Overview
In this unit you will examine the nature of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) as developed by the International Organisation for Standards and Standards Australia. Topics include: concepts of EMS, ISO 14000 series (including ISO 14001 and ISO 14004), implementing EMSs, risk assessment, auditing and certification, relationships with Environmental Impact Assessment and the concept of continual improvement. You will review case studies focused on the implementation and functioning of environmental management systems in Australia and in other countries. You will use your learned knowledge and skills to develop your own draft environmental management system for a hypothetical or actual organisation.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: Minimum of 24 credit points
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2027
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Academic Progression Policy and Procedure
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student grades and lecturer reflection
Dividing the main written assessment into milestones with formative feedback points improved student performance and engagement.
It is recommended that this milestone structure be retained in future offerings to support student learning.
Feedback from SUTE comments, lecturer reflection
Students indicated that more recorded content would support their learning, with several requesting weekly lecture recordings and additional tutorials to help make the material more accessible and easier to engage with.
It is recommended that the Unit Coordinator provides pre-recorded lectures summarising weekly unit material, supplemented by fortnightly online tutorials to consolidate understanding and address questions.
Feedback from SUTE data and comments
Reducing the number of quizzes from 12 to 3 was well received, leading to higher completion rates and positive feedback on the reduced assessment load. Some students suggested refinements to the wording or structure of certain quiz questions.
It is recommended that the Unit Coordinator retains the structure of 3 quizzes per term and update questions to improve clarity and understanding of expectations.
Feedback from SUTE data and comments, lecturer reflection
Some students commented on the unit content, with a few suggesting the volume of material could be refined, with some requesting more video resources, and others noting that the organisation of content could be improved.
It is recommended that the Unit Coordinator continues to review and update weekly content to ensure it is concise and well-structured, incorporate additional video resources, and reinforce expectations of third-year study to support student understanding and engagement.