ENVENG 200 : Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering
Engineering
2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
- Current global environmental challenges such as climate change, resource depletion and environmental degradation
- The interdisciplinary nature of environmental engineering
- Emerging challenges in environmental engineering
- Drinking water, waste water and stormwater management
- Air quality and noise
- Assessing the environmental impact of engineering projects
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and explain current global challenges related to the environment and the interdisciplinary nature of environmental engineering (Capability 1.1)
- Perform experiments relating to key parameter measurements, and know which tests are appropriate for given environmental parameters (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
- Formulate and solve material mass balance equations related to environmental systems (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
- Demonstrate an understanding of drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater treatment, air quality, noise pollution, and their effects on health (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Demonstrate an understanding of the major principles of environmental impact assessment in New Zealand taking into account social and cultural considerations (Capability 1.1 and 2.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory Reports | 26.67% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| Quizzes | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Assignments | 13.33% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 4 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
| Laboratory Reports | ||||||||||
| Quizzes | ||||||||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
>24 hours but <=48 hours (2 days) 20%
>48 hours but <=72 hours (3 days) 30%
>72 hours but <=96 hours (4 days) 40%
>96 hours but <=168 hours (7 days) 50%
>168 hours (7 days) 100%
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 36 hours of lectures, 12 hours of tutorial, 6 hours of laboratory, 26 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 70 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials and laboratories to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials and labs will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions and tutorials.
The tests will be in-person and invigilated.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes 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.
Health & Safety
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching 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.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Feedback received in 2024 (20% response rate) included the following:
Strengths Highlighted by Students:
• Course Structure: Students appreciated the three separate tests and no final exam, which allowed them to focus on specific topics.
• Labs and Practical Learning: Labs were frequently noted as beneficial for reinforcing lecture content.
• Relevance of Content: Students valued the course’s coverage of contemporary environmental issues.
• Instructor Support: Lecturers were seen as approachable and explanations were clear.
Challenges Identified:
• EIA Project Timing: Many students found the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) project challenging, especially as it coincided with other major assignments and tests towards the semester's end.
• Lab Organization and Guidance: Some students felt the labs were disorganized, particularly the noise and air quality lab. Suggestions included more training for lab assistants and clearer lab instructions.
• Content Volume and Pacing: The large content load, particularly in qualitative sections, was overwhelming for some students, with a request for a more balanced workload distribution across the semester.
• Guest Lectures: Mixed feedback on guest lectures; some students found them beneficial, while others felt they disrupted study flow, especially when close to tests.
Suggestions for Improvement:
• Better Lab Preparation: Students suggested more support for writing lab reports and using tools like Excel.
• Revised Project Scheduling: Shifting the EIA project earlier in the semester to avoid workload conflicts.
• Engagement Activities: Ideas such as using interactive tools (e.g., Kahoot or Mentimeter) to reinforce learning and reduce reliance on slide-heavy lectures.
The teaching team took all the suggestions on board carefully and will make the following updates for 2024:
-Noise and air quality lab will be redesigned
-EIA report will be released earlier
-Tests replaced by module quizzes and a final exam
-Training resources for skills like Excel, report writing, referencing etc. will be be provided in week 1.
-Teaching team will use more engagement tools in lectures as suggested.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations 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. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
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.
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 http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework 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 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
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 your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
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 https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.