The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Lectures will be taught on campus and available as recordings. Labs and other learning activities will not be available as recordings. The course will not include live online events.

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

A hard copy of the course Guide (combined Lecture and Laboratory Guide) can be purchased from the university bookstore. A free version will also be available as a PDF in Canvas. You will need to bring the relevant pages from the laboratory manual to each of your practical sessions. 

The prescribed textbook is Campbell Biology, Australian and New Zealand Version, 12th edition. A free digital version is proved to students and can be accessed through the learning management system Canvas.

Readings may include academic research articles.

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

All students must read the Health and Safety expectations for labs and field trips and complete a Health and Safety form in week 1 as preparation for the field trip.  

Students will be advised of basic lab safety requirements prior to attending labs.

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

• Honesty - in all aspects of research work
• Accountability - in the conduct of research
• Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
• Good stewardship – on behalf of others
• Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
• Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable. Lectures will be taught on campus and available as recordings. Labs and other learning activities will not be available as recordings. The course will not include live online events. Attendance is required at labs and the field trip to complete the practical component of the course.

Field tripThere is a compulsory one off five hour field trip to a reserve in Auckland on either a Saturday or Sunday early in semester. (Check SSO or Canvas for field trip dates.)

• Students must complete a field activity form before completing field work.
• There are no extra costs associated with these field trips, however you will need to make your own way to the reserves. Public transport details for getting to the reserves will be available in Canvas.
  
• Attending a field trip is essential to being able to write the reports for assessment.
  
• Fieldwork involves approximately 5 hours of outdoor research identifying and quantifying either plants along unpaved bush tracks (walking off the track into the bush for 10m), or organisms on a rocky shore. Fairly minimal walking is required (~1km) but the ground is uneven and could be slippery. Please discuss any accessibility issues with the course coordinator Caroline Aspden (c.aspden@auckland.ac.nz), we are able to adjust for student needs.
  
• Students must bring their lunch and adequate water (at least one litre), there are no shops.
  
• You will also need to bring appropriate clothing (sunhat, raincoat, warm layers) and comfortable covered footwear (laced shoes e.g. trainers or boots, or gum boots NO jandals or sandals) that you don't mind getting wet or dirty. Some gear can be borrowed from the department (e.g. raincoats and gumboots) and accompanying persons and service/guide dogs may be able to attend – please contact course coordinator Caroline Aspden (c.aspden@auckland.ac.nz) for more information about these or to discuss other access requirements.
  
• Toilets are available at both field sites. Toilets are gender neutral at the Kaipatiki field site.

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

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Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

The Tuākana learning community offers a space within the institution for Māori and Pasifika students. We try to connect talent with opportunity and maybe have a kai as well. Check the BIOSCI109 CANVAS page for details. https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/study-with-us/tuakana-programme.html  

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Your course coordinator is Caroline Aspden (phone +64 9 923 9711, email c.aspden@auckland.ac.nz). Please let me know how best we can support you in this course.

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.