Course coordinator
Associate Professor Severine van Bommel
Consultation is by appointment. To make an appointment to see me, please email s.vanbommel@uq.edu.au
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Gatton
- Coordinating unit
- Agriculture and Food Sustainability School
The course covers the principles and practices of effective leadership as applicable in rural business, industry and communities, in the emerging world of rapid change, hyper-connectivity and uncertainty. It describes theories, methods and tools for leading through change, harnessing diversity, attributes and practices of leadership, negotiation and conflict management and contributing leadership in groups and teams.
It is crucial for Masters degree graduates to have a sound understanding of, and practical skills in, modern leadership. Many of the issues facing rural industries and communities require not just technical knowledge, but the capacity to analyse complex problems, work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, foster capacity on an industry and community scale, and develop collaborative leadership often around emotive issues involving conflict. This course addresses modern principles and practices of leadership in rapidly changing rural industries and communities. Leadership is also important given the key challenges in industries and communities such as maintaining the economic viability of rural enterprises, fostering the vitality of rural communities, addressing poverty, increasing global food supply, and managing the changing role of government and industry organisations. These are examples of many major challenges and opportunities that require considerable collaborative leadership to be addressed.
This course will give students a comprehensive understanding of the principles and approaches involved in modern leadership in a rural industry and community context. It is also practical, enhancing the capacity of students to better lead and support organisations, businesses and communities. Participants will develop concepts and skills to manage complex problems, foster collaborative approaches and contribute to leadership both in Australia and overseas.
The course does not "teach" leadership in an abstract way. It involves students reflecting on their own leadership approaches and skills and in fostering their personal capacity in leadership.
The course covers:
- The nature of leadership
- Leadership styles
- Individual leadership and shared leadership
- Differences between leadership and management
- Managing change
- Understanding individual personality and approaches to leadership
- Communicating for influence
- Conflict management and negotiation
- Leading high performance teams
- Group development and team roles
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course provides a foundational understanding of leadership to support the capacity of Masters graduates who often have leadership roles in rural businesses, industry and communities.ﾠIts principles also support other courses inﾠMasters programs.ﾠThere is no particular background required for the course.ﾠPeople from many different backgrounds such as education, health, local government and international development become involved in leadership.ﾠThe course draws on the previous experience of participants and expands their existing understanding of leadership.ﾠParticipants also learn from the perspectives and experience of other participants.
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- Another instance of the same course
AGRC7046 In Person and AGRC7046 External share content, with activities and assessment that may vary (Online modules) to suit the mode of study.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Workshop recordings will be made available through Blackboard. External students can join the In Person scheduled workshops live via Zoom.
If you have any concerns regarding your official timetable or course allocations, or there are no suitable class times available, contact Faculty of Science Timetable science.mytimetable@uq.edu.au for advice.
If you have any questions about missing class activities, please contact your course coordinator.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims to provide comprehensive knowledge and skills for participants to have a comprehensive working understanding of leadership with the potential to be an effective leader in rural business, industry and communities.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Apply key principles and procedures of leadership as it can be applied in a rural and regional context
LO2.
Apply the dynamics of personal attributes in leadership
LO3.
Apply leadership in a group, industry and community context, and be able to practise leadership effectively in at least one of these contexts
LO4.
Demonstrate the ability to manage issues that arise in leadership such as manage conflict, foster the development of teams, mentor others, create collective vision etc.
LO5.
Demonstrate the ability to sustain leadership functions in groups and in other settings
LO6.
Demonstrate the skills and processes to learn from experience and learn collaboratively
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project |
Learning project plan and personal learning goals
|
10% |
28/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Portfolio |
Progressive assessment
|
50% Each test contributes 10% towards the total progressive assessment value of 50% |
Module 1 20/03/2025 Module 2 3/04/2025 Module 3 17/04/2025 Module 4 8/05/2025 Module 5 22/05/2025
Assessment will be conducted in class, during the first hour of the workshop. |
| Examination |
Reflection Exam on Leadership Development
|
40% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Learning project plan and personal learning goals
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Project
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
28/03/2025 2:00 pm
Task description
The Learning Project Plan is your comprehensive action plan for the experiential learning project you will carry out during the semester. It focuses on addressing a leadership challenge within the context of the group literature review project and setting personal leadership development goals. This assessment integrates the first three steps of the experiential learning cycle:
- Reflection on the Situation: Identify and analyze a leadership challenge. This is often something that you have struggled with in the past in group settings —for example, fostering collaboration, managing conflict, or ensuring equitable participation.
- Generalisation: Use leadership theories to formulate your leadership goals and objectives.
- Planned Action: Design a practical plan for demonstrating leadership in the group project and achieving your personal leadership goals.
Your Learning Project Plan should include:
- A reflection on the importance of leadership in your professional or personal context, particularly in group settings.
