At the beginning of the semester, the activities that require mandatory in-person attendance will be identified in the lecture and assessment schedule published on Canvas. Students must prioritise mandatory activities for successfully completing this course. 

The activities for the course are pre-scheduled. You find in your timetable

• Lectures (LECs). They are scheduled for the weeks when there are no workshops or labs.
• Workshops (WRKs). They are mandatory and scheduled for Weeks 2,3, 11 & 12 (subject to change).
• Labs (LABs). They are mandatory and scheduled as a block of 3 x 3 hours for Week 8 (subject to change).

Only lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities (e.g., in-class group work, workshops, labs) will not be available as recordings.

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.

All learning resources will be provided through Canvas or during lectures.

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.

Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.

The use of MDLS facilities requires both online (Canvas module and quiz) and in-person inductions to the equipment and spaces by the professional staff in charge. The wearing of closed-toe shoes, eye protection, lab coats, gloves, and other safety measures may be required.

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.

Students work in teams to complete a hands-on project that spans the entire duration of the course. The project helps students explore and develop employability skills and interdisciplinary approaches for solving complex problems, which employers highly value in university graduates. During workshops and labs, we will exchange the lecture theatre for the Unleash Space and the MDLS, where student teams will have the opportunity to work with toy-sized alternative fuel vehicles and rapid prototyping techniques.

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.

Assignments require demonstrating academic integrity and citing and referencing the work of other people correctly.

This course has no exam.

A passing mark is 50% or higher, according to University policy.Students must submit assessments and participate in sessions identified by an asterisk (*) in Canvas to pass the course.

Students are expected to actively and responsibility participate in all learning activities.

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.

Student feedback is highly valued and used to improve this course. Based on the 2025 SET responses, CHEMMAT 304 continues to be recognised for:

• approachable teaching staff and a supportive learning environment,
• authentic, team-based projects with real-world relevance,
• development of transferable employability skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and workplace readiness. Students commented:
• “Doing assignments that more closely mimicked workplace expectations rather than just school expectations.”
• “At the start all the transferrable skills seemed not important… but towards the end I think it all tied together really well.”
• effective use of workshops and weekly topic rotation. One student noted:
• “The full week of workshop time was crucial to me and I think to everyone else. It helped me generate problem solving skills in real time.”
• engaging tools such as SWOT analysis and hands-on activities.

Some areas for optimisation have been identified and will be addressed by the teaching team.

Mid-course feedback opportunities, such as the start-stop-continue survey, support ongoing responsiveness to student needs.

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.

The teaching staff is known for fostering a friendly and productive relationship with open communication between students and staff.

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.

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.

CHEMMAT 304 provides a respectful and inclusive learning environment. Both teachers and students embrace diversity, enable participation, remove barriers, and cater for various learning needs and preferences. 

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.

Attendance policy Students are strongly encouraged to treat this course as a professional workplace environment. Key components of this course are the workshops, labs and team assessments. As such, students are required to attend them. Excused absences may be granted for the following circumstances: medical, university-sanctioned event, or other extenuating circumstances at the staff's discretion. Students are responsible for notifying the course coordinator before or no later than one day after the mandatory face-to-face session. Evidence of the reason is required.
Late penalties and time extensions There is a 10% penalty per day for late submissions. Students may request extensions before the due date on any assignment using email and providing appropriate evidence. Extensions may be granted based on the evidence provided.

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.