Bulletin Vol. 2 No. 8 Mar 1966

G IFTS AND DONATIONS P o rtra it o f the University's F irs t Chancellor S ir T a n g S h iu -k in has donated to th is U n iv e rs ity a p o rtra it o f S ir Robert B row n Black, the firs t Chancellor and one o f the U n ive rsity 's firs t honorary graduates. T h e p o rtra it, painted by M r. J .M . Teesdale o f England, w ill be hung in the fu tu re U n iv e rs ity A dm in is tra tiv e B u ild in g in M a L iu Shui. The Asia Foundation T h e Asia F ounda tion has offered a grant o f H K $ 26,160 to the U n iv e rs ity Research In s titu te o f Social Studies and the H um an ities fo r a fu rth e r study o f the com m u n ity o f T a ip o T a u V illage by the D e pa rtm ent o f Sociology and Social W o rk D e pa rtm ent o f C hung C h i College. The Rockefeller Foundation T h e Rockefeller F ounda tion has donated USStl5,000 towards the cost o f a study o f the popu lation o f H o ng K o n g by Professor Chen Cheng-siang, D ire c to r o f U n iv e rs ity Studies in G eography. RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN IM P LEM ENTAT ION OF NEW TEACH ING METHODS In M a rch 1964, a C omm ittee on Teaching M ethods was set up in the U n iv e rs ity to propose a new teaching programme. T h e C omm ittee subm itted its re p o rt in September th a t year. T w o experts, Professor A .G . Lehm ann o f the U n i versity o f Reading and D r. J.V . Loach o f the U n i versity o f Leeds, were later in v ite d to v is it the U n i versity and make recommendations fo r im p ro v in g the U n iv e rsity's teaching methods. T h e ir re p o rt was made available to the U n iv e rs ity in M a rch 1965. B oth these reports, together w ith a summary, were published in a special supplem ent to this B u lle tin in June, 1965. Both reports serve as a basis fo r later discussion and planning. In M a y, 1965, the V ice -C hance llo r made a statement to the U n iv e rs ity Senate, in w h ich he expressed satisfaction over certain measures w h ich the U n iv e rs ity 's three F ounda tion Colleges had mapped o u t to im p lem e n t the proposals made in the tw o re ports. T h e Senate then resolved to endorse the two reports, give fu ll sup po rt to the efforts made by the Colleges and ask the Boards o f Studies to fu rth e r study the Reports and make recommendations. T h e te xt o f the V ice -C hance llo r's statement also appeared in the same supplem ent to th is B u lle tin . Since M a y 1965, good progress has been made in all the Colleges in the im p lem entation o f the new teach in g methods. News decisions have been made and carried out, sometimes am idst difficu ltie s. In October, 1965, the Senate discussed on a paper produced by the V ice-Chancello r, w h ich was given the title "C ru c ia l Questions on T eaching M e th o d " . T he discussion centered around the question o f In te r mediate E xam ina tion, w h ich undergraduates are re q u ire d to take after com p le ting th e ir second-year course. T h e Senate agreed th a t the exam ination should be a test o f the candidates' general education, th e ir a b ility to benefit from th e ir courses o f studies in the U n iv e rs ity and th e ir w o rkin g know ledge o f some o f the basic princip le s. T h e exam ination, the firs t o f w h ic h w o u ld be held in 1967, should be composed o f tw o parts, w ith Part I consisting o f one paper on Chinese Language and another on E nglish Language and P art I I consisting o f one paper on the m ajor subject, another on the m in o r subject and s till another on a fie ld o f studies elected by the student. T h e student m ust pass bo th parts before he could be adm itted to the th ird year. M eanw hile, in order to reduce the num be r o f exam inations, certain course exam inations were to be elim inated. T h e Senate continued to discuss in its m eeting in December, 1965 some o f the poin ts raised in the V ice- C hancellor's paper, and reached a num be r o f decisions. English Language test I t was decided tha t the aim o f the test should he to fin d ou t the candidate's a b ility to read and to express his ideas in English, w ith greater emphasis on comprehension, and that the test should gradually aim at the "O rd in a ry L e v e l" standard o f the General Certificate o f Education E xam ination. Chinese Language test T h e Senate agreed th a t this should be a test o f the candidate's a b ility to w rite and to read w ith understanding, w ith the emphasis la id on w ritin g . T h e paper should consist o f tests on com position and translation o f passages w ritte n ill the classical style in to the m odern style, w ith special reference to the Book o f Mencius. B oth tests fo rm pa rt o f the In te rm e d ia te E xam ina­ tio n , b u t may be taken by students who have com p­ leted th e ir firs t year in the U n iv e rs ity if the Language D epartm ents o f the Colleges so recommend. Degree Examination T h e Senate decided th a t as from M ay, 1968, the num be r o f papers fo r the Degree E xam ina tion should no t be less than seven, five on the m ajor subject and tw o on the m in o r, and no t more than nine. A thesis may count as one paper, b u t the Boards o f Studies w o u ld be empowered to accept a thesis in place o f more than one paper should the U n i ve rsity's research facilities increase in the future . M ea nw hile, the V ice -C hance llo r in fo rm ed the Senate th a t sm all-group teaching was conducted in all the Colleges successfully. In M a rc h this year, the V ice -C hance llo r prepared a paper en titled ‘‘T eaching M e th o d : F u rth e r Steps in Im p lem e n ta tio n ". I t rests on three principles, namely, th a t the basis o f undergraduate education should be broadened; th a t the standard fo r the F irs t Degree should be tha t fo r the General Degree; tha t 2