Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lecturer
Sandie Suchet-Pearson
Contact via Email
W3A428
Email for an appointment
Convenor/Lecturer/tutor
Jessica McLean
Contact via Email
W3A416
Tuesday mornings, 10am-12pm.
Tutor
Sara Judge
Contact via Email
Email for an appointment
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MEnv or MEnvPlan or MPlan or GradCertEnvPlan or GradDipEnv or GradCertEnv or MSusDev or GradDipSusDev or GradCertSusDev
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
GEOP340
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is for students from non-cognate disciplines interested in pursuing postgraduate research in environment. These units introduce students to core environmental concepts and topics. This unit uses local, international and global case studies, including those of Indigenous peoples, to examine the social, political, economic and cultural consequences of resource management decisions. The unit is accessible for students with a broad range of backgrounds and develops foundational knowledge and skills relating to environment and sustainability in order to facilitate higher-level studies.
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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:
Detailed instructions for each assessment task are available on iLearn. Ensure you read these instructions closely.
All students must submit their assignments through the appropriate Turnitin link provided on iLearn.
Late penalties
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.
This penalty will be applied unless you are granted an extension by Jess and provide appropriate supporting documentation. Please talk to (or email) Jess about any circumstances that affect your assignments before the due date.
Grading and appeal
Each assignment will be marked and commented upon before return to you. The mark will be in the form of a graded letter as shown on the table below and as consistent with University policy. If you are uncertain or unhappy with any aspect of your comments or results please contact Sandie (sandie.suchet@mq.edu.au) or your tutor as soon as possible to discuss it.
Graded letter Meaning % equivalent
F Fail <49
P Pass 50-64
Cr Credit 65-74
D Distinction 75-84
HD High Distinction 85-100
To successfully complete GEOP603 students must complete all the required assessment tasks and key to these tasks is effective research.
Researching in GEOP603 - what is expected?
GEOP603 is an advanced Human Geography unit. You will be required to undertake rigorous research to complete the unit. This will involve skills in identifying, accessing and critically using information, and will generally be limited to use of secondary sources. You are required to adequately identify and list all and any sources you use in your work. You are expected to demonstrate an ability to search for material systematically, for example using the Library and internet databases effectively. You are also expected to browse journals relevant to your interests and topics (some examples of good journals to browse, or subscribe to their tables of contents, include: Australian Geographer, Geographical Research, Journal of Environmental Management, GeoJournal, Society and Natural Resources). You should also browse the books in relevant parts of the Library, use the mass media, follow-up listings in other researchers’ bibliographies, and explore specialist libraries. All these strategies are part of the toolkit of a good researcher and you should develop good research habits now. Failure to demonstrate appropriate research skills in your assignments will incur its own penalty.
Referencing material in GEOP603
In GEOP603 we prefer Harvard, in-text referencing but you may use others styles as long as you are consistent. If you need to provide references to non-conventional materials (videos; radio broadcasts; information from the Internet) please ensure you follow conventions for your referencing style. There are numerous online sites outling these conventions for you to follow.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Preparation and engagement | 20% | No | Throughout the semester |
Professional submission | 15% | No | 23 March (Int); 29 March (Ext) |
Research essay | 40% | No | 18 May |
Review paper | 25% | No | 8 June |
Due: Throughout the semester
Weighting: 20%
Your class preparation and engagement will be assessed through completion of a series of tasks. Detailed instructions available on iLearn. Ensure you read these instructions closely.
Due: 23 March (Int); 29 March (Ext)
Weighting: 15%
You are required to write a public submission commenting on a particular proposal/strategy/guideline/agreement/policy etc. Detailed instructions available on iLearn. Ensure you read these instructions closely.
Due: 18 May
Weighting: 40%
You will choose a case study of interest to you, applying that case study to broader key issues in resource management. Detailed instructions available on iLearn. Ensure you read these instructions closely.
Due: 8 June
Weighting: 25%
This assessment task involves a review of what you learnt in the unit. It is an opportunity to draw together your reflections upon the unit materials and apply this to your future practice. Detailed instructions available on iLearn. Ensure you read these instructions closely.
