Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Scott Wilson
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MEnv or MSc or GradDipEnv or GradCertEnv or MEnvPlan or MPlan or MConsBiol or MPH or MMarScMgt
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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 examines scientific principles in managing waste, the industrial control of pollutant emissions, and the processes associated with management and reduction of environmental contaminants. The unit introduces students to industrial environmental practices, industrial ecology and quality control and management relating to air, land and water pollution and waste issues.
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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:
The general assessment criteria that is used to examine the overall attainment of knowledge, skills and abilities includes the following, where the level of achievement is expected to be at the standard of a post-graduate student in each of the criteria. GradeMark Rubrics will be used to mark and grade field trip reports.
General Assessment Criteria |
Expectation of achievement at the post-graduate level |
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Penalties for late assessments and extension requests
All assessments must be completed and submitted, on time and in full, in order to receive a minimum pass grade.
Penalties for late written assessments will be a minimum of 10% per day (including weekend days) or part thereof. These deadlines and penalties will be imposed. Allowing some students to hand assessments in late is unfair to those who meet the deadlines.
The deadlines for assessments are not negotiable except in the circumstances outlined below. Please take note of the DAYS at which work is due and let the Convenor know of problems in advance or as soon as possible, not after the event: they are likely to be much more sympathetic and flexible if you follow this advice.
The University has a Disruption to Studies Policy, which can be accessed here: http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
In accordance with the Policy, students that experience a disruption to studies which is serious, unavoidable and greater than 3 days as per the Policy guidelines, and wish to request an assessment extension on these grounds, must submit a formal application for special consideration to the Science Faculty. http://science.mq.edu.au/current-students/postgraduate-students/
If a student experiences a disruption to studies that is unavoidable, but not serious and is of 3 days or less in duration, they can apply for special consideration to the convenor under the following conditions:
The number of days of disruption and the timing of disruption will be taken into considered in determining whether special consideration should be granted or not. The ultimate grounds for the decision will be whether the disruption was unavoidable and fairness with respect to other students.
Requirements to Complete this Unit Successfully
Attendance and assessment submission
In order to successfully complete this unit and receive a minimum Pass grade, students should:
Unit Rubric
In ENVS829, it is expected that your assessments will be very high quality and demonstrate comprehension of course content including knowledge, skills and abilities which are at the standard of a postgraduate level. Grades for the unit as a whole will be awarded according to the following rubric.
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Developing |
Functional |
Proficient |
Advanced |
General description of the level of attainment |
Has not yet reached the desired standard in the general assessment criteria. Shows no or limited understanding of required concepts, and no or limited skills and abilities. A fail grade (or under some circumstances, a conceded pass) would be given.
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Has reached the basic academic standards in the general assessment criteria. Shows a basic understanding of required concepts, and basic skills and abilities. Needs considerable support and guidance. A pass grade would be awarded.
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Has reached the standards expected. Can work independently with some guidance. A credit grade would be awarded.
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Has gone beyond the expected standards. Exhibits high levels of independence and can use initiative to generate new ways of completing tasks. Demonstrates high level professional capabilities. A grade of distinction or high distinction would be awarded. |
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Orica Contamination Assessment | 20% | No | 09/09/2018 |
Sydney Harbour Litter Audit | 50% | No | 14/10/2018 |
Scenario Presentation | 30% | No | 07/11/2018 |
Due: 09/09/2018
Weighting: 20%
This assessment task will be based of Field Trip 1 to the Orica Botany site to examine contaminated land issues and remediation measures. The task is to write an individual report (maximum 2000 words) based on the air, land and groundwater contamination issues at the Orica Botany site. The report should include pollution control mechanisms used, environmental monitoring conducted and remediation measures applied. This will be primarily a literature based report and include an evaluation of the pros and cons of the techniques and processes used and any recommendations for improved practices/measures should also be discussed. All literature used should be cited accordingly both in the text and in a reference list at the end of the report. Further details will be provided on the Unit's iLearn site.
Due: 14/10/2018
Weighting: 50%
This assessment task will be based on Field Trip 2 and includes a litter audit of rubbish in Sydney Harbour. The Department of Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) conducts daily cleaning of the harbour for maintaining safe waterways. However, information on what and how much is collected is not detailed. In conjunction with RMS staff, the task will involve working in small groups to assess the loads (types, amounts and volumes) of litter collected over a week. Each group will conduct an audit on one day using the NSW EPA local litter check guidelines. The task is to write an individual report (maximum 4500 words) based on all group’s data to assess the litter loads in Sydney Harbour and whether the recent Return and Earn container deposit scheme has made any changes to previous years data. The report should include any management recommendations based on your findings. This report should follow standard report writing format (e.g. Introduction and aim, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations and References). Further details will be provided on the Unit's iLearn site.
Due: 07/11/2018
Weighting: 30%
Students working in groups will be assigned a scenario topic in Week 9 with which they have to assess the opportunities and challenges in technologies and management of pollution control and waste management to that scenario. A group presentation of the findings will be presented in class. A peer assessment will undertaken via the SPARKPLUS program with this influencing the individual’s group mark assigned. The peer assessment is a compulsory component of the task. Details will be provided on the Unit's iLearn page.
