Units
The Environment and the Quantity Surveyor
Unit code: UDB216
Contact hours: 3 per week
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
This unit will involve professional quantity surveying including image and status, fees, codes of ethics, professional competence and continuing professional development. In terms of employment, professional engagement in the workplace will be covered including terms of engagement, professional indemnity insurance, quality assurance and financial asset management. The work of quantity surveying takes place within a social and environmental context and this relates to the interactions between business and environmental interests including the natural environment, environment economics and ecologically sustainable development.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 1 | Yes |
Offered in these courses
- UD40
Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
As a Quantity Surveyor, it is important for you to be aware of changes in the business environment, built environment and natural environment. Mindful of these external influences, it is important that you become comfortable with the need to continuously explore recent and likely future developments in quantity surveying. This unit occurs in the second year of your course once you have gained a basic understanding of construction activity.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to introduce you to various non-traditional quantity surveying activities and help you develop a wide range of generic capabilities which are specified in 'Learning Outcomes'.
Objectives
By the completion of this unit you should be able to demonstrate the following discipline specific capabilities at sub-professional level:
1. Understand the basic concepts and principles of business strategy and implementation as it applies to quantity surveying, along with its selective choice/deployment relating to project and facility management, and ecologically sustainable development;
2. Select and apply simple principles concerning asset financial management;
3. Understand the range and competing choices of commercial techniques and their imperative in construction activity; and
4. Understand the value of good business ethics.
Content
This unit focuses on three broad areas of professional Quantity Surveying. Firstly given that Quantity Surveyors are professionals some content will cover what it means to be a professional, image and status, fees, codes of ethics, professional competence and continuing professional development. Secondly as professionals, Quantity Surveyors are employed by organisations and businesses so the second area of content relates to the ways in which professionals engage with a workplace including terms of engagement, professional indemnity insurance, quality assurance and financial asset management. Finally the work of quantity surveying takes place within a social and environmental context and the final area of content will relate to the interactions between business and environmental interests including the natural environment, environment economics and ecologically sustainable development.
This unit also covers the following topics: Future market for quantity surveying, education and training of quantity surveyors, asset financial management, ecologically sustainable development (ESD), facility management, integrated QS services, etc.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
Teaching Mode: Hours per week:
Lecture: 3
Learning Approaches:
This unit will involve lectures to introduce general principles, including guest lectures (given the breadth and currency of the content to be covered). You will also be given the opportunity to discuss current issues and scenarios within small groups to help with communication skills. Individual/group presentations will also contribute to developing these generic skills. In total, contact time is normally 3 hours/week. The on-line teaching site will enable you to undertake on-line chat sessions and submit questions to the coordinator and guest lecturers. You will be required to undertake directed private study.
Assessment
The assessment for this unit follows the assessment policy stated in the Manual of Polices and Procedures, section 5.1.1
Assessment name:
Essay
Description:
An essay style response in the order of 2000 to 3000 words is required.
Relates to objectives:
1.Understand the basic concepts and principles of business strategy and implementation as it applies to quantity surveying, along with its selective choice/deployment relating to project and facility management, and ecologically sustainable development;
2.Select and apply simple principles concerning asset financial management;
3.Understand the range and competing choices of commercial techniques and their imperative in construction activity; and
4.Understand the appropriateness of value of good business ethics.
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 8
Assessment name:
Literature Review
Description:
Literature Review and Presentation
You are required to (a) select an article of interest and critically review its aims and objectives, methodology, methods, general content, conclusions/recommendations, and (b) present a succinct explanation of your selected article and your critical review (either linear or parallel).
Relates to objectives:
1.Understand the basic concepts and principles of business strategy and implementation as it applies to quantity surveying, along with its selective choice/deployment relating to project and facility management, and ecologically sustainable development;
2.Select and apply simple principles concerning asset financial management;
3.Understand the range and competing choices of commercial techniques and their imperative in construction activity; and
4.Understand the appropriateness of value of good business ethics.
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 13
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
We recommend you to have your own copy of the following:
Type: Book
Author: Langston, C.L.
Title: Sustainable practices: ESD and the construction industry
Year: Publisher: 1997: Sydney, Envirobook
The following are recommended for you to use:
Type: Book
Author: Langford, D. and Male, S.
Title: Strategic management in construction
Year: Publisher: 2001: Malden, MA: Blackwell Science.
Type: Book
Author: Ashworth, A. and Hogg, K.
Title: Willis Practice and procedure for the quantity surveyor
Year: Publisher: 2002: Blackwell Scientific Publications
Type: Reference Manual
Author: AIQS
Title: Competency standards for quantity surveyors - Construction economists
Year: Publisher: 1997: AIQS
Type: Reference Manual
Author: AIQS
Title: Life cycle costing, Vol. 3
Year: Publisher: 2003: AIQS
Type: Reference Manual
Author: AIQS
Title: Evaluation of sustainable development, Vol. 4
Year: Publisher: 2003: AIQS
Risk assessment statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.
Additional Costs
You should allow for costs involved in downloading materials from the unit's Blackboard site and any photocopying of resources (where appropriate).
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 19-Oct-2012
