Pre-unit submission – Voluntary (0%): By Friday 26 April 2024, 17h00 a short question will be released, with answers (max 1,000 words) to be submitted through Canvas by 17h00 on Wednesday 1 May 2024 (Sydney, Australia time). The aim of this submission will be to ascertain individual students’ approaches to research and referencing. There will be no penalties for not submitting answers.

Class presentation (10%): On the final day of the unit (Friday 10 May 2024) a workshop/exercise will be run on a particular issue, with a presentation topic unique to each student. This workshop/exercise will take the form of a mock conference event on a particular environmental problem. Instructions will be provided on or before Friday 3 May 2024. In the mock conference students will each present for approximately 5 minutes on a prepared topic. It is expected that students will be sufficiently prepared to participate actively in the workshop/exercise, and will so participate.

2,500 word short-release problem-type assignment (30%): This assessment will be by way of a problem- and/or drafting-style question which will be released by 08h59 on Monday 13 May 2024. The question needs to be researched and answered at home and submitted by 08h59 on Monday 27 May 2024 (Sydney, Australia time).  Although this is a problem- and/or drafting-style assignment, it is expected that students will approach answering this as a Masters-level research undertaking, and research and engage with issues appropriately, with appropriate referencing, following instructions given with the topic.  No submissions will be accepted after the due date and simple extensions will not be granted/permitted. If any student is granted special consideration, then an alternate assessment will need to be submitted. The due date for such alternate assessment will be determined by the coordinator when the alternative topic is distributed.

5,000 word research essay (60%):  Choose one of the topics provided which will be released on Canvas before the end of 10 May, with instructions. The due date for the submission of the essay is Monday 24 June at 17h00 (Sydney, Australia time).  

Proposal for Alternative Capstone essay (0%)

Students who opt to undertake the Capstone rather than the essay must notify the unit coordinator by 2 May 2024 and submit a 250 word proposal to the unit coordinator seeking approval for their topic by Monday 13 May 2024 at 23h59 (Sydney, Australia time).

Alternative 7,000 word LLM Capstone essay (80%)

LLM students completing the final units of their degrees and who must complete a Capstone essay as a degree requirement must notify the unit coordinator before 2 May 2024; and must provide a proposal by the end of Monday 13 May, in the form provided by the coordinator on application. The Capstone essay may not be completed without approval from the unit coordinator. The due date for the Alternative Capstone Essay is 17h00 on Monday 22 July 2024 (Sydney, Australia time).  The essay topic must be relevant to the material covered in the unit; should build on work already completed in the degree; may not recycle work already submitted for assessment in the degree, except and only with specific permission and appropriate referencing.The capstone essay (80%) replaces the 5,000 word essay (60%) and the other assessment tasks are adjusted as follows: class presentation weighted 5%, and problem-type short-release assignment word count reduced to 1,250 words and weighted 15%.
 

Word limit penalty: A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words, or part thereof. The total word count for essay and other written assessments will exclude all footnotes and any bibliography (if required).  

Use of editors or proof-readers: The use of assistance in preparing and editing assessment tasks in this unit of study is strictly prohibited. Assistance includes human and automated writing tools (not including spell checking).  The use of Studiosity does not breach this rule but must be acknowledged. 

Special consideration: Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, as appropriate. 

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study: A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.