Outline

Overview

GEOS3920 has the same thematic content as GEOS3520 however with elements taught at an Advanced level

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Geosciences Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	A mark of 75 or above in (GEOS2X21 or GEOS2X23 or GEOS2X15 or GEOS2X11 or ENVI2X22 or DAAE2012)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	GEOS3520
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Kurt Iveson, kurt.iveson@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Sophie Webber, sophie.webber@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Kurt Iveson, kurt.iveson@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Practical Project Presentation In-class presentation of findings to community partner	5%	Week 11	10 minute group presentation
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Practical Project Final Report Final Report on group research findings on community research project	30%	Week 13 Due date: 24 May 2024 at 23:59	2000 words per group
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	GEOS3920 Advanced Group Project Advanced students will work together on an original research report	40%	Week 13 Due date: 26 May 2023 at 23:59	2000 words per student
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Tutorial participation and attendance Participation and attendance	15%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Weekly Lecture Quiz Weekly lecture quizzes will test engagement with lecture content	10%	Weekly	Weekly 10 minute quiz in lecture
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Tutorial participation – contributions to weekly class discussions of set readings in tutorials

Practical Assignment – presentation and written report for group project set in collaboration with community partner

Essay – collectively-written report by Advanced Students on topic defined in collaboration with Unit Coordinator during team meetings

Weekly Lecture Quiz – short weekly quiz in-class to test understanding of lecture content. Each quiz worth one mark, students can achieve full marks (10/10) of this component by attending 10 out of 13 lectures.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

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

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Student demonstrates a flair for the subject and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply subject knowledge to novel situations.
Distinction	75 - 84	Student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a solid knowledge and understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply the key ideas of the subject.
Credit	65 - 74	Student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad understanding of the unit material but has not fully developed the ability to apply the key ideas of the subject.
Pass	50 - 64	Student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge of the subject.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

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 day late

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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to urban citizenship and sustainability	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Urban Politics	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Urban Environments	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Public Space	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Intro to topic and team formation	Practical (2 hr)
Week 05	Energy	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Food	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Project Work	Practical (2 hr)
Week 07	Housing	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Water	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Project Work	Practical (2 hr)
Week 09	Transport	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Repair and Reparations	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Project Work	Practical (2 hr)
Week 11	Just Transitions: Green New Deals or Degrowth?	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Hope and Courage	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Final Group Presentations	Practical (2 hr)
Week 13	Conclusion: thinking politically and ecologically about urbanisation	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance at lectures and tutorials is expected and assessed, with 25% of total mark comprised of weekly lecture quizzes and tutorial participation.

Attendance at practical classes is compulsory to enable effective participation in group project work.

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.

Required readings

Tutorial readings will be available via eReserve page on Canvas. Further readings will be listed on lecture slide and on Canvas pages

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. describe the relationships between cities, citizens, environments, and in/sustainability
LO2. define urban metabolism, citizenship, and environmental justice, and describe their relationship to urbanisation
LO3. apply your understanding of the relationship between cities, justice, and citizenship to critically reflect on different approaches to urban sustainability
LO4. describe contemporary socio-environmental challenges facing cities, and assess different governance frameworks for addressing them
LO5. articulate your own preferred concept of sustainability, and be able to justify your position
LO6. converse with government officials, activists, and business interests about the topic of sustainability, its potentials and its limits
LO7. work effectively in groups, and understand why a group is working well or is not working well
LO8. write a report targeted to civil society organisations (as distinct from an academic essay)

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.

Changes have been made to assessment structure in response to student feedback

Additional information

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

General Laboratory Safety Rules

No eating or drinking is allowed in any laboratory under any circumstances
A laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes are mandatory
Follow safety instructions in your manual and posted in laboratories
In case of fire, follow instructions posted outside the laboratory door
First aid kits, eye wash and fire extinguishers are located in or immediately outside each laboratory
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that you have a current tetanus immunisation. This can be obtained from University Health Service: unihealth.usyd.edu.au/

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

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

GEOS3920: Urban Citizenship and Sustainability (Adv)

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links