GEOG122 – Sustainability, Justice & the Environment: Comprehensive Study Notes

Subject Overview

• GEOG122: “Sustainability, Justice and the Environment”
• Offered Spring session $2025$
• Campuses: Wollongong & Shoalhaven (On-Campus only)
• Credit value: $6\text{cp}$ (≈ $9$ – $12$ study hrs/wk)
• Three inter-linked modules, each paired with an assessment + online quiz
• Aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); embedded Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)

Delivery Mode & Attendance

• On-Campus delivery is mandatory; online materials (recorded lectures, Moodle resources) are supplementary
• Students unable to attend campus/field sites must not enrol
• Lectures pre-recorded weekly; tutorials/workshops face-to-face
• Minimum attendance: $80\%$ of tutorials; hurdles may apply
• UOW may shift locations/delivery rapidly (e.g.
  health, environmental emergencies). Always check Moodle/SOLS

Faculty & Contact Information

• Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities (ASSH); School of Social Sciences
• Coordinator/Lecturer: A/Prof. Leah Gibbs
  • Phone: $4298\,1547$
  • Email: leah@uow.edu.au
  • Office: $29.337$
• Lecturer: Dr Andrew Warren
  • Email: awarren@uow.edu.au
  • Office: $29.330$
• Lecturer: Senior Prof. Chris Gibson (office details not listed on p.2)
• Consultation: email to arrange appointment

Expectations, Conduct & Online Etiquette

• Uphold UOW values: intellectual openness, excellence, empowerment, academic freedom, mutual respect, diversity
• Behaviours expected: punctuality, active participation, ethical communication, timely submission, respectful online presence
• Must comply with Student Conduct Rules, IT Acceptable Use, Bullying Prevention policies
• Refer to UOW “Online & Email Etiquette” guide for digital behaviour

Inherent Requirements (Social Work degrees)

• Essential abilities/skills/knowledge needed to meet learning outcomes while protecting academic integrity
• Full list: https://www.uow.edu.au/the-arts-social-sciences-humanities/schools-entities/has/inherent-requirements/

Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

1. Understand sustainability concepts, definitions & critiques
2. Critically analyse sustainability problems using evidence + diverse perspectives (incl. Indigenous knowledges)
3. Evaluate & recommend sustainability transition initiatives in organisations, households & communities
4. Rethink human–environment relationships from local to global scales
5. Apply sustainability concepts/criticisms to advocate socially & environmentally just planning outcomes
6. Plan for positive change via audience-tailored communication skills

Subject Description & Central Themes

• Introduces foundational sustainability concepts & critiques
• Addresses urgent issues: climate change, resource depletion, disasters, energy transitions, decarbonisation
• Emphasises: holistic & critical thinking, evidence-based analysis, respectful engagement with diverse knowledges
• Goal: develop practical change-maker skills for careers driving sustainability

Course Materials & Resources

• No set textbook
• Weekly readings hosted on Moodle → “Subject Readings” link
• Library catalogue/databases encouraged for further research

Learning Platform (Moodle)

• Central hub for: lectures, readings, quizzes, announcements, assessment submission (Turnitin enabled), analytics

Safety & Practical/Field Guidelines

• Review lab/field Risk Assessments & sign Participant Acknowledgement
• Inform coordinator of medical conditions; discuss Reasonable Adjustments early
• Denial of participation possible for non-compliance
• Undergraduates cannot work after hours without approval/supervision

Using Generative AI (GenAI)

• UOW embraces GenAI for skill development but misuse = academic misconduct
• Key principles:
  • Complement, don’t replace, critical thinking
  • Prompt quality ↔️ output quality
  • Verify facts; recognise bias
  • Protect data & copyright
  • Acknowledge transparency (prompt history) when required
  • Assess appropriateness before each use
• Always check each assessment’s explicit GenAI allowance; consult coordinator if unsure

Weekly Lecture Schedule & Core Readings (selected)

Week 1 – Introducing Sustainability Thinking & Concepts

• Reading: Yunkaporta (2019) Sand Talk

MODULE 1: Sustainability in Everyday Life (Prof. Chris Gibson)