DELIVERY
Delivery is via a weekly 3 hour Lecture/tutorial block.
In Teaching Weeks 4, 6, and 8 a half day field trip outside the normal class time will take place. This will replace the scheduled class for that week and are compulsory. Bus transport will be provided for Field Trips 1. Access to Field Trips 2 and 3 is at students own means. Closed in shoes, sensible field wear, hat, water bottle, notebook and pencil are needed for all field trips. Rain coat may be required.
The Week 9 practical scenario exercise (in prescribed class time) and the associated Week 13 group presentation and peer assessment are also compulsory.
Field Trip Work, Health and Safety
The safety of you and those around you is our highest priority. Consequently, ALL participants in fieldwork activities are obliged to work and behave appropriately in the field, and to take care to protect their own health, safety and welfare and that of fellow fieldwork participants. You are required to follow instructions from the Fieldwork Leader at all times. Prior to the fieldwork, you must let the Fieldwork Leader know of any allergies, special dietary requirements or medical considerations that may affect your ability to participate in fieldwork. You will need to complete a declaration of a known medical condition, outlining a treatment plan for your condition. Details of your responsible next of kin must also be provided in-case of emergencies. This is all undertaken via the online Field Friendly link you will be provided.
You are required to wear and carry clothing and footwear as appropriate to the fieldwork situation. Your Fieldwork Leader will advise you as to what these are prior to the fieldtrip.
Irrespective of the activity, footwear must be worn. For all fieldwork activities, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent and items to protect against unexpected weather changes, such as rain & cold, are strongly recommended. The Fieldwork Leader reserves the right to exclude anyone that is ill-equipped from the activity.
If you are taking any medication, please ensure that you take sufficient supplies with you on the field trip. The University’s staff are unable, by law, to provide this to you. This includes pain relief, such as panadol, cold and flu medication and anti-histamines for allergies. If you need to leave the field location for any reason prior to completion of the scheduled activities, you must first inform the Fieldwork Leader. In the event of illness or injury, please let the Fieldwork Leader know immediately. All injury’s or incidents must be reported via the on-line reporting system: http://www.ohs.mq.edu.au/form5a.php. Alcohol is a significant contributing factor in many incidents and acts of prejudicial conduct. Alcohol must not be consumed when undertaking fieldwork activities or when using a motor vehicle/machinery.
For more information, contact:
Russell Field - Fieldwork Manager (Dept of Environmental Sciences) Macquarie University NSW 2109. (Ph.) 98508341
RESOURCES
There is no prescribed text for this unit.
The following lists some useful resources.
Websites
National
National Environment Protection Council http://www.nepc.gov.au/
Environment Australia (Commonwealth) http://www.erin.gov.au/ National Pollutant Inventory
http://www.environment.gov.au/epg/npi/
Natural Heritage Trust (Commonwealth) http://www.nht.gov.au/
ANZECC Water Quality Guidelines http://www.agriculture.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/water/nwqms-guidelines-4-vol1.pdf
State
EPA (NSW) http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/
EPA (Vic) http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/
Dept of Environment and Heritage (Qld) http://www.env.qld.gov.au/
Dept of Environment (Tas) http://www.delm.tas.gov.au/
EPA (SA) http://www.epa.sa.gov.au/
Environment Department (WA) http://www.environ.wa.gov.au/
International
World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/
Environment Canada http://www.ec.gc.ca/ UK Environmental Agency http://www.environmentagency.
gov.uk
US Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/
Week |
Topic |
Staff Teaching |
Assessment |
1 (01/08/18) |
Unit Overview and Introduction to Environmental pollution regulation |
Scott Wilson (SW) |
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2 (08/08/18) |
Contaminated land and Groundwater assessment |
SW/Guest Lecturer Craig Gibson |
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3 (15/08/18) |
Air Quality and management |
SW/Guest Lecturer Armin Kavehei |
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4 (22/08/18) |
*Field trip 1 - Air and land contamination issues (Orica Botany visit) |
SW |
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5 (29/08/18) |
Waste control and management 1 |
SW |
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6 (05/09/18) |
*Field trip 2 – Waste management issues (Litter audit) |
SW |
Report 1 – 20% (due: 09/09/18) |
7 (12/09/18) |
Waste control and management 2 |
SW |
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Mid semester break |
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Mid semester break |
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8 (03/10/18) |
*Field trip 3 – Waste Management (Recycling)
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SW |
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9 (10/10/18) |
Scenario Practical exercise |
SW |
Report 2 – 50% (due: 14/10/18) |
10 (17/10/18) |
Water pollution and management |
SW/Guest Lecturer |
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11 (24/10/18) |
Sustainability and Management |
SW |
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12 (31/10/18) |
Risk Assessment and Environmental Auditing
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SW |
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13 (07/11/18) |
Presentation of group work – Scenario exercise |
SW |
Presentation of group work – 30% (due: 07/11/18) |
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.
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Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
The Unit content has been altered from previous offerings with a more even spread of
pollution control and waste management issues covered.
• An increase in field trips examining real world scenarios have been added.
• Assessment tasks have been altered to better assess theoretical knowledge with
practical applications.