Podcast focusing on current environmental issues
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Define the core concepts of environmental management, including society, environment, sustainability and connectivity.
- Describe examples of the ways that population, environment and resources interact to affect human societies and ecosystems, from local to global scales.
- Utilise maps, graphs and other forms of environmental and social data to analyse the key relationships in environmental and human systems.
- Critically review information relating to environmental management issues and communicate the results to a target audience.
Poster
Assessment Type 1: Creative task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 06/11/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open
Poster and interpretation on the topic of: Solutions for contemporary environmental crises
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Define the core concepts of environmental management, including society, environment, sustainability and connectivity.
- Describe examples of the ways that population, environment and resources interact to affect human societies and ecosystems, from local to global scales.
- Utilise maps, graphs and other forms of environmental and social data to analyse the key relationships in environmental and human systems.
- Critically review information relating to environmental management issues and communicate the results to a target audience.
Environmental Data Analysis
Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 04/09/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open
Analysis and interpretation of environmental data
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Define the core concepts of environmental management, including society, environment, sustainability and connectivity.
- Describe examples of the ways that population, environment and resources interact to affect human societies and ecosystems, from local to global scales.
- Utilise maps, graphs and other forms of environmental and social data to analyse the key relationships in environmental and human systems.
- Critically review information relating to environmental management issues and communicate the results to a target audience.
- Demonstrate foundational learning skills including active engagement in the learning process.
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
- Academic Success 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.
3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.
Delivery and Resources
Week 1 classes
There are weekly 2 hour lectures and 1 hour tutorials that begin in week 1.
L1 Introduction to ENVS1018 – staff, expectations, assignments
L2 Key concept 1: Sustainability
T1: Introductions and studying at University
We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via the contact email on iLearn.
It is important that you check your university email regularly, as all official communications from teaching staff will be sent to this account. If you need to contact the Unit Convenor, please email phoebe.everingham@mq.edu.au
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:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
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/
Academic Success
Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Ask a Study Coach
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
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:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
- Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes
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 https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk.
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.
Changes from Previous Offering
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 2026.02 of the Handbook