- Examples of leadership aspects you find enjoyable, challenging, or intimidating, especially in collaborative environments.
- A description of the leadership challenge you anticipate.
- Leadership concepts and skills you aim to develop and apply.
- Planned actions and strategies for demonstrating leadership, ensuring the focus is on leadership (not management or administration).
- 3–5 SMART personal learning goals, focusing on the leadership skills or qualities you want to develop during your learning project.
This integrated approach helps you align the general topic of leadership with your personal interests and ensures your development goals are clear, actionable, and relevant to the your context.
Word Limit: 1,000 words (excluding references).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your Assessment task, on Blackboard, via the link provided by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Progressive assessment
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Portfolio
- Weight
- 50% Each test contributes 10% towards the total progressive assessment value of 50%
- Due date
Module 1 20/03/2025
Module 2 3/04/2025
Module 3 17/04/2025
Module 4 8/05/2025
Module 5 22/05/2025
Assessment will be conducted in class, during the first hour of the workshop.
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
Each module ends with a timed in-class, online test (30 minutes), comprising of short essay questions where you will be asked to apply leadership theories to a real-world scenario. The test will occur at the beginning of the relevant workshop. All module tests are equally weighted.
External students will be required to log into Zoom and complete the online test on the set dates above, at the same time as the In Person students. The date and time for these activities can be found in your timetable (once scheduled). As the test will be conducted in the first hour (9am-10am) of the workshop, external students should be ready and logged into Zoom prior to the workshop commencing. Students who log into Zoom late will not receive additional time to complete the relevant assessment item.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
The online assessment is completed within Blackboard under the appropriate assessment title on your course Blackboard site. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration
By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).
Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item.
Reflection Exam on Leadership Development
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
Have your UQ student ID card available for all your exams. Students enrolled in External delivery must attend the exam in-person, either on campus OR at an approved off-campus exam venue as organised through UQ Examinations. Please refer to your personalised examination timetable.
Students will write a structured reflection based on course experiences using Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle.
The exam will be open-book (students can bring their course notes and prior journal entries if applicable).
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Refer to Additional course grading information – ‘Course Grading Rules and Assessment Hurdles’.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Open Book examination |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 0 - 34% |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 35% - 46% |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: 47% - 49% OR failure to meet the identified assessment hurdle below. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 50% - 64% |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 65% - 74% |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 75% - 84% |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: 85% - 100% |
Additional course grading information
Course grading and hurdle information
In order to receive a minimum passing grade, students must:
- Students are required to achieve a passing mark on the Reflection Exam on Leadership Development assessment item.
If a student obtains an overall percentage greater than the cut-offs set to achieve a 4 or higher for the course based on marks from a combination of the progressive assessments and Reflection Exam on Learning Development and the student does NOT score a passing mark in the Reflection Exam on Learning Development, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.
You must address any additional assessment requirements identified in this course profile.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.
Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.
If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.
Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.
To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.
Additional assessment information
Please note the following when writing assignments
You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
All reported work must be done by the individual student. Assignments that look and sound alike will be reported as plagiarism – a serious offence at UQ. Please note the university’s policy on academic integrity and plagiarism which can be accessed at Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy.
TurnItIn Assignments
Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site.ﾠ If you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating and you will be held liable for this action.ﾠ
Release of marks
Unless specifically indicated by the course coordinator,ﾠevery attempt will be madeﾠto haveﾠthe results for progressive assessment available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will not be available until grades release day.ﾠResults and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.ﾠ
Feedback in this course
Feedback is welcome in this course as any information on how students find this learning experience is constructive.
Please use the evaluation form provided to you at the end of semester - or if you are enrolled internally, a course evaluation process will occur in the last few weeks of semester.
Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility
Before applying for a remark, students should consider the following:
- You have consulted the course coordinator for feedback
- Your academic grounds for remark have been discussed and are valid
- Wanting a higher grade is not grounds for a remark. A remark can decrease your grade.
Remark applications will not be considered without first having contacted your course Co-ordinator.ﾠ
Deferred and Supplementary assessment (including Deferred In-Semester Examinations)
Deferred and Supplementary information can be located on the my.UQ website
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Other course materials
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
| Item | Description | Further Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| AGRC7046 Course Blackboard Site | Blackboard is the main method of communication for this course. | |
| AGRC7046 Course Profile | Provides details of specifications, rationale, aims and structure of the course. It also informs you of the assessment for this course, including weighting and due dates. |
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Workshop |
Workshop series Please refer to the full timetable in the course Blackboard site. Sub-activity: Module 1: Introduction to Leadership Module 2: Leading Change Module 3: The individual in Leadership Module 4: Leading groups and teams Module 5: Leadership in negotiation Module 6: Leadership in practice |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.