Course coordinator
Dr Jagadish Thaker
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Communication & Arts School
This course aims to develop the students understanding of key concepts and frameworks such as corporate citizenship, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, social license to operate, stakeholder engagement and participation, ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance of organizations), sustainability and sustainable development. The course reviews the evolution and development of the idea of individual, institutional and societal responsibility, which is now a key part of managing business, as well as NGOs or political and educational institutions.
Issues covered include business ethics and human rights, public private partnerships, corporate philanthropy, but focuses on how organizations account for their behaviour and how (much) CSR and sustainable behaviour is facilitated through and manifested in communication, i.e. reporting and communication management.
This course deals with key concepts, frameworks, methods, strategies, and best practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental, social, and corporate governance ﾠ(ESG),ﾠstakeholder engagement, and sustainability communication.
Issues covered include business strategy, ethics and human rights, public-private partnerships, and corporate philanthropy, but focuses on how organisations account for their behaviour and how (much) CSR and sustainable behaviour are facilitated through and manifested in communication, i.e. reporting and communication management.
CSR/ESG and Sustainability communication is essential to achieving social, cultural, and political transformation not only on an organisational but also on an individual and social scale. CSR and Sustainability communication are complex tasks requiring a deep understanding of ethical concepts, responsibility, agency,ﾠmorality and values, as well as communication skills and proficiency across a diverse mix of media and strategies to effectively achieve action for sustainable development.
Course requirements
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
COMU7500
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Jagadish Thaker
Tutor
Mr Anthony Biancotti
Miss Franssisca Xaveria
Ms Yumeng Wu
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
- Your name
- Your student ID
- The course code
- A list of three tutorial preferences (in order of preference)
- Reason for the change – e.g. timetable clash, elite athlete status, SAP
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
Aims and outcomes
This capstone course aims to equip final year Master of Communication students with requisite communication, management, and leadership skills to excel in the global workforce who can add value to organisations, be outstanding professionals, and achieve their career goals in any organisation.
This course aims to develop the students understanding of key concepts and frameworks such as corporate citizenship, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, social license to operate, stakeholder engagement and participation, ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance of organizations), sustainability and sustainable development. The course reviews the evolution and development of the idea of individual, institutional and societal responsibility, which is now a key part of managing business, as well as NGOs or political and educational institutions.
In this course, students gain interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary experience in communicating about and for sustainability across the trans-media landscpace, with various communication strategies and a range of advocacy mechanisms.
The course has the following learnig goals:
Knowledge: Students should be able to identify and apply current knowledge of disciplinary (communication) and inter-disciplinary (management, strategic planning, environmental management, sociology etc.) on social impact and professional communication practice in organizational settings in diverse situations and contexts.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Students should be able to identify, research and analyse complex issues, crises and problems in the dimension of social and environmental impact and develop appropriate and well-justified communication solutions for the given context.
Communication: Students will be highly effective communicators in complex social env
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Identify, analyse and evaluate CSR communication across a range of organization
LO2.
Plan, design, produce and evaluate a CSR strategy
LO3.
Identify and evaluate the communication challenges and operational parameters of CSR communication in complex environments
LO4.
Strengthen the ability to create new and innovative communication tactics in collaboration with other members of a team.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/ Critique |
Case Study: Organisation, Stakeholder & Issues Analysis
|
40% 1000 words |
16/04/2025 4:00 pm |
| Presentation, Portfolio |
CSR Strategy
|
60% 1500-2000 words |
30/05/2025 4:00 pm
Presentation: In person in Week 12 and Week 13 tutorials Report: Submit by 4pm 30 May 2025 |
Assessment details
Case Study: Organisation, Stakeholder & Issues Analysis
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40% 1000 words
- Due date
16/04/2025 4:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03
Task description
Effective issue management and stakeholder engagement are critical elements of public relations and professional communication, especially in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility. This assignment requires you to systematically identify and analyse an organisation and their stakeholder relations. In this case study, you describe the organisation and map its stakeholders particularly related to CSR goals and strategies. This assignment will be written in a report format (1000 words).
Further information and a marking rubric will be provided on the Blackboard.
Student use of AI in assessments:
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
Submit via TurnItIn on Blackboard.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
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.
CSR Strategy
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation, Portfolio
- Weight
- 60% 1500-2000 words
- Due date
30/05/2025 4:00 pm
Presentation: In person in Week 12 and Week 13 tutorials
Report: Submit by 4pm 30 May 2025
- Other conditions
- Peer assessment factor, Work integrated learning.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
This assignment task is designed to enable students to demonstrate their understanding of effective, strategic, engaging, best-practice CSR communication strategies, particularly how to develop a CSR portfolio and pitch a CSR campaign.
This a group-based assignment made up of 4-5 members. Students will focus on one organisation, identify its key CSR challenges, and develop a CSR campaign for specific stakeholders, building on the previous assignments and tutorial activities.
As a group, students will create a short CSR report of about 5-7 pages (1500-2000 words) and a 2-4 minute CSR-related video highlighting the report's findings. They will present these during the tutorials to get the tutor's feedback and suggestions from fellow students before final submission. Students will also reflect on their group learning experience and points will include a peer assessment factor. More details will be available on Blackboard.
