GSE843 Environmental Decision Making
About this Unit
Semester 2, 2008
Offered: D2 - Day; Second Half-Year (Block mode delivery)
Convenor: Dr Ros Taplin
Prerequisites/corequisites: None
Credit Points: 4
The objective of this unit is to enable students to understand how decisions are made about environmental issues and particularly to assess the relative significance of values held by stakeholders, scientific and technical information, procedural requirements established by law and administration and market forces. Theories and practices of decision making will be examined in western and non-western contexts. Qualitative and quantitative tools to support decision-making will be covered.
The ideal that decisions in the public realm are approached in a rational and comprehensive manner has been scrutinised for more than forty years. Environmental decision-making presents unique challenges partly because of the tensions that arise, the scientific foundations of environmental management and the expectations of scientific experts unused to applying their knowledge to socially complex situations and socio-political contexts. Students will explore the breadth and scales of environmental decision-making as they relate to local, regional, national and international environmental management policy and sustainable development policy. Accordingly, the material covered in GSE843 will be broad and transdisciplinary.
Teaching Staff
Convenor: Dr Ros Taplin
GSE843 lectures and workshops will be presented and facilitated by the convenor together with other academic staff from within the GSE and guest speakers from government, business and NGO institutions. It is intended that this will provide students with the scope of understanding and appreciation required from a range of differing views, applied knowledge and disciplinary backgrounds.
Classes
Students should refer to the GSE843 Study Guide for the final schedule. The unit will be taught in block mode over five day sessions. The class will all meet together for the guest lecture days and be divided into two attendance groups (Group A and Group B) for lecture and workshop sessions run by Ros Taplin. Class dates are below.
| Both Groups | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 22 August | 9.30am - 5.00pm | E8A 386 | Introductory Session & Gust Lectures |
| Friday 19 September | 9.00am - 5.00pm | E8A 386 | Guest Lectures |
| Group A | |||
| Wednesday 3 September | 9.30am - 4.30pm | E8A 341 | Lectures and Workshops |
| Wednesday 8 October | 9.30am - 4.30pm | E8A 341 | Lectures and Workshops |
| Wednesday 29 October | 9.30am - 4.30pm | E8A 341 | Lectures and Workshops |
| Group B | |||
| Saturday 6 September | 9.30am - 4.30pm | E8A 386 | Lectures and Workshops |
| Saturday 11 October | 9.30am - 4.30pm | E8A 386 | Lectures and Workshops |
| Saturday 1 November | 9.30am - 4.30pm | E8A 386 | Lectures and Workshops |
Unit web page
There is no web page for this unit.
Learning Outcomes
All of the unit activities (lectures, workshops, discussions, assignments) and resources (study guide, lecture notes, reading lists, the internet, staff and fellow students) are directed towards helping students to achieve the unit learning outcomes.
On completion of the unit students should have satisfied themselves and the unit convenor that they are able to:
- Define and scope issues associated with making environmental decisions.
- Identify the institutional frameworks and inter-relationships (i.e. government, community, proponents, expertise) within which environmental and sustainable development issues are addressed and to recognise the issues arising out of the interactions within this framework.
- Understand the roles of scientific information, socio-political, economic, and legal processes in environmental decision-making.
- Gain an appreciation of the contribution of political influences, political discourse and stakeholder participation in decision-making processes.
- Gain an appreciation of a range of tools and methods used to assist in environmental decision-making.
- Demonstrate an effective grasp of the literature relevant to environmental decision-making.
- Write cogent and clearly structured reports addressing any of the above aspects of environmental decision-making.
- Research, analyse and critique problems and case studies and draw conclusions.
- Effectively communicate perceptions about what you have learnt about environmental decision-making to the class in workshop and discussion activities
In addition to the discipline-based learning objectives, all academic programs at Macquarie seek to develop students' generic skills in a range of areas. One of the aims of this unit is that students develop skills in:
- Writing cogent and clearly structured reports addressing relevant issues.
- Self management including the definition and completion of assignments.
- Critical analysis and evaluation.
- Independent learning and research.
- Teamwork.
- Professional responsibility with regard to sustainability.
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Lectures and workshops will be presented and facilitated by a number of academic staff from within the GSE and guest speakers from government, business and NGO institutions. It is intended that this will provide students with the scope of understanding and appreciation required from a range of differing views, applied knowledge and disciplinary backgrounds.
Students are expected to: participate in workshop activities in small groups (including discussions, a role play and a debate); read set readings in advance for classes; follow current developments with regard to environmental decision-making, environmental policy and sustainable development in the media; keep a diary of their learning outcomes and experiences.
As environmental decision-making operates through complex processes and frameworks, topics to be covered include an overview and evaluation of:
- decision-making in the context of environmental management and sustainable development policy.
- the local, regional, national and international institutional and regulatory frameworks in which environmental decisions are made.
- formal and informal decision-making models and processes, both local, regional, national and international, including:
- the contribution of land use and infrastructure planning in decision-making;
- impact assessment;
- participatory processes; and
- the contribution of politics and political discourse amongst a range of stakeholders and the community; and
- a variety of methods and tools used to assist and/or enhance environmental decision-making processes
Relationship between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
The assessment tasks have been designed to allow students to demonstrate how well they have achieved the learning outcomes for the unit. The allocation of marks within each task reflects the relative importance of the different components and students should pay particular attention to these as they complete the assignments.
