Annual Report 1995-96

Vice-Chancellor's Review A bilingual, bicultural and comprehensive institution of higher learning, The Chinese Un i v e r s i ty of H o n g K o n g has c on t i nued to a i m at excellence i n its v a r i ous pu r s u i ts i n 1995-96. Quality Teaching and Learning Quality teaching and learning constitutes a major aspect of the University's ques t for excellence. Well-defined teaching staff recruitment a nd assessment procedures are i n place to ensure staff quality and w i l l be r e v i ewed f r om time to time. Teachers are encouraged to seek peer support i n teaching. I n time, this may lead to the use of peer r e v i ew for assessment. An o t h er i mp o r t a nt mechanism to ensure qua l i ty lies i n the University's external and visiting examiner systems, fo r these e x am i ne rs can p r o v i de expert ad v i ce on the d e s i gn a n d i mp r o v eme nt of the academic curricula. The setting u p of t he T e a c h i n g D e v e l o p m e nt U n i t a n d a Ta sk Fo r ce o n Tea c h i ng a nd L e a r n i ng Qu a l i ty are also concrete steps to safeguard quality i n teaching and learning. M o r e r e c e n t l y, e f f o r ts h a ve been m a d e to f u r t h e r i mp r o ve the process of student course evaluation, w h i c h has been ma de a c omp u l s o r y exercise since 1993-94. A thorough review of the evaluation policy and its implementation i n 1994-95 resulted i n a n ew set of evaluation guidelines w h i c h came into effect i n 1995- 96. I n the same year, course e v a l u a t i on result s started to be used i n the Un i v e r s i t y 's appraisal of its teaching staff for substantiation and p r omo t i on purposes. A Teaching and Learning Quality Process Review conducted b y th e University Grants Comm i t t ee i n January 1996 f o u n d substantial evidenc e that The Chinese Un i v e r s i ty ha s a l wa ys s t r i v en to n u r t u re a c u l t u re of q u a l i ty teaching a nd to create an e n v i r o nme nt conducive t o quality learning. ExcellentResearch Performance The Un i v e r s i ty f u l ly realizes that t h r o u gh research n ew k n ow l e d ge w i l l be created b o th for its o w n sake and to enrich teachin g a nd learning. I n 1995-96 staff members of this u n i v e r s i ty have again been extremely successful i n b i d d i ng for ea rma r ked grants f r om the H o n g K o ng Research Grants Counci l (RGC), the largest research f u n d i ng source i n the territory. We have ma i n t a i ned our lead i n h a v i ng the highest c umu l a t i ve n umb er of projects rate d 'excellent' b y the RGC since its inception 一 12 out of a total 27 f r om all t e r t i a ry i n s t i t u t i on s. Bo t h the amo u nt a w a r d ed a nd the n umb er of research projects Vice-Chance1lor's Review 校長報告 3