EDUCATION
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Construction of the whole of Phase 1 of the campus was progressing on schedule and is expected to be completed by October 1989. When completed, the permanent campus will give the polytechnic a firm base for its future development, particularly in allowing a wider scope to plan courses that require substantial laboratory resources.
The polytechnic continued to put an appropriate emphasis on research. During the year, regulations on research degrees were promulgated and in July an additional associate director's post responsible for research and development was filled. With the approval of the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee, the polytechnic introduced in October a small number of candidatures for the degree of Master of Philosophy, thereby heralding in an era of research work and advanced studies which will give the polytechnic a better balanced academic profile.
Another major institution-wide effort was the review of the polytechnic's academic structure as a result of the rapid build-up in student population and increasing diversity of levels of course on offer in the coming years. The review, under the supervision of the Academic Board, proposed the establishment of three faculties to co-ordinate and monitor the courses and academic support facilities which fall within the areas of competence of each.
Hong Kong Baptist College
During the year, the Hong Kong Baptist College reached another milestone in the development of its academic programmes: the successful mounting of the degree course BA(Hons) with majors in Chinese, English, Geography, History and Religious Studies.
The BA(Hons) is the latest addition to the college's four existing degree courses: BSc(Hons) in Combined Sciences, BSW in Social Work, BBA(Hons) in Business Adminis- tration,-and BSocSc(Hons) in Communication. The two remaining departments (Music and Sociology) which currently offer honours diploma courses are expected to mount degree courses in 1989–90. In addition, the college continues to offer a two-year post- advanced level diploma course in computing through its Computing Studies Department.
Founded in 1956, the college has been fully funded by the government since 1983. It is now a fully autonomous institution and is governed by its own ordinance. Its statutory governing bodies, the Board of Governors and the Council, are composed predominantly of members independently appointed by the Governor from sectors of commerce, industry and education, together with members nominated by the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong.
The college aims to educate students to become well-balanced in academic achievement, professional competence and character development. Each course is therefore designed to be broad-based and comprises two essential components - liberal education and vocational preparation. Development of communication skills is also emphasised. The college also aims to launch new degree courses in areas that will meet the needs of the community. All its degree courses are academically accredited by the UK Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA), and external examiners are appointed to all courses to ensure mainten- ance of academic standards. A proposed degree course in China Studies which involves interdisciplinary studies in Economics, Geography, History and Sociology, recently under- went accreditation by a CNAA visiting team in November 1988 and is targeted to start in September 1989. Other new degree courses are being planned and it is expected that by 1990-1 the college will have 3 000 students all enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate
courses.
Courses are currently offered through 20 departments grouped under three faculties and one school. They are: the Faculty of Arts (Departments of Chinese Language and