Student use of AI in assessments:
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.
Recording of Oral and Practical Assessment
- All presentations will be recorded for marking purposes via recording facilities available where the assessment takes place (eg. ECHO360, Zoom, camera device)
- Recordings will be retained by the School of Communication and Arts for at least 12 months from the release of the final grade for the course.
- Recordings will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed by authorised school staff for the purposes of:
- Moderation of marking;
- Provision of feedback to the student(s) recorded; and/or
- Re-marking following a successful re-mark application.
Submission guidelines
Presentation: In person in Week 12 and Week 13 tutorials
Report: After the in-class presentation, each student of the group will then individually submit the CSR report as a PDF via Turnitin on Blackboard.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
The presentation component of this assessment task is to be completed in person. Students are NOT able to apply for an extension via the Unitask portal for the presentation. Please contact your tutor/course coordinator directly to see if alternative arrangements are available.
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.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
- Where fractional marks occur in the calculation of the final grade, a mark of x.5% or greater will be rounded up to (x+1)%. A percentage mark of less than x.5% will be rounded down to x%.
- Where no assessable work is received, a Grade of X will apply.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
- Further information regarding the assessment, including marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
- Marks Cannot Be Changed After Being Released: Marks are not open to negotiation with course staff. If you wish to discuss the feedback you have received, you should make an appointment to speak with the Course Coordinator.
- Assessment Re-mark: If you are considering an Assessment Re-mark, please follow the link to important information you should consider before submitting a request.
- Integrity Pledge: Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Modules.ﾠIn uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
- Withholding marks prior to finalisation of grades: Per UQ Assessment Procedures – Release of Assessment Item Marks and Grades: The final assessment item and the marks for the assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released.
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.
Additional learning resources information
Additional learning resources for this course will be provided on blackboard.ﾠ
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 |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 1 Lecture: Organisations in the Society Organisations, Communication, Society Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 1: NO TUTORIAL Tutorials start in Week 3 |
|
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Week 2: NO LECTURE OR TUTORIAL |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 3 Lecture: Ethics and Responsibility Ethics, Values, Morality, Norms and the "R" in CSR *Explore* (To do): Check websites of corporates, NGOs or political institutions and their CSR / Sustainability Communication (e.g., Shein, Nike, H&M) Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 3 Tutorial: Introduction and CSR Job Profile In this tutorial, we analyse CSR-related job profiles and identify key skills you need to develop in this industry! Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 4 Lecture: Crisis and Transformation Climate, Health and Social Crises, Sustainable Development and Societal Transformation Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 4 Tutorial: CSR Communication In this tutorial, we analyse theories, current trends and best practices of CSR/ESG communication Assessment preparation Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 5 Lecture: Concepts and Definitions CSR, Sustainability, ESG, Corporate Citizenship and more Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Tutorial |
Week 5 Tutorial: CSR Concepts and Applications In this tutorial, we reflect on CSR and Social Media Assessment preparation Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Week 6 Lecture: Communication of CSR & Sustainability Corporate Communication, Public Relations, CSR Reporting, Website Communication Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 6 Tutorial: Communication of, about & for CSR & Sustainability In this tutorial we learn why communication is at the core of CSR and why we differentiate between communication of, about and for sustainability Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Week 7 Lecture: Communication about CSR & Sustainability Media Discourse, Political Communication, Greenwashing Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 7 Tutorial: Communication about CSR & Sustainability Communication about CSR & Sustainability Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Week 8: NO LECTURE OR TUTORIAL |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
MID-SEMESTER BREAK |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Week 9 Lecture: Communication for CSR & Sustainability Participation, Engagement, Stakeholder Dialogues, Movements, Organizational Communication Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 9 Tutorial: Case Studies of CSR Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement Case studies of CSR Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Week 10 Lecture: Public Private Partnerships NGO / Business collaborations, engagement and campaigning Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 10 Tutorial: Partnerships, Collaborations, and Greenwashing In this tutorial we explore collaborations between corporates and NGOs, movements and political actors Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
|
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Week 11 Lecture: Corporate Activism Campaigning, Activism, Issue Management Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 11 Tutorial: Corporate Activism Corporate activism: Case studies and best practices Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Week 12 Lecture: CSR/ESG Reports CSR and ESG Communication reports Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 12 Tutorial: CSR Reports Presentations in tutorials Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Week 13 Lecture: Sustainable Communication & New Roles Professional Ethics, Communicator Roles, New Professions (i.e. Chief Sustainability Officer) Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 13 Tutorial: CSR Communication Roles and Responsibilities Presentations in tutorials Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
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.
Course guidelines
Communication Expectations
While you are a student at UQ, all communication must be conducted according to the UQ Student Code of Conduct. The UQ Library has a helpful Communicate and collaborate online module.
- Email is the primary way for you to send messages to, and receive information from, the School and our staff.
- You must use your UQ email address (not a private address) to communicate with staff.
- You should add a clear subject line, including course code, and a 2-3 word statement.
- You can send email at any time, however please do not expect responses outside normal working hours (Monday to Friday from ~8am to ~5pm).
- Emails that constitute bullying, harassment or discrimination against staff contravene the Student Code of Conduct. Emails like this will be reported to the University, and the matter will be pursued as misconduct.