Annual Report 2003–04

法律學院的具體籌備工作，由執業資深大律師兼 中大校董梁定邦博士任主席的籌劃委員會負責。 而一直大力支持本校發展的前校董會主席利國偉 博士和資深司法界人士李福善博士，更慷慨捐資 設立兩個法律學講座敎授席。籌備中的法律學院 亦得到資深大律師陳志海先生慷慨捐款，以及關 袓堯律師事務所與執業律師徐嘉儉先生贈送法律 藏書。已故關袓堯博士是中大的創校校董會主 席。大學對他們的鼎助，深切感念。 同心協力 化危為機 法律學院得以成立，我真的很高興，但這兩年校 長任期其實是挑戰重重。 由於香港特別行政區政府出現巨大財政赤字，政 府及有關界別均需面對這個嚴峻局面，共同承擔 財赤；而大學作為香港敎育界的主要成員，不能 也不應置身事外。中大單於二零零四至二零零五 年度便須削減全校總經費百分之十二點三，約為 三億八千萬元。為應付這個前所未遇的龐大削 資，我們推出一系列開源節流措施，並且重組課 程和學系，以期維持大學長遠發展的實力和敎硏 素質，並盡量不裁員。 二零零三年底政府宣布削資後，我們舉行了多個 簡布會，並向敎職員展開諮詢。經過不同形式的 溝通和諮詢會，以及與敎職員協會緊密聯絡，大 學認真考慮及採納了員工提出的意見。節流方案 經適當修訂之後，獲校董會通過，於二零零四年 四月正式實施。 另一方面，校方根據大學的使命、收生素質、規 模及歷史等準則，嚴謹地檢討所有學系及課程， 評估所需的變動，以期在資助削減下中大仍能變 得更好更強。重組無疑有助大學面對財政資助的 削減，但更重要的是，重組為大學帶來一個為長 期發展而重新分配資源的機會。 Budget cut briefing session in December 2003 After the funding cuts were announced by the government at the end of 2003, the University held many discussions and briefing sessions with teaching and non-teaching units and conducted extensive consultations through a variety of channels. Close liaison with the staff associations was also maintained and suggestions put forward by them were seriously considered and adopted. Cost-saving measures were then drawn up and approved by the University Council for implementation in April 2004. Meantime the University undertook to focus resources on areas where our strengths meet opportunity and demand by restructuring certain programmes and departments. It critically reviewed its position and assessed the changes needed to come out of the funding reduction better and stronger, before finally coming up with a proposal for the restructuring of academic departments and programmes. The criteria for restructuring included whether the target was core to the University's mission of being a world-class comprehensive university, the feasibility of student deployment, and whether the size of the target could be maintained in the face of a continuing cut. Restructuring would not only help CUHK to cope with the funding cut, it would, more importantly, enable it to reprioritize resources for long-term development. In the early stages of the restructuring exercise, my special task force and I went through several rounds of consultation with faculty deans, department chairs, and directors of studies concerned. All teachers affected were also consulted. Tremendous efforts were made to win understanding and support 香港中文大學年報 CUHK Annual Report 2003-2004 8