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Course Prescription

Explores the physical, social and policy dimensions of coastal management. The nature of coastal environments is a function of physical coastal dynamics, the history of human occupation and utilisation of the coast, and governmental decision making. Discusses shifts in management approaches in the coastal environment, using national and international examples to highlight key coastal management issues.

Course Overview

This course critically explores the physical, social and policy dimensions of coastal management. The coast is the most dynamic landform on earth and global population densities are significantly higher in coastal areas than in non-coastal areas. This combination of dynamic human and physical landscapes, together with uncertainties around future changes in sea level, climate, and socio-economic conditions, poses unique management challenges. The course recognizes that the nature of coastal environments is a function of physical coastal dynamics, the history of human occupation and utilization of the coast, and governmental decision-making. The continued development pressures and competition for coastal space and resources require locally relevant, informed, and implementable management responses. We discuss shifts in management approaches in the coastal environment and consider the relevance of participatory approaches in achieving informed local outcomes. National and international examples are used, from a range of countries, to highlight key coastal management issues. 
A major theme in this course is aware of the lack of rigorous research that has been undertaken to identify/explore the physical, social and economic vulnerability of the New Zealand coast to coastal hazards. As a coastal nation, New Zealand’s population, major infrastructure, and economic activities are located on the coast. Paradoxically, New Zealand has devoted little effort to establish its vulnerability to natural coastal hazards (sea-level change, storms, flooding, and erosion), nor assessed the wider impacts of this vulnerability on society.  Over the next century, sea-level rise, climatic variability, and increasing human occupation and exploitation of the coast (and associated uncertainty) will change the nature of coastal risk and increase the vulnerability of coastal communities. This represents a profound challenge for coastal communities and managers. We explore a range of coastal hazard adaptation approaches to deal with changing coastal hazard risk, from engineered coastal management options, such as sea walls, to managed retreat from the coastal margin.
The skills developed in this course are particularly useful for those wishing to have a career involving any aspect of environmental management, coastal/marine science, or coastal engineering. 

Key Topics

  • Impacts of sea-level rise on coastal hazards
  • Coastal management
  • New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement and Regional Coastal Plans 
  • Mātauranga Māori in coastal management 
  • Coastal management in practice
  • Coastal hazard vulnerability and risk management in NZ and the Pacific 
  • Managing retreat from the coastal margin
  • Soft and hard engineering responses to coastal hazard, including nature-based
  • Dynamic approaches to coastal management  

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 20 hours of lectures, a 2-hour tutorial, 5 hours on a field trip, and 123 hours of reading and thinking about the content and working on assignments.

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled classes to complete components of the course. The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.


Learning Resources

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.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

Reading material relevant to each lecture can be found on Canvas and it is expected that students will read and understand this additional material. Copies of the lecture slides will be made available on Canvas.

Copyright

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.

Health and Safety

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Learning Continuity

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.

Academic Integrity

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.

Disclaimer

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.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Special Requirements

  • A half-day field trip to Orewa Beach accompanies this course. Attendance on the field trip is expected to maximize the benefit of the course. Please get in touch with the course coordinator if you cannot attend.

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

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.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

This course includes guest lecturers from coastal practitioners. Student feedback is consistently positive about these guest lectures. 

Class representatives

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

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.

Additional Information on Tuākana

As part of the University-wide Tuākana community, The School of Environment Tuākana Programme aims to provide a welcoming learning environment for and enhance the success of, all of our Māori and Pacific students. We are led by the principles of tautoko (support) and whanaungatanga (connection) and hope you find a home here at the School. Students who have identified as Māori and/or Pacific will receive an invitation to our online portal introducing the Programme, the resources we have available, and how you can get involved.Māori and Pacific's students are encouraged to contact Sonia Fonua (s.fonua@auckland.ac.nz) for information about the Tuākana programme.

Inclusive Learning

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.

Wellbeing

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.

Special Circumstances

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.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

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.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

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.