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(f)
(g)
(h)
their employment prospects if this rationalisation were to be carried out. The staff in post are not able to provide the range of courses in the Diploma programme and they were in fact written by a very small team.
In general, it is felt that the problems of the Faculty are problems directly related to resources. The lack of money in the library has been mentioned above. The library allocation of HK$12,500 to this area of work is totally inadequate. However, Members would commend the Librarian and the Librarian's colleagues on the care with which the money has been spent.
The equipment for the Secretarial Management Department needs updating and the accommodation is also insufficient for the number of students. The need for computer facilities to be updated and made available for students in all areas is referred to in the sections of this report concerning individual departments.
However, the major problem is the level of staff salaries. Members recognise the deep commitment of many of the current staff to teaching at Baptist College. Nevertheless, they think it is unrealistic to expect bright young staff with family responsibilities to work for the level of salaries which the Baptist College is at present able to offer given the salary structure in the other instititions of higher education in Hong Kong, in commerce and in government. The result of this is that even if staff are recruited they stay for a very short time indeed and it is therefore difficult to build up cohesive teams and difficult to be certain that the standards which Members saw on their visit will be maintained over a period of time.
Whilst there is an undoubted commitment from the older and senior staff, it must be questioned whether their enthusiasm and devotion is always sufficient substitute for the strong academic and managerial leadership required to sustain and develop a programme of higher level studies. Furthermore the relative independence of the four departments who between them employ only 25 full time staff does not assist the best use of scarce resources and the college might well consider a more unified approach to course development in the broad area of business. This could also lead to a systematic staff development programme in the Faculty.