DELIVERY
GEOP603 is available in internal and external study modes. Learning and teaching will be via a mix of real-time lectures and guest lectures, pre-recorded lectures, real-time workshops, online workshops and readiness assessment tasks. All Internal students must listen to the real-time or pre-recorded lectures prior to the relevant workshops, attend and complete the required real-time and online workshops and complete all the Readiness Assessment Tasks. External students must listen to all the lectures, complete the online versions of the real-time workshops, complete all online workshops and complete all the Readiness Assessment Tasks. Please see the unit schedule on iLearn for details of these compulsory activities.
Real-time lectures: 11am-12pm Mondays 17 Wallys Walk
Real-time workshop: 11am-1pm Wednesdays 12 Second Wy - 435 Active Learning Space
Non-attendance at these sessions, poor preparation and participation will affect your overall engagement with the unit and also your grade for Assessment Task 1. You must contact Jess (jessica.mclean@mq.edu.au) or your tutor if you are unable to attend a session due to unavoidable circumstances, otherwise your grade will be affected.
Teaching and Learning Strategies and Workload Expectations
Students are expected to complete independent study over the semester as well as attend lectures, workshops and/or online activities. Thus, in addition to attending weekly classes for an average 3 hours per week (in real time or online), students in GEOP603 are expected to complete appropriate preparation and Readiness Assessment Tasks (approximately 3 hours per week) as well as assignment preparation (approximately 3 hours per week). The total workload for this unit is a minimum of 10 hours per week throughout the semester and we have worked hard to ensure the workload aligns with this. However, workload does vary throughout the semester with more intense periods of class time tempered with a lighter face-to-face workloads at other points in time. Please work with this rhythm and adjust your work plans accordingly.
GEOP603 aims to be a challenging and stimulating unit that not only engages with and critiques resource management but also reflects on our role as potential environmental management ‘experts’ within that system. To achieve the unit aims of not only considering how environmental management systems have turned worlds upside down, but also to turn our own worlds upside, it is important that you open yourself up to the challenge of the unit and put the required effort and energy into it through actively doing the necessary preparation, assignments and constructively engage with the activities.
GEOP603 aims to offer you as many opportunities as possible to engage with your role as a student and potential professional resource manager through up-to-date material, case studies, hypotheticals, simulation exercises etc. Although GEOP603 focuses on the experiences of Indigenous people in class based activities, the unit encourages you to pursue specific personal interests – drawing these interests into class activities and importantly focusing on these topics for your assignments.
RESOURCES
All students must have access to iLearn. Please bring laptops computers and other devices to real-time workshops.
Required and recommended texts
Compulsory text for GEOP603:
Burarrwanga, L., Ganambarr, R., Ganambarr- Stubbs, M., Ganambarr, B., Maymuru, D., Wright, S., Suchet-Pearson, S., and Lloyd, K. 2013 Welcome to My Country. Allen and Unwin, Melbourne. This book is co-authored by an Indigenous and non-Indigenous team of authors. It draws you into life at Bawaka in northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and challenges you to look below the surface beauty of the Country to appreciate the connections, relationships and obligations that enable its on-going health and vitality. It also gives you an insight into the incredible lives and histories of the amazing people who live there. Copies are available in the Co-op Bookshop (royalties from the book go directly to the lead author Laklak Burarrwanga). (approx.. $18.00).
Highly recommended textbooks:
Howitt, R. 2001 Rethinking Resource Management: justice, sustainability and Indigenous peoples, Routledge, London is based on the GEOP603 teaching program and presents conceptual and case study material on unit themes from around the world. It includes detailed bibliographies and guides for discussion. (approx. $85.00).
Preparation readings:
Required readings for the unit are available through the Library’s Multisearch function - http://www.mq.edu.au/on_campus/library/. Click on the Unit Readings tab and enter GEOP340.
