Course syllabus

Talofa lava, Mālo e lelei, Kia orana, Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu and warm Pacific greetings!

Welcome to PACIFIC 702 - TOPICS IN PACIFIC RESEARCH, 2019 Semester 1

 

This course aims to look at the critical approaches to Pacific research development and evaluation of research design in Pacific Studies, including application of theory to research questions and developing a proposal for research which will be drawn from a wide range of topics contained within: Pacific world views and epistemologies, Pacific research methodologies, quantitative and qualitative paradigms.

 

Pacific Studies
Pacific Studies is the University of Auckland’s focal point for researching and teaching the Pacific. We coordinate and organise the University’s scholarly engagement with the Pacific, as well as its engagement with Pacific peoples across the moana.

 

Course Director Dr Jemaima Tiatia-Seath j.tiatia-seath@auckland.ac.nz Office hours: By appointment Office location: (273-103B)

Jemaima Tiatia-Seath is Co-Head of School, Te Wānanga o Waipapa, School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies, University of Auckland. She is of Samoan descent and has a community/public health background. Her research interests include: mental health, Pacific suicide prevention and postvention, youth development, Pacific health and wellbeing and health inequities.

Course Co-ordinator Sarah McLean sarah.mclean@auckland.ac.nz  Office hours: Monday by appointment Office location: (273-102M)

Sarah McLean-Orsborn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Pacific Studies, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Criminology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences. She is currently awaiting the results from her Masters of Arts which explored service providers perspectives of young Samoan females with depression.  Sarah also works for a national Pacific health and social services NGO as their business management coordinator.

 

Lecture Details:

Mondays, 1-3 pm, 206-213

 

Course Aims and Objectives: 

To develop the ability to critically evaluate Pacific focused research, and enabling students to form a basis for designing and conducting their own Pacific-centric studies.

 

Learning Objectives: 

1. To apply Pacific focused methodologies, epistemologies; initiatives, theories and models to Pacific research;
2. To identify the complexities, uniqueness, diversities, strengths and challenges in conducting Pacific research and providing a detailed account and critical overview around these;
3. To identify effective, relevant and culturally appropriate ways of working with Pacific communities in research; and
4. Preparing students for higher levels of postgraduate study.

 

 Course Readings: 

A series of introductory readings will be provided along with additional material as is required, and all accessible here. Students should make use of electronic and library resources and seek assistance when required from library support service (a core component of this course is learning to search databases and literature appropriately). Critical discussions around these readings will be undertaken in the second part of the 2-hour teaching slot. 

 

Course Assessments: 

This course comprises 100% coursework with the following allocations

 

Coursework	Allocation
Literature Review	40%
Methods Critical Review	30%
Oral Presentation and Report	30%

 

Lecture Schedule 

Lecture/Date		Topic	Lecturer
Lecture 1 - Mon 04 Mar		Course Overview and Introduction What is Pacific Research?	Tiatia-Seath
Lecture 2 - Mon 11 Mar		Pacific Trailblazers	Tiatia-Seath
Lecture 3 - Mon 18 Mar		Indigenous Research	Nikora
Lecture 4 - Mon 25 Mar		Iwi Engagement a Case Study	Parkinson
Lecture 5 - Mon 01 Apr		Conducting a Literature Review (assignment 1)   Pacific Research Methods (assignment 2)	Tiatia-Seath
Lecture 6 - Mon 08 Apr		Insider/Outsider Research	McLean-Orsborn
Easter/Mid-Semester Break: Mon 15 April-Sun 28 April
Lecture 7 - Mon 29 Apr		Assignment Prep	McLean-Orsborn
Lecture 8 - Mon 06 May		Quantitative Methods	Manuela
Lecture 9 - Mon 13 May		Archival Research	Salesa
Lecture 10 - Mon 20 May		Community Engagement & Ethics	Tiatia-Seath
Lecture 10 - Mon 27 May		Student Presentations   Course Wrap-up	All   Tiatia-Seath
NO LECTURE PUBLIC HOLIDAY: Queen's Birthday 3 June

As postgraduate students you need to be up to date with the current scholarship in our discipline. Current issues of scholarly journals such as The Journal of the Polynesian Society, The Contemporary Pacific, Oceania and Asia Pacific Viewpoint are available to you online via title searches in our UOA Library website: http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/

 

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by a deduction of marks.

 

LATE SUBMISSIONS AND EXTENSIONS POLICY

 

Deadlines for essays and assignments, and set times for test taking and presentations, are strictly observed in Pacific Studies.  This policy is to ensure fairness among students, and to promote key learning skills such as preparation, planning and timeliness.

 

Coursework

All late work and missed tests will be subject to a penalty.  An extension of time will be given only for illness or compassionate grounds. You must supply documentation (eg, doctor’s certificate or letter from the counsellor). Criteria for approval of late submission reflect the criteria for aegrotat and compassionate pass consideration in final examinations. You must apply for an extension of time before the due date either by emailing your request and reasons to your tutor.  Retrospective approval will be given only in exceptional circumstances.

You can apply for an aegrotat or compassionate consideration in coursework by completing and submitting an AS-46.

 

Referencing

Ensure APA style referencing is used for assignments. Click on the following link to access an APA guide:

https://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/subject-guides/edu/docs/APAbooklet.pdf

  

Student Health and Counselling

Student Health and Counselling Services is able to certify both compassionate and medical issues.  These services are confidential and also provide support and expertise that your lecturers and tutors are unable to. They can be found at Kate Edger Information Commons and are open from 8.30am to 6pm (Monday to Thursday), 8.30am to 5pm (Friday).  Phone: 923-7681.  Doctor’s visits are $12. Visits to the counsellor are free.

 

The Pasifika Counsellor is:

Sarah Va’afusuaga McRobie

Level 3, Kate Edger Information Commons

2 Alfred Street

City Campus

Standard hours: 8.30am to 6pm (Monday to Thursday), 8.30am to 5pm (Friday)

Phone: +64 9 923 7681

Please note that appointments are required for counselling at all campuses.

 

 

PENALTIES 

All late essays, assessments or missed tests that do not have certificates of the appropriate medical or compassionate grounds, will be subject to penalty. In Pacific Studies courses, the following schedule of penalties will apply.

1. Work handed in after the due time, but not more than 24 hours late, will incur a penalty of one-third of a full letter grade. (For example an essay graded as an A- will become a B+; a C+ essay will be graded as a C)
2. Work handed in more than 24 hours late, but not more than 7 days late, will be penalized an additional one-third of a full letter grade. (For example an A- essay will be graded as a B; a B essay will be graded as a C+)
3. Essays handed in between 7 and 14 days late will be penalized by a further one-third of a full letter grade. (For example an A- essay will be graded as B-; a C+ essay will be graded as a D+).
4. No essays will be accepted more than two weeks after the assigned date unless an extension has been granted for medical or compassionate grounds.

All late work should be submitted through Canvas.

 

Acadmic Misconduct

The University’s Statement on 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 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 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. For more detailed information, see the University’s guidelines at 

http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/about/teaching-learning/policies-procedures.

_______________________________________________________________

 

Pacific Studies:

Pacific Studies is the University of Auckland’s focal point for researching and teaching the Pacific. We coordinate and organise the University’s scholarly engagement with the Pacific, as well as its engagement with Pacific peoples in New Zealand.

Our Fale Pasifika is the symbol of our identity as Pacific students and staff of the University of Auckland.

It is our home for ceremonies, a place for dialogue, for teaching and learning about the islands of the Pacific. It is also the second largest structure of its kind in the world, and is part of the wider Centre for Pacific Studies.