• Week 2 (05 Aug): Dilemmas in everyday life – Gibson et al. (2013) intro
• Week 3: “Who does the work?” – Waitt et al. (2012); Carr (2022)
• Week 4: Four pathways for transitions – Gibson et al. (2015); Rainnie & Snell (2023)
• Week 5: Community capacities, drought, festivals – Gibson (2023); Gibson & Connell (2016)

MODULE 2: Urban Sustainability Transitions (Dr Andrew Warren)

• Week 6 (02 Sep): Sustainable cities – Braun (2005); Australian urban worlds – Porter (2018/2019)
• Week 7: Industrial city; environmental justice & gentrification – Budds (2009); Curran & Hamilton (2012); Larkin et al. (2023)
• Week 8: Governing cities – Roy (2005); Robinson (2006)
• Week 9: Transformative potential in climate change – Romero-Lankao et al. (2018)

Mid-Session Recess (29 Sep)

MODULE 3: Living with Nature (A/Prof. Leah Gibbs)

• Week 10 (07 Oct): Nature in the Anthropocene – Steffen et al. (2007); Castree (2011); Head (2015)
• Week 11: Encountering nature (sharks) – Chapron et al. (2014); Gibbs & Warren (2015)
• Week 12: Politics of nature – Robbins (2012); Hughes et al. (2015); Grech & McCook (2015)
• Week 13: “Natural” disasters – Mustafa (2009); subject wrap-up
• Study Recess: from 03 Nov; Examinations begin 08 Nov

Tutorial / Workshop Program Highlights

• Week 2: “Sustainability Jam” rapid-prototype ideas for Assessment 1; pairing mandatory
• Week 4: Assessed Household Sustainability Pitches (group presentations)
• Week 6: Skills for Assessment 2 (writing submissions; Corrimal Coke Works case study)
• Week 8: Report-writing refinement; stakeholder perspectives
• Week 10: Poster brainstorming for Assessment 3; Anthropocene concepts
• Week 12: Scientific poster design essentials (Hay 2012 guidelines)

Assessment Overview (Total $100\%$)

Assessment Details & Key Criteria (equal-weighted per rubric)

Assessment 1 – Household Sustainability Pitch

• $3$-minute evidence-based verbal pitch, delivered in pairs in tutorial
• Criteria: Terms of Reference, Communication, Structure, Creativity, Referencing

Assessment 2 – Urban Social & Environmental Justice Report

• $1000$ words (+ ref list) written as stakeholder submission to real planning proposal (e.g.
  Corrimal Coke Works)
• Min $6$ scholarly sources; submit via Turnitin
• Criteria: Terms of Reference, Communication, Structure, Analysis, Referencing

Assessment 3 – Poster: Nature in the Anthropocene

• A2 scholarly poster (PowerPoint ➜ PDF); $\le 500$ words + ≥ $5$ references
• Themes: diagnose one Anthropocene environmental issue; implications + solutions
• Criteria mirror Assessment 2 (Analysis replaces Creativity)

Assessment 4 – Quizzes

• Three Moodle quizzes (one per module)
• $10$ randomised multiple-choice questions, $15$ min each
• Windows: Q1 26–27 Aug; Q2 23–24 Sep; Q3 28–29 Oct
• Mark = # correct; immediate grade release

Attendance, Submission & Penalties

• Apply for Academic Consideration before/on due date via SOLS; supply evidence within $3$ working days
• Late penalty: $5\%$ of task total per $24$ hrs (incl.
  weekends/holidays); after $7$ days → mark $0$
• Technical Fail (TF) possible if attendance < $80\%$ or hurdle unmet

Extensions & Academic Consideration

• Grounds: illness, misadventure, hardship, approved SAI plans, etc.
• Use online form; coordinator cannot grant informal extensions

Recording & Privacy

• Most lectures recorded (Echo360) & posted within $48$ hrs
• Student-made recordings require permission of lecturer + peers recorded
• Unauthorized distribution breaches Copyright, Privacy, IP, IT policies; may lead to misconduct proceedings

Learning Analytics

• Moodle usage, library data, task marks may be monitored to flag ‘at-risk’ students; adheres to Privacy Policy

Academic Integrity & Referencing

• Plagiarism/contract cheating strictly prohibited; Turnitin used for text-matching
• Re-use of your prior work requires citation + coordinator approval
• Harvard Author-Date referencing required unless otherwise specified

Policies & Further Support (Quick Reference)

