GEOG 305 Population, Health & Society Semester 1 2024

1. Course Description

Geographers maintain that the social and the spatial are deeply connected and are embedded in our experience of contemporary society. This course will appeal to both Geography majors and students from a range of other degrees including Health Science. It reviews selected themes in the related fields of population, health and social geography.

The links between these fields are explored with particular reference to New Zealand. The course adopts a critical approach to identify and explain underlying processes and discusses the policies employed to promote or contain the consequences. This course will run in Semester One, 2024.

Lectures are held Wednesdays (12-1pm) and Thursdays (10-11am).

Tutorials will run in Weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 & 11. Check SSO for your stream and location.

2. Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice

Capability 2: Critical Thinking

Capability 3: Solution Seeking

Capability 4: Communication and Engagement

Capability 5: Independence and Integrity

Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

3. Learning Outcomes

1)   Demonstrate a critical understanding of the local experience of population, health and social issues. (Capability 1 and 2)

2)   Describe and critically evaluate one’s own and others’ worldviews, enabling collaborative approaches to health, population and social issues in diverse places and communities.

(Capability 3, 5 and 6)

3)   Demonstrate critical thinking and communication skills in academic writing and tutorial activities. (Capability 1, 2 and 4)

5. Staff expectations for student work and workload

The course is designed to allow students freedom to explore contemporary themes in social geography. A core set of readings is provided accessible under Reading Lists on Canvas. You are expected to read and be able to discuss these in the exam.  Our expectations are that:

i)           Submitted work is your work (with the exception of group submissions);

ii)          Sources of ideas will be appropriately referenced (all ideas must be paraphrased – put in your own words).

The workload model for a course is 150 hours; as a rough guide ten hours a week for 15 weeks. You should note that the University expectation for a third-year course is that you   will devote 10 hours a week to this course. Excluding lectures, you will have at least 7 hours a week where we will expect you to be reading for your lectures and completing your coursework. Assessment due dates are clearly stated in this Guide so please make sure you plan accordingly.

6. Assessment

Coursework constitutes 40% of your final grade and your exam makes up the remaining 60%. The assessed coursework consists of two written assignments. Non-assessed coursework is designed to support your learning and runs within the tutorial programme.

7. Tutorials

While they are not assessed, tutorials will help you to complete your coursework and are an essential part of the course. For this reason, you are expected to attend. Your timetable on SSO will have tutorials scheduled for every week of the semester. Please ignore this. You only have tutorials in Weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 & 11.

It is PREFERABLE you attend your ASSIGNED tutorial stream. Please email Salene for all issues relating to the tutorials.

In some weeks you will be given a small task (e.g., aset reading) to complete prior to your tutorial stream,details about which will be made available on Canvas at a minimum of one   week before your tutorial stream. Completing such tasks prior to tutorial is essential to your participation in the in-class tutorial discussions and will assist you in doing well in your assignment work. Please plan in your workload approximately 2 hours in the week prior to your tutorial to complete this task.

8. Plagiarism

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 his or her learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement  also applies to sources on the world-wide web. A student's assessed work will be reviewed  against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms (i.e., Turnitin, initiated automatically through submission to Canvas). Coursework not submitted to Canvas will NOT be marked.

Do not share electronic copies of your coursework (with the exception of any group submissions for your tutorials). This can enable others to copy your work. If you plagiarise from another person's work (your own, another student or a text), you may fail the assignment. While we always encourage you to paraphrase, if you are copying notes from a source please make the text another colour to be certain that this work is not your own.

When in doubt, always paraphrase, and always acknowledge your sources by citing the   reference. You are also not allowed to "recycle" assignments from other courses.  Talk to Salene if you are in any doubt about these issues.

The guidelines on Conduct of Coursework and cheating are set out in full on the Teaching and Learning website at

http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/about/teaching-learning/honesty. Any additional

concerns about appropriately sourcing your work, please visit http://www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/ .

ChatGPT Policy: The use of this tool is not permitted within this course.

9. Deadlines for coursework

The submission dates and times for coursework are ordinarily non-negotiable. In general, students may apply for an extension in instances of medical, psychological or social emergency, or family bereavement. Extensions may also be possible if, for example, you or a family member falls ill, or some other circumstance beyond your control prevents you from completing your work. If you think you have grounds for an extension, or are unsure, please  contact Salene.

Late submission of coursework is possible without an extension, so long as you are ready to accept a penalty by losing marks. Late penalties help ensure fairness, otherwise some students would have more time to complete work than others.

You are strongly encouraged to contact us to talk about your options. Communication is everything - stay in touch to receive support and complete the course.

Those students who are not granted an extension should expect the following penalties will apply to late tutorial coursework:

●    1 day late = 15% penalty

●   2 days late = 20% penalty

●   3 days late = 25% penalty

●   4 days late = 30% penalty

●   5 days late = 35% penalty

●   6 or more days late (work will not be marked)

●   (weekends and public holidays are not included in the lateness penalty)

10. Inclusive learning

Please feel welcome to privately report to Salene any impairment-related requirements

face-to-face and/or in written form and she will assist you appropriately. Please also

communicate with Salene if you are experiencing any issue that hinders your ability to

participate in the course and complete coursework. Please see further course information on inclusive learning on the Canvas Syllabus page.