Recommendations for further reading: Based on your interests, you should consider some of these texts for your professional library:
Altman, J and Kerins, S 2012 People on country: vital landscapes, Indigenous futures. The Federation Press, Sydney. This fabulous collection of case studies challenges mainstream resource managers to engage with and appreciate the role that Indigenous people play in caring for Country in Australia. (approx. $38.00).
Burarrwanga, L.L., Maymuru, D, Ganambarr, R., Ganambarr, B., Wright, S., Suchet-Pearson, S. and Lloyd, K. 2008 Weaving Lives Together at Bawaka, Northeast Arnhem Land. Centre for Urban and Regional Studies University of Newcastle, Newcastle. This book is also co-authored by 2 colleagues, 4 Indigenous women from north-east Arnhem Land and myself, and gives a small insight in the craft of weaving and the role it plays in the Yolngu cosmos. Copies are available in the Co-op Bookshop (money raised by the book goes directly to the tourism enterprise owned and run by the Burarrwanga family). (approx. $25.00).
Hay, I. 2012 Communicating in Geography and the Environmental Sciences, Oxford University Press, Melbourne (4th edition). If you are studying other Human Geography units, you should consider purchasing this book as it is a very useful manual for work in this field. Copies will be available in the Co-op Bookshop.
Rose, D.B. 1996 Nourishing Terrains: Australian Aboriginal views of landscape and wilderness, Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra. This beautiful book draws on anthropologist Debbie Rose’s deep understanding of Aboriginal cultural values and ecological vision to fashion one of the most compelling and accessible accounts of the basis for a respectful reconciliation of Australians yet published. Highly recommended as a foundation for the unit – and a wonderful present for people you want to help see things differently! This book is no longer in print but the text can be downloaded from
http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/ahc/publications/commission/books/pubs/nourishing-terrains.pdf
Weir, J. 2009 Murray River Country: an ecological dialogue with traditional owners. Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra. This is quite a brilliant book that explores the interplay of multiple perspectives on environmental and social change in Murray River Country. It offers a rich case study of how people, place, water and culture interact in contemporary Australia. Copies are available in the Co-op Bookshop. (approx. $23.00)
Jackson, S., Porter, L. and Johnson, L.C., 2017. Planning in Indigenous Australia: From Imperial Foundations to Postcolonial Futures. Routledge. (available as an eBook through the library)
See the iLearn site for a detailed unit schedule.
Week 1 |
Worlds Turned Upside Down: introductions & (dis)orientation |
Week 2 |
Ways of seeing |
Week 3 |
Ways of Thinking: categorical and relational thinking |
Week 4 |
Thinking relationally |
Week 5 |
Ways of Thinking: post-colonialism and a ‘hall of mirrors’ |
Week 6 |
From thinking to doing: Situated engagement |
Week 7 |
Ways of doing: cross-cultural negotiations |
Week 8 |
Working together: planning, science and management I |
Week 9 |
Working together: planning, science and management II |
Week 10 |
No classes or online activities this week (work on major essay) |
Week 11 |
Water cultures and justice: power in making places |
Week 12 |
‘Better’ resource management and professional practice |
Week 13 |
Conclusions and reorientations: caring as country |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, 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 ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by:
The following book is now listed as a compulsory textbook for the unit:
Burarrwanga, L., Ganambarr, R., Ganambarr- Stubbs, M., Ganambarr, B., Maymuru, D., Wright, S., Suchet-Pearson, S., and Lloyd, K. 2013 Welcome to My Country. Allen and Unwin, Melbourne. This book is co-authored by an Indigenous and non-Indigenous team of authors. It draws you into life at Bawaka in northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and challenges you to look below the surface beauty of the Country to appreciate the connections, relationships and obligations that enable its on-going health and vitality. It also gives you an insight into the incredible lives and histories of the amazing people who live there. Copies are available in the Co-op Bookshop (royalties from the book go directly to the lead author Laklak Burarrwanga). (approx.. $18.00).
Date | Description |
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06/03/2018 | The due date for the Research Essay has been updated. It is due on 18th May, not the originally posted 4th May. |