The GSE843 Study Guide which be distributed in the first class will include detailed requirements for the all Assignments. The table below gives an overview of the assignment requirements.
| Assessment | Max. Length | Marks | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1: Essay | 1200 - 1500 words | 20% | Monday 22 September |
| Assignment 2: Case Study Report | 3000 - 3500 words | 60% | Monday 10 November |
| Assignment 3: Learning outcomes diary | 1800 - 2000 words | 20% | Monday 17 November |
All three assignments must be submitted to pass the unit.
Attendance
In order to maximise learning outcomes, students are expected to:
- Attend at least 80% of classes
- Participate in class discussions, workshops and activities
- Read required readings together with further readings that interest them
- Keep a learning outcomes diary
- Complete all assessment tasks
Submission of Assignments
All assignments must be submitted to the Assignment Box located in the reception area of the ELS Centre (Room 101), Building E7A, which is on the ground floor at the western end of the building. The Centre opens from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Monday to Friday. There is also an ELS After Hours Assignment Box at the doorway to Building E7A closest to Building E5A. Campus maps are available at http://www.bgo.mq.edu.au/campus.htm.
All assignments are to be submitted by 9.00am on the date specified and must include a completed and signed Cover Sheet stapled to the front cover. The Assignment Cover Sheet can be downloaded from the web at www.els.mq.edu.au, click on Assignment Cover Sheet.
Late Submissions
All students are required to complete and submit assessment work by the due time and date. Extensions will only be granted in writing at the discretion of the unit convenor and will only be granted prior to the due date (except in exceptional circumstances) and with the support of adequate documentation such as a medical certificate. Otherwise automatic penalties will apply. Assignments that are handed in late without an extension or exceptional circumstances will not be marked if they are submitted more than 7 days after the due date. If submitted within 7 days, marks will be deducted for lateness at the rate of 10% of the possible mark per day late.
Required and Recommended Texts/Materials
The GSE843 Study Guide will include a list of compulsory and recommended readings for assignments and key themes and topics within the unit.
For those students wishing to purchase some useful general texts, the following are recommended:
- Cohen S 2006 Understanding Environmental Policy, Columbia University Press, New York.
- Thomas I 2007 Environmental Policy: Australian Practice in the Context of Theory, Federation Press, Sydney.
Other useful books are:
- Dovers S 2005 Environment and Sustainability Policy: Creation, implementation and evaluation, The Federation Press, Sydney.
- Doyle T & McEachern 2001 Environment and Politics, Routledge, London (2nd ed.).
- Conacher A & Conacher J 2000 Environmental Planning & Management in Australia Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
- Harding R 1998 Environmental Decision-making: The Roles of Scientists, Engineers and the Public, The Federation Press, Sydney.
- Walker KJ 1994 The Political Economy of Environmental Policy: An Australian Introduction, UNSW Press, Kensington.
Plagiarism
The University defines plagiarism in its rules: "Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own." Plagiarism is a serious breach of the University's rules and carries significant penalties. You must read the University's practices and procedures on plagiarism. These can be found in the Handbook of Postgraduate Studies or on the web at: http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism/
The policies and procedures explain what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, the procedures that will be taken in cases of suspected plagiarism, and the penalties if you are found guilty. Penalties may include a deduction of marks, failure in the unit, and/or referral to the University Discipline Committee.
The GSE recommends that students familiarise themselves with the information contained on the Georgetown University Honor Council website which discusses plagiarism in an easy to understand and comprehensive manner.
University Policy on Grading
Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction. Your final result will include one of these grades plus a standardised numerical grade (SNG).
On occasion your raw mark for a unit (i.e., the total of your marks for each assessment item) may not be the same as the SNG which you receive. Under the Senate guidelines, results may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.
It is important that you realise that the policy does not require that a minimum number of students are to be failed in any unit. In fact it does something like the opposite, in requiring examiners to explain their actions if more than 20% of students fail in a unit.
The process of scaling does not change the order of marks among students. A student who receives a higher raw mark than another will also receive a higher final scaled mark.
For an explanation of the policy see:
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/Guidelines2003.doc or
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/detailedguidelines.doc
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Advice for Students with Disabilities/Health Conditions
The Equity Support Unit (ESU) provides support and assistance to students with a disability/health condition in aiming to ensure that they do not experience disadvantage in reaching their academic potential. Service provision is determined on a case-by-case basis following an assessment of a student's needs and the provision of supporting documentation. Service provision is also dependent on the availability of resources.
To register with ESU, download an Advice of Disability/Health Condition form from http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html. This form must be completed annually, irrespective of whether a disability/health condition is temporary, long-term or permanent. Students wishing to request support services from the ESU should make an appointment to see a Disability Advisor immediately after enrolling at Macquarie University.
Phone: (02) 9850 6494/7497
Fax: (02) 9850 6063
TTY: (02) 9850 6493
Email: equity@mq.edu.au
In person: Level 2, Lincoln Building (C8A), Macquarie University
Website: http://www.sss.mq.edu.au/equity