Vice-Chancellor's Report 1990-93

in respect of leave administration and academic exchange activities. To support such a change, previous budgeting and planning arrangements have been reorganized. A Resource Allocation Committee was set up in 1993 to take over the task o f allocating University resources from the Budget Committee and to help consolidate and streamline the budget development and planning procedures with direct input from the faculties and other University units. An Internal Audit Unit which reports directly to the vice- chancellor w i ll soon be set up to examine and evaluate systematically the adequacy and effectiveness of the University's internal control mechanism and the quality o f performance of various units. Administrative Restructuring Other central administrative units have also be realigned. With effect from 1992-93, the Personnel Office has become an independent administrative unit under a Director o f Personnel, to be fully responsible for personnel administration and related matters. From March 1993, a Director o f Administrative Services has been appointed to provide overall supervision to various service units (e.g. the Security Unit and the University Guesthouse System) with a view to enhancing the efficiency o f their service- delivery functions. The current incumbent is concurrently head of the Alumni Affairs Office. W i t h the reassignment o f certain administrative duties to other offices, the University Secretariat concentrates more on such functions as secretariat services to the Council and other policy committees, handling of statutory and policy matters, University records and official publications, ceremonial and protocol arrangements, i n f o rma t i on services, and fund-raising for the University. The University has launched more active and better coordinated fund-raising programmes in recent years, and the 30th anniversary of the University has given momentum to such activities. Special efforts have been made to set up endowment and special-purpose funds to support major research and development initiatives, and to target a wider spectrum of potential donors including the alumni of the University. The Council has also indicated a firm commitment to help the University raise funds and strengthen its relations with existing and potential donors. A Committee on Donations with the Treasurer of the University as convener was appointed by the Council in March 1993 to oversee related matters. Entering its fourth decade and planning into the next century, the University is actively seeking support for the following projects: (a) the fifth college with facilities for graduate/research students and other research personnel; (b) the Institute of Mathematical Sciences; (c) a proposed research centre for architecture; (d) collaboration between the art galleries of Yale University and this university; (e) an alumni fund to support both alumni and student activities; (f) funds to support new initiatives in industrial and business development based on R&D work of the University; 25