CDS 2001 Sustainability Issues in Community Development

STAFFING:

RATIONALE:

Sustainability has become a key consideration in most human activities. Community development workers and others working in community and social contexts have an increasing need to understand sustainability principles and the key social, economic and environmental challenges in achieving sustainable communities. This course seeks to provide a broad level of understanding of sustainability in a community context with particular emphasis on regional cities.

SYNOPSIS:

The course begins by examining the many conflicting definitions of sustainability, a number of key principles and several alternattive models of sustainability. These are placed in the context of the prevailing paradigms of western society and the many problems and challenges of the early twenty-first century, especially as they relate to populations and the carrying capacity of local regions and the planet as a whole. A systems approach to sustainability allows the identification of unsustainable activities and key natural resources, especially land, water and energy. Current environmental, economic and social problems can be examined in this context and solutions, both current and proposed, evaluated as to their long term contribution towards sustainability. The Hervey Bay region will be used as a case study in the context of the "sea change" phenomenon, with consideration of such issues as climate change, housing, transport, water and agriculture. Community involvement in sustainability planning is emphasised in the context of the building of social capital and sustainable community structures and organisations. Some alternative strategies for regional community and economic development will be examined including eco-villages.

OBJECTIVES:

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast various definitions of sustainability; (ONC: Assessment Items 1 and 2 refer) (EXT: Assessment Items 1, 2 and 3 refer)
2. Identify key sustainability principles and indicators; (ONC: Assessment Items 1, 2 and 3 refer) (EXT: Assessment Items 1, 2 and 4 refer)
3. Critically analyse sustainability issues in the context of a systems model of sustainability; (ONC: Assessment Items 1, 2 and 3 refer) (EXT: Assessment Items 1, 2 and 4 refer)
4. Demonstrate an awareness of current local and global sustainability problems, the actions being taken to alleviate them and the likely effectiveness of these solutions; (ONC: Assessment Items 1 and 3 refer) (EXT: Assessment Items 3 and 4 refer)
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the social and economic context of sustainability issues and the importance of community involvement in policy development and planning; (ONC: Assessment Items 1 and 3 refer) (EXT: Assessment Items 3 and 4 refer)
6. Demonstrate an understanding of alternative community responses to achieving sustainability, including local trading schemes and eco-villages. (ONC: Assessment Items 1 and 3 refer) (EXT: Assessment Items 3 and 4 refer)

TOPICS:

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

Extensive reference materials exist both in the library and online for this course. These are some examples. A more complete list is available in the Study Book.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

NOTES:

1.

Presentation will use PowerPoint or similar software together with audio where possible. Full details will be provided in the Introductory Book.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   There are no attendance requirements for this external course. However, it is the student's responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval, then a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each of the first FIVE working days late, after which a zero mark will be given.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 30% in each of the weighted assessment items as well as at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   There is no exam for this course.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Given the details under (6) above, there are no deferred exams for this course. However, if any deferred/makeup work is granted, it would have to be submitted by a date set by the examiner.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6 Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES