Course learning objectives
Students who pass this course will be able to:
Compare and contrast different ways diverse forms of knowledge operate within social policy
Critique diverse critical theories within social policy debates
Build critical skills for policy analysis
Available offerings
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Offering CRN 35075
This course outline is final and archived.
Duration
10 July 2023 - 5 November 2023
Starts
Trimester 2
Campus
Kelburn
Lecture start times
Tuesday - 13:10, 13:10
People
Lecturers
Lecturers

Dr Jennifer de Saxe
Coordinator
- jennifer.desaxe@vuw.ac.nz
- MY 1006 Murphy Building, 21D Kelburn Parade, Kelburn
Administrators

Office hours
By appointment.
Schedule
Teaching plan
Timeline
- 10 July 2023
- Course begins
- 10 July 2023 to 13 October 2023
- Teaching
- 21 August 2023 to 3 September 2023
- Break
- 16 October 2023 to 19 October 2023
- Study period
- 20 October 2023 to 4 November 2023
- Exam period
- 5 November 2023
- Course ends
Timetable
10 July 2023 - 20 August 2023
Tuesday
- 13:10 - 15:00 – LT206, Easterfield, Kelburn
4 September 2023 - 15 October 2023
Tuesday
- 13:10 - 15:00 – LT206, Easterfield, Kelburn
Teaching format
This course will be taught face-to-face through a weekly two-hour lecture and four optional tutorials. This course will be delivered primarily on campus, with online accessibility. Most students will attend on campus.
Workload
The expectations are that students will work 10 hours per point, therefore a 20-point course equates to 200 hours over the trimester. This includes scheduled contact time, individual or group study, and work on assessment tasks.
Additional classes
As well as a weekly one hour 50 minute lecture there will be four optional tutorials. These will start in week 2 and run every three weeks.
Texts
Required
Readings will be provided on Nuku, the online learning environment.
There are no required texts for this offering.
Recommended
Required materials and equipment
Assessment
This course is 100% internally assessed.
Weekly in-class reflections (100 words; students choose 10 out of 12)
Due: At the end of each lecture
CLO:
- 1,
- 2,
Mark: 10%
Essay 1 (2,800 words)
Due: Saturday 5th August 2023
CLO:
- 1,
- 2,
Mark: 45%
Essay 2 (2,800 words)
Due: Tuesday 10th October 2023
CLO:
- 1,
- 2,
- 3,
Mark: 45%
Mandatory requirements
There are no mandatory course requirements for this course.
If you believe that exceptional circumstances may prevent you from meeting the mandatory course requirements, contact the Course Coordinator for advice as soon as possible.
Marking criteria
Assessment criteria will be available on Nuku, the online learning platform.
Work submission
TURNITIN only
- You must submit an electronic copy to the Turnitin link on Blackboard by 9:30pm on the due date.
- The date and time on Turnitin is taken as the date and time of submission.
Students must keep a copy of each assignment.
Assignments will be marked online.
Students can expect their marked work to be available within approximately 3 weeks of their submission date.
Extension
Assessment items are due on the dates stated. If for some serious reason you don’t think you can get an assessment in on time, see your course coordinator prior to the due date and discuss the problem.
Penalties
Late submissions for student assignments in all Sociology and Social Policy undergraduate courses are subject to a penalty. The exact deduction will be calculated on the basis of one half mark per day late for each 10 marks, i.e. 1 mark will be deducted each day for an assignment worth 20% of the total course mark.
Note: assessment work will not be accepted for marking more than 7 days after the due date or 7 days after an approved extension date. Work must still, however, be submitted to meet the mandatory course requirements.
You are advised to always keep a copy of any work you submit for assessment.
Communication and additional information
Additional information will be communicated in lectures and on Nuku, the online learning platform. You will automatically receive all Nuku, the online learning platform announcements as an email sent to your @myvuw.ac.nz email address. If you are not going to use this Victoria email address set up for you, we strongly encourage you to set a forward from the Victoria email system to the email address you do use.
Student feedback
SPOL 316 is a new course in 2023. Feedback will be sought at the end of the course, and enhancements based on this feedback will be made.
You can view Student course feedback collected for the University courses from the last completed trimester for which feedback was collected
Class representative
The class representative provides a useful way to communicate feedback to the teaching staff during the course. They also work with the VUWSA Education Office on any academic issues that arise in their course. Reps are elected by students by the third week of classes every trimester. Being a rep requires a weekly commitment.
The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington values te reo Māori. Students who wish to submit any of their assessments in te reo Māori must refer to The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy - PDF 134kb
He mea nui te reo Māori ki Te Herenga Waka. Ki te pīrangi koe ki te tuhituhi i ō aro matawai i roto i te reo Māori, tēnā me mātua whakapā atu ki te kaupapa here, The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy - PDF 134kb
Course additions and withdrawals
If you want to add or drop a course you need to make sure you follow the correct process.
Important information
Keep your uni experience running smoothly—find out how to manage your studies from enrolment through to graduation.
Find out more:
- Enrolment and course advice
- Student conduct and feedback
- Examinations and assessments