School: Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Environmental Management and Sustainability
  • Unit Code

    SCI2108
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Kat O'MARA

Description

In this unit students will explore a range of environmental management mechanisms and measures which are used to minimise environmental impacts and promote sustainability outcomes which can be achieved, at the local, national and global levels. The unit will also explore how human activities and behaviour can cause environmental problems, and therefore how behaviour change can be used to manage environmental issues.

Prerequisite Rule

Must have passed 1 unit SCI1193 or SCI1001

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Explain how and why human activities and behaviours can cause environmental and sustainability issues.
  2. Describe and identify a range of environmental and sustainability management mechanisms available to encourage behaviour change at the local, regional, national and international scales.
  3. Evaluate the effectiveness of managing key environmental and sustainability issues.
  4. Make a compelling argument to an identified decision maker as to how a management mechanisms can be strengthened.
  5. Contribute to development of a community of practice within the field of environmental management and sustainability.

Unit Content

  1. Identification and understanding of environmental and sustainability issues at local, regional and global scales.
  2. Environmental policy and law in the Australian and Western Australian context.
  3. Management mechanisms and measures to address sustainability and environmental issues.
  4. Stakeholders and their roles and perspectives in environmental and sustainability management.
  5. Monitoring and evaluating management measures for success.
  6. The role of the Sustainable Development Goals in advancing environmental and sustainability management.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour seminarNot Offered13 x 3 hour seminar

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Additional Learning Experience Information

Concepts are presented in face to face, live streamed or recorded workshops with illustrative examples. Students will explore the practical application of these concepts through small group discussions, online contribution and other activities in class, as well as through their assignments. Guest lecturers and facilitators provide additional input, with particular focus on the legislative and regulatory contexts and the realities of transforming science into environmental management and sustainability. Material in addition to the lecture content is provided on the learning management system, and students will be expected to prepare for classes by completing reading tasks and/or reflecting on materials presented in class through discussion questions.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ReportDraft Environmental Management Plan 30%
PresentationDeliver an environmental management toolbox presentation and answer question on the topic30%
ReportFinal Environmental Management Plan40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ReportDraft Environmental Management Plan30%
PresentationDeliver an environmental management toolbox presentation and answer question on the topic30%
ReportFinal Environmental Management Plan40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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