• Academic Integrity Policy; Review & Appeal of Academic Decisions Policy
• Assessment & Feedback Policy; Code of Practice – Teaching
• Student Conduct Rules; Student Charter; Inclusive Language Guidelines
• WHS, Copyright, Intellectual Property Policies
• Human & Animal Ethics policies (ethical objection provisions)
• Student services: Woolyungah Indigenous Centre, Counselling, Accessibility, Careers, AskUOW, Library Live Chat, Student Advocacy Service

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)

• Subject embeds professional-practice simulations (e.g.
  stakeholder submissions) to build career-ready competencies
• Aligns learning activities with SDGs and sustainability careers

Practical Skills Development Across Modules

• Rapid prototyping & persuasive “pitch” design
• Writing formal public submissions & navigating planning systems
• Stakeholder analysis & justice framing
• Visual science communication (poster design)
• Critical reading of scholarly & policy literature

Key Concept Definitions & Significance (illustrative)

• Sustainability: capacity to meet present needs without compromising future generations; contested concept critiqued in course
• Anthropocene: proposed geological epoch where humans = dominant Earth-system force (Steffen et al.
  $2007$)
• Environmental Justice: equitable distribution of environmental benefits/burdens + meaningful participation (applied to urban redevelopment & gentrification)
• Sustainability Transition: systemic shift toward low-carbon, resource-efficient society; studied via four pathways (Gibson et al.
  $2015$)
• Household Capability: capacity of households to enact sustainable practices (Waitt et al.
  $2012$)

Example/Hypothetical Scenarios Discussed

• Repair café movement as “repair & care” labour (Carr $2022$)
• Corrimal Coke Works redevelopment: conflicting stakeholder views (economic growth vs.
  heritage & environmental remediation)
• Shark-human encounters in WA prompting policy transformation (Gibbs & Warren $2015$)
• Offshore wind sector opportunities & regional regeneration (Larkin et al.
  $2023$)

Ethical, Philosophical & Practical Implications

• Balancing individual lifestyle changes vs.
  structural reforms (is it “easy being green?”)
• Colonial legacies & Indigenous sovereignty in Australian urban planning (Porter $2018$)
• “Just green enough” strategy to avoid environmental gentrification (Curran & Hamilton $2012$)
• Political ecology of coal exports vs.
  Great Barrier Reef conservation – trade-offs & governance (Robbins $2012$; Hughes et al.
  $2015$)

Numerical / Statistical References

• Global tipping point: >$50\%$ of humanity now urban (Module 2 premise)
• Carnivore recovery in Europe documented across $24$ countries (Chapron et al.
  $2014$ – Science $346$(6216):$1517$–$1519$)
• Drought research: regional NSW & festival economies – detailed case counts not specified but empirical studies cited

Recent Subject Improvements

• Assessment scaffolding mapped explicitly to skill workshops
• Formative activity before census date (Week 2 tutorial jam)
• Updated readings to include $2023$ cutting-edge research (offshore wind; regional futures)

Hurdle & Scaling Notes

• No specific hurdle outlined beyond attendance & completion of assessments
• Marks may be scaled by Unit/Faculty Assessment Committees to ensure fairness; individual ranking unaffected

Summary of Key Deadlines

• 18 Aug: Assessment 1 presentations (in-class)
• 02 Sep: Quiz 1 closes
• 26 Sep: Assessment 2 due
• 07 Oct: Quiz 2 closes
• 24 Oct: Assessment 3 due
• 04 Nov: Quiz 3 closes
• Examinations: 08–15 Nov (check SOLS timetable)

“Take-Away” Strategies for Success

• Watch recorded lecture before each tutorial to maximise discussion value
• Pair up in Week 2; rehearse $3$-minute pitch tightly (time penalty if over-run)
• For Report: adopt stakeholder voice; open with clear Terms of Reference; evidence every claim (≥$6$ sources)
• Design poster with visual hierarchy; limit text to $\approx 500$ words; embed graphs/tables where meaningful; reference in-text with author-date
• Attempt quizzes early within window; quiz questions lock once advanced
• Use GenAI only for brainstorming/drafting after checking task-specific rules; always fact-check & cite prompts if disclosure required
• Maintain $80\%$ tutorial attendance; lodge Academic Consideration immediately if issues arise