The Emerging University 1970-74

I T o w a rd A n Or gan ic Un i ve r s i ty As state d i n th e I n t r oduc t i on , th e conceptio n o f the Un i ver s i t y as a n “ o r g a n i c ” i n s t i t u t i o n rathe r t ha n a n associatio n o f discret e academic unit s becam e a n increasingl y effectiv e gu i d i n g pr i nc i p l e du r i ng th e secon d phas e o f th e developmen t o f Th e Chines e University. App l i ca t i o n o f th e principl e enable s th e Un i ve r s i t y t o reduce o r eliminat e dup l i ca t i on , t o integrat e functions , t o redeplo y people an d funds , an d t h r oug h suc h max imi za t i o n o f resources , t o expand an d enric h th e educationa l programme . Thi s Section , a s the headin g implies , w i l l presen t som e impo r t an t example s o f th e application o f thi s gu i d i n g principl e t o th e organ i za t i o n an d programme operatio n o f th e Un i ver s i t y . Inter- col legiate Courses The " I n t e r -Co l l eg i a t e Course " concep t i s perhap s th e mos t impo r t ant an d far-reachin g exampl e o f th e app l i ca t i o n o f th e “ o r g a n i c” principl e t o th e academi c function s o f th e Un i ver s i t y . A t th e poin t o f th e University' s establishment , th e academi c programmes o f th e thre e Founda t i o n College s wer e ver y simila r and man y course s offere d b y th e i nd i v i dua l College s wer e generall y identical. Th e ter m " I n t e r -Co l l eg i a t e Course " simpl y mean s a single cours e i n a par t i cu l a r subjec t wh i c h i s offere d t o student s f r om al l thre e Colleges . On e cours e replace s three . Th e personne l funds thu s release d ar e availabl e t o ad d neede d subjec t course s o r to b e redeployed i n th e developmen t o f new programmes . S imi l a r l y space an d facilitie s ar e reallocated . Th e “ I n t e r -Co l l eg i a t e Course " enhances th e qua l i t y o f th e instructio n b y mak i n g availabl e t o al l students th e greates t facult y expertis e i n a given subject . The emergin g Universit y i s reflecte d i n th e g r ow t h o f th e Inter-Collegiate Cours e programme . Whe n th e p r og r amm e wa s initiated i n 1964 , ther e wer e seve n Courses . Toda y ther e ar e ove r 400 Inter-Collegiat e Courses . Th e natur e o f thi s g r ow t h ma y b e seen i n th e analysi s give n below , o f th e Inter-Collegiat e Course s offered b y th e thre e Facultie s i n successiv e years. Boards of Studies: New Policies Ano t her impo r t an t exampl e o f th e integratio n o f function s o f the emergin g Un i ver s i t y ma y b e see n i n th e ne w policie s regardin g the organizatio n an d responsibilitie s o f th e Board s o f Studies . Beginning a s onl y a n organizationa l lin k betwee n teachers , th e Boards assume d thei r firs t functiona l rol e i n i n i t i a t i n g an d developing the Inter-Collegiat e Cours e programme . Sinc e 1972 , th e Boards hav e becom e ma j o r academi c an d administrativ e unit s o f 10