TNAG-1072-FCO40-1322-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1981 — Page 41

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4.3

4.3.1

4.3.2

4.3.3

The current computer facilities are wholly

inappropriate and it is necessary virtually to start again following a thorough appraisal; a discussion of the computer needs of the College is covered by Appendix A, section 5.5 and Appendix D/1.

While the building programmes now being undertaken are impressive, they will bring new pressures to bear on the recurrent budget for heat, light, cleaning, maintenance etc. It seems doubtful whether the College is in a position to sustain such pressures without erosion elsewhere; it certainly lives at a level of risk with which CNAA is relatively unfamiliar, such risk appearing to endanger further the academic standards of the coures as slender resources may well be stretched even further than at present.

Academic Structure and Policies

If it is to justify and make the best use of additional resources, Baptist College needs more developed policies and practices in order to provide the institutional support for the teaching programmes. In summary, what is needed is: a means for collective decision taking and accountability at programme level; better and more analytical programme validation, monitoring and evaluation; a policy which facilitates and provides direction and initiative for research and staff development; a policy which encourages more flexible teaching and learning strategies; co-ordination of resource and academic planning; and enhanced links between the staff of other institutions, and with industry.

Thus while CNAA found much to commend in the academic decision making and resource control structures of the College, these are not yet adequate to the scope and level of work in which the College is engaged. Resources have been so slender that there has had to be much tighter resource control from the top and much less involvement of the staff in creating plans matched to resources than is desirable. Staff have become accustomed to suppress the real needs of their courses, and a more open channel of communication through Departmental Boards and the Faculty Boards to the Academic Board is necessary. Academic planning, and its constant updating in the light of resource projections, is of critical importance to the future of the College.

In further amplification of 4.3.2, there are a number of aspects of the terms of reference of the Academic Board and.of the Faculty Boards which have either not been taken up or have been taken up only marginally.