Conservation Policy (ENVM3506)

Course overview

Overview of policy development process as it applies to conservation & environmental management. Conservation policy in both international & national context. (Minimum enrolment required 8)

In this course we study important conservation policy frameworks, considering their development, implementation and evaluation. The focus is primarily on public policy at international, national and sub-national levels.

Policy development occurs in a social arena of contending rights and interests, beliefs and viewpoints. Through the lens of current policy debates, we explore the social, economic and political conditions that either aid or impede the development of good conservation policy. In particular, we delve into the Australian political and governmental system to understand the context within which conservation policy develops and changes.

At theﾠinternational level we study major conservation conventions, such as the UN Conventionﾠon Biological Diversity (CBD), World Heritage, RAMSARﾠand CITES. We explore how these international commitments are translated to national policy frameworks and the effectiveness of those frameworks, using examples such as Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

We examine policy responses to the need to protect threatened species and ecological communities, the species and environments of the open seas and protected areas like the Great Barrier Reef.

The course draws in experts in conservation policy and practitioners with extensive experience in designing and implementing policy. We discuss practicalities and processes of policy development: who forms policy and why, and what steps have to be taken and issues have to be accounted for in developing policy? We debate topical policy issues and learn through evaluating existing policy and developing policy briefs focussed on real-world conservation issues.

This course is co-taught between ENVM3506 and ENVM7505.

Course requirements

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

ENVM3517, ENVM7522 and ENVM7505

Jointly taught details

This course is jointly-taught with:

• ENVM7505

Lectures are shared between both courses

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

The aims of this course are to build an understanding of the various international and national policies and policy instruments most relevant to conservation policy and how they interact, to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of those policies, to appreciate the social and political content in which policies are made and succeed or fail, to develop critical skills in policy evaluation, and to understand drivers, processes and challenges for conservation policy development and implementation.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Policy examination

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

20%

Due date

16/08/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit electronically through Turnitin on the course Blackboard site.

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.

Extensions must be requested in line with UQ policy: Applying for an assessment extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland

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.

For each day or part thereof that the assignment is late, 10% of the maximum mark will be subtracted from the mark awarded

Policy examination

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

50%

Due date

13/09/2024 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L05, L06, L07

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit electronically through Turnitin on the course Blackboard site.

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.

Extensions must be requested in line with UQ policy: Applying for an assessment extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland

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.

For each day or part thereof that the assignment is late, 10% of the maximum mark will be subtracted from the mark awarded

Policy briefing

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Presentation

Weight

30%

Due date

16/10/2024 10:00 am

In addition to submitting the written component and slides (or recorded presentation if approved for pre-record), you must attend tutorials in Weeks 12 AND 13, and be ready to give your presentation when called upon (unless alternative arrangements approved in advance)

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L06, L07, L08

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submission of written component and slides (or recorded presentation if approved for pre-record) must be submitted via turnitin by the due date and time

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.

Extensions must be requested in line with UQ policy: Applying for an assessment extension - my.UQ - University of Queensland

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.

For each day or part thereof that the assignment is late, 10% of the maximum mark will be subtracted from the mark awarded

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

In addition to the above grading requirements, to achieve a passing grade in this course, students must receive at least 45% of the available marks for the policy briefing

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Courses graded 1-7

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

Applications for Extensions

Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension

Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.

Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.

Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)

For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Turnitin

By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment.”

All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if assessments are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after five days, will receive zero.

In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.

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

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Course materials will be provided via the Blackboard site

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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.