A New Era Begins 1975-78

In concluding this particular discussion, the Report takes note of the increasing costs of higher education and the consequent need to make the most efficient use of resources. The University must be able to present to the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee a clear list o f priorities. In order to do this, the University cannot “allow separate power-centres to coexist", but must have "the most effective constitutional arrangements to enable it to meet successive quadrennial challenges and the legitimate claims of potential private donors". Thus in considering the problems o f the institutional implementation o f the two major recommendations of the Working Party, the Fulton Commission reached the conclusion that fundamental statutory changes must be made and new constitutional arrangements devised, in order to enable The Chinese University to continue to develop as a university. The Future Role of the Colleges These historic conclusions obviously raised a consequent problem regarding the future role of the Colleges within the University. The Commission addresses itself at some length to this question in Section I I I of its Report. Since the position taken by the Commission on this question is specifically discussed in Section IV of this Report, only summary comments will be included here. As a basis for establishing a role for the Colleges, the Commission presents a learned and eloquent exposition of a philosophy of undergraduate education which posits two distinct kinds of teaching in the total educational process—— "subject-orientated" and “student-orientated”. The University Boards of Studies are obviously responsible for formal study of their respective disciplines. The Colleges, it will be seen, should have primary responsibility for "student-orientated" teaching. The personal and institutional implications of this dichotomy are analysed in detail and wi th great insight into the nature of student development at the undergraduate level. In sum, a concept o f total education is to be established, involving a complementary relationship between the formal learning provided by the University departments and the informal learning sponsored by the Colleges. The last Section of the Report of the Fulton Commission is concerned with the future structure and organization of the University. The Commission's conclusions and recommendations on this matter are set forth in Section I I I. 22