Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Efficient asset management can result in significant cost benefits to both the owner and the occupier of the property. Over the past ten years, there has been a growing property industry awareness of the need to develop reliable, accurate and professional property management systems and analysis tools to ensure that property occupation costs are minimised, and space allocations are maximised in accordance with the short, medium and long term business goals of the organisation or company. These principles apply equally for public and private property requirements.

The focus of the unit is to provide a good grounding in real Estate Agency practice and Marketing, as it applies to the diverse real estate property sectors.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to develop your understanding of the role, responsibilities and ethical and professional practice in relation to the management and strategic analysis of property and assets in the public and private sectors.

Objectives

Upon completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. Develop a sound technical and legal knowledge in relation to the physical management of commercial, retail and industrial property.
2. Demonstrate the development of your skills and knowledge of the economic, managerial, legal and technical aspects of property and asset management
3. Develop your ability to define problems and identify, evaluate, select and apply property management specific problem-solving skills and techniques in the management, use and development of property assets.
4. Understand the development of commercial awareness and judgement, in relation to the financial, management and contractual aspects of property and its related disciplines.
5. Be aware of the need for a sense of community and professional responsibility, including an awareness of the effect of sustainable development, business ethics, codes of practice, cultural and historical influences on property industry activities.

Content

This unit will cover the following topics:

1. Real Estate Agency management techniques required to operate a successful commercial real estate leasing portfolio
2. Consumer and business ethics are incorporated throughout the program with particular emphasis on the Queensland 'Code of Conduct' under the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act, Australian Consumer Law, Retail Shop Leases Act and ACCC requirements in relation to commercial and industrial property management.
3. Strategic management of real estate assets, from both an owned and leased perspective.
4. Current practice in respect to Corporate Real Estate and Asset Management (CREAM) with particular emphasis on methods, types and benchmarking.
5. Sustainability initiatives in the commercial building sector.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Teaching Mode:
Lectures: 3 hours

Your learning will be facilitated through the use of lectures, case studies, team and individual assessments and directed market research. A field trip will be included as the basis for an assessment task

Assessment

QUT's Assessment Policy is located at MOPP C/5.1.

General
This unit will involve lectures, workshops, site visit/s and directed private study. Lectures (Three hours/week) will convey the essential theoretical background to the unit. In-class workshops will help you understand and apply the key concepts via more problem-solving based application. You will also be expected to undertake directed private study and read the relevant sections of the recommended readings to supplement the lectures and tutorials.

Lectures
Weekly lectures will be the primary method of teaching for this unit. Lecture material will generally be available for you to download from the Blackboard site each week. You may also be expected to complete required reading prior to lectures. During the lecture, we will work through the lecture material covering the important aspects of each week's work including both theory and practical aspects. A field trip may be included as the basis for an assessment task.This unit will comprise both formative and summative approaches to assessment involving a mix of formats including both oral and written feedback.

The Lecturer will give general verbal feedback of student assessments during lectures and in-class workshops. More specific feedback for work completed will be achieved primarily via Criterion Referenced Assessment (CRA) forms incorporating written comments.

Assessment name: Assignment Part A
Description: Industry standard market analysis and interpretation report.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7

Assessment name: Assignment Part B
Description: Industry standard property and asset management report, with strategic property and CREAM focus.
Relates to objectives: 3, 4
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 11

Assessment name: Examination (written)
Description: A 2 hour exam will test for your skills and knowledge over all the topics covered during the semester.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Exam Period

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

Required Texts
There is no required text for this unit.

Recommended Texts
Recommended texts will be available from the Week One Unit Information handout.

References
Required readings will be posted on the unit Blackboard site during the semester.

Referencing & Assignment Writing
QUT cite|write is a set of resources to assist the development of citing, referencing and academic writing skills. The resource consists of two booklets (available from the QUT Bookshop) and a number of print-on-demand style guides and writing guides, located on website http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/.

Guides to assignment writing - Learn how to write in specific formats such as a literature review, annotated bibliography or thesis. Refer website located at http://www.library.qut.edu.au/learn/learnhow/ for information on Evaluating information, Writing a literature review, Writing a research proposal, Writing an annotated bibliography, Writing research reports and research papers, Writing theses and dissertations, Academic Honesty - How to Avoid Plagiarism, and Research methodologies.

If you have questions about doing an assignment, ask at the Library Help Desks, in person, by phone, email, web chat, and SMS.

Other Resources
1. You are required to visit and use the Unit Blackboard site: https://blackboard.qut.edu.au/ throughout the semester for access to: lecture material, assessment details, additional readings, announcements and other unit information that may be posted from time to time.

2. Students need to have a financial calculator for this unit. Recommended is the Sharp EL-735s financial calculator, which is available from the QUT Book Shop and other general retailers.

3. Students are expected to have intermediate excel skills to succeed in this unit. QUT offers FREE Online IT Training Service available to all staff and students, and all you require is your QUT Access Username and Password. For more information on the Online IT Training please see the following link:
http://www.itsg.qut.edu.au/students/gethelp/ittraining.jsp or
http://www.itservices.qut.edu.au/assistance/training/onlinetrain/

Additional Costs:
There are no additional costs associated with this unit.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes.

This unit may involve one field trip. You will be fully advised on relevant risk management issues prior to the site visit.

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: 18-Jun-2012