AFNR4001: Semester 2, 2023

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Units AFNR4001 Semester 2 2023 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

AFNR4001: Professional Development

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit of study is designed to allow students to critically reflect on the relationship between the rural enterprise and environment and how they can contribute to the future decisions and management affecting the rural community. It is a core unit of study in 4th year for the BScAgr which requires students to complete 40 days of professional experience with the expectation that students will examine the nature of facts from their degree in this environment. A minimum of 15 days must be completed on-farm/field. The remaining days do not have to be on-farm. The unit will be counted towards 4th year, but professional experience placements will normally be undertaken throughout the degree. In the early stages of the Professional Development program students participate in 1st year rural field tours that have been developed so they can experience a range of activities, such as research, extension, on-farm and industry both in the rural and urban environment to complement their learning within their individual degree programs. Building on this various workshops have been developed to assist students to identify a rural environment theme or issue of their interest with the specific emphasis being placed on them reflecting on how their new understandings of their theme of interest affects their personal and professional development. To complete this unit students will present a portfolio of their theme including critical reflection on the pivotal relationships between the academic degree, rural environment, professional experience, and beliefs and values if the rural community. Through developing these pivotal relationships, students will be able to use their new understandings to support and guide the future developments in the rural enterprise and environment. By developing and presenting the portfolio and engaging in other online activities the students will enhance their skills in inquiry, information literacy and communication. In particular the autonomous development of case studies reflecting the contemporary issues in agriculture and their professional placements the students will have to consider their understandings of ethical, social and professional issues and further develop the personal and intellectual autonomy. Note: Department permission required for enrolment

Unit details and rules

Unit code	AFNR4001
Academic unit	Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	AGRF4000
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Damien Field, damien.field@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Portfolio Proof of Concept Portfolio - proposing a new enterprise or practice	60%	Week 06 Due date: 08 Sep 2023 at 23:59	1,500 wrods
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Excursion Report Online posting of 700 words defining a major theme on the excursion	10%	Week 10 Due date: 13 Oct 2023 at 23:59	700 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Concept Note Communication piece inspired by a story nominated from Landline	30%	Week 13 Due date: 03 Nov 2023 at 23:59	Draft 600 words, Final 600 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Excursion – critcally reflect on a major theme observed from your excursion
Theme Communication – develop a comunication piece inspired from a preselected landline episode
Placements – diarise and reflect on your 40 days placement
Portfolio – provide a proof of concept supporting changes to rural enterprises or new practice

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	When you meet the learning outcomes requirements at an exceptional standard
Distinction	75 - 84	When you meet the learning outcomes requirements at an excellent standard
Credit	65 - 74	When you meet the learning outcomes requirements at a good standard
Pass	50 - 64	When you meet the learning outcomes requirements at an acceptable standard
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

5% per working day past the due date of submission

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes
Multiple weeks	For the excursion, this is a 4-5 day field trip following by online posting as the assessment For the Theme Communication Module this requires 3 meetings (weeks 1, 5, and 10) over the semester period with group work online in between For the placements there is a preplacement workshop held in week 3 for students in the 2nd year (both Semester 1 and 2) For the Portfolio there is a meeting in week 2 then student can arrange to have a 20 minute consultation between weeks 2 to 5 in semester 2.	Online class (35 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Please note that the assessments are submitted over the 4 year period of the degree.

1st Year – Excursion task

2nd Year – Theme Communication Module

3rd Year – Completion of placement 40 days and reporting

4th Year – Portfolio

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the rural environment and identify the challenges and opportunities faced
LO2. Take the opportunity to connect with industry while working on your on-farm and off-farm placements
LO3. Integrate your understanding of current issues, along with your placement experiences, with the theories and concepts you learnt in your major.
LO4. Propose new ideas that support and guide the future development of the rural environment and associated enterprises
LO5. Critically reflect on pivotal relationships between your degree, the rural environment and your professional placement with your personal beliefs and values.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered'

Additional information

Reports for the 40 days of placement are a hurdle requirment for the satisfactory completion of this unit of study. Marks are not reported until teh placement day requirments have been meet. More details are in the Canvas

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

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