Bulletin Report of The Commission on The Chinese University of Hong Kong March 1976

Educational Policy and University Structure. In its diagnosis the Working Party drew attention to some of the consequences of the University's great expansion, namely "profound effects on the teacher/student relationship", the need to strengthen the central administrative structure and the tendency to proliferate committees. It also identified some of the results of the policy of "pooling resources” introduced in 1969 — academic planning responsibilities had been substantially transferred from College Academic Boards to University Boards of Faculties and Boards of Studies and administrative procedures had been increasingly centralised. Its belief that reform was necessary — and this was strongly substantiated by an opinion survey conducted among teaching and administrative staff in May 1975 — led the Working Party to enunciate two major principles of reform, namely 一 (i) that there should be full participation in university government by teachers, and (ii) that departments belonging to the same discipline should be integrated. While advocating basic and substantial reform, however, the Working Party regarded the maintenance of a federal system as fundamental. Various possible forms of reorganisation were set out by the Working Party, but no single solution won universal acceptance. 8. In these circumstances the Chancellor of the University decided to appoint an external Commission with the following terms of reference:- "Bearing in mind experience gained in the first decade of The Chinese University of Hong Kong's development and the ‘Final Report of the Working Party on Education Policy and University Structure', to advise on whether any changes are necessary in the governance, financial and administrative machinery, ordinances and statutes of the University and its Constituent Colleges". We understand that the Chancellor had it in mind that the Commission should concentrate on principles and broad policy rather than the practical details of administration and financial machinery. 9. It seems to us both prudent and opportune that, after the initial phase of rapid and extensive development, the University should have instituted a review of its organisation and structure to ensure that they were appropriate to whatever new tasks might lie ahead. To invite the help of colleagues from outside is by no means an uncommon practice at such a juncture — examples from many different countries could be quoted. As we approach our task we take courage from the knowledge that the University has already been examining itself and that the reaction to the Working Party's report testifies to the University's readiness to prepare with an open mind for its future. 10. The appointment of the Commission was announced on 12 November 1975 and the Commission assembled in Hong Kong on 5 December. Sir Michael Herries left on 12 December, Lord Fulton on 13 December, Pro- fessor C.K. Yang on 3 January and the Secretary on 17 December. During our visit we heard evidence and visited the Chinese University. Though our stay in Hong Kong was, by force of other commitments, short, all of us have had the advantage of regular contact with the University over many years and this accumulation of experience was invaluable to us. 11. Lord Fulton, Sir Michael Herries and the Secretary met for discussions during January in London and Professor C.K. Yang and the Secretary met in the United States. All members of the Commission met again in London, on 9 February to finalise our report. (2) Terms of reference (3) Procedure