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(b)
"Advice or examples on the organisation of a Polytechnic when the nstitution consists of two or more Colleges?" Mr. Warren suggested that much would depend on the academic range of the institution; would it, for example, range from industrial training to post-graduate work? Also, how many institu- tions would be involved?
Kr. Bailey explained that the Polytechnic would be a federation of the existing Technical College, shorn of its lower-level work, and one new college; it would not include the Morrison Hill Technical Institute nor any artisan or even lower technician work; Morrison Hill, which was mainly a post- primary institution, would deal with the training of craft apprentices in association with industry. The Polytechnic would be essentially a middle-level institution, commercial and technical; it might teach engineering in the first place at C.E.I. Part II level; business studies might lead up to professional status for, e.g. company secretaries and accountants.
As regards organisation and administration, Mr. Warren pointed out that, if the Polytechnic were a government institution, much of the correlation of the two or more constituent colleges could be done by the Education Department, otherwise the Polytechnic would have to have a strong unifying machinery of its Own. The Chairman emphasised the need for organic connections between the colleges; e.g. an element of management training would best be injected in a unitary context. The Kaduna Polytechnic, of which he was a Governor, consisted of two main colleges, one concerned predominantly with engineering and textiles and the other a Staff Development Centre; Federated, they commanded the services of first-class administrators, exercised a single control over student discipline, and enjoyed many other advantages.
The model provided by new polytechnics in the United Kingdom was then considered. It was pointed out that nearly all of these consisted or were to consist of two or more colleges, but each would have a single governing body and a single director. The American practice of having an administrative head as well as an academic head or Dean might be worth considering. It was agreed that the Instruments and Articles establishing some of the new polytechnics should be obtained, and Mr. Tang expressed an interest in visiting two or three at a later date, especially from the point of view of new buildings.
Mr. Bailey said that there was no National Advisory Council on technical education, but there was a Sub-committee on Higher Education. Mr. Warren hoped the authorities would be considering a national council for vocational training and technical education.
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"Given a semi-autonomous unitary institution with a single man in charge, roughly of the calibre and on the salary of a Vice-Chancellor, was any particular difficulty seen in recruiting such a man?" No particular difficulty
was foreseen.
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