ENG-1989 — Page 163

EDUCATION

The polytechnic library has seating capacity for over 1900 readers, as well as special facilities for disabled persons. Its collection has grown to 550 000 items and over 9 000 titles of periodicals. Various kinds of audio-visual materials including 140 000 slides, laser discs, interactive video and computer software are available. Extensive use of CD-ROM databases is made by students and staff. The library is currently replacing its in-house automated system with integrated software.

Situated on a nine-hectare campus which is partly on reclaimed land in Hung Hom, Kowloon, the Hong Kong Polytechnic is still in the midst of an extensive building develop- ment programme which was planned to be completed in the early 1990s.

The Phase IIIA project which was completed in April 1989 houses the directorate and most of the polytechnic's administrative departments as well as teaching and staff accommodation. The project also incorporates the polytechnic's Main Entrance develop- ment and a 250-seat Studio Theatre.

Construction of the Phase IIIB project, which began in April 1988, will provide additional specialist and general teaching accommodation, research space, staff offices, administrative facilities, additional student and staff dining facilities (including a new and enhanced staff club), and a new sports hall. This project is scheduled for completion in mid-1990.

A new major development, the Industrial Centre redevelopment/Phase IVA project, will shortly be underway. When completed in 1991-2, this will provide expanded industrial training facilities for students of both the Hong Kong Polytechnic and the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, plus some additional teaching and research space.

City Polytechnic of Hong Kong

For the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, 1989 was a significant year. Vacating the temporary campus in Mong Kok it moved to its permanent campus, a 12-hectare site in Kowloon Tong. The move, Phase I, has given the polytechnic 64 000 square metres of net floor area. Planning commenced for Phase 2, which is scheduled for completion by 1992 with a net building area of 32 000 square metres. Tat Chee Yuen, the 110-unit senior staff quarters adjacent to the campus, was completed at a cost of $102 million. Architects and consultants were appointed for another senior staff quarters project in Cornwall Street, scheduled to be ready in 1993.

Occupation of the modern, purpose-built campus has enabled the polytechnic to increase its student intake to 4 100. Competition for entry remained extremely keen and the polytechnic, through a joint admission scheme run in conjunction with the Hong Kong Polytechnic, received about 49 000 applications for places on 64 courses in various modes of attendance. At the end of the year the total student population reached about 8 800, about 4800 being on full-time and sandwich mode courses. During the year, the polytechnic agreed to join the introduction of the Joint Admissions Scheme initiated by the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which is due to be introduced from 1990-91 for full-time and sandwich first degree courses, the normal entry requirements for which are A-level. A number of new courses were mounted, notably the Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Electronic Systems Design. In June, the polytechnic submitted to the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee the Statement of Intent for the 1991-4 triennium outlining a list of new courses, new modes of attendance in existing courses, and new options and streams. The Department of Lan- guages was re-organised into two separate Departments - English and Applied Linguistics respectively.

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