Newsletter No. 59

CUHK NEWSLETTER New chairpersons at the Helm(parttwo) As an effort to streamline its academic structure, the University has dispensed with the post of director of studies in each teaching department since the beginning of1994-95. Departments are now headed by chairmen in whom are vested both academic and administrative authorities. At a time when the University seeks to delegate more and more power and accountability to the department level, the chairmen shoulder much greater responsibility than ever before. How do teachers who have been appointed chairmen for the first time feel about their weighty and onerous task? The Newsletter's reporters have been talking to them and thefollowing is the second half of an article which first appeared in our last issue. Dr. C.Y. Chang, Government and Public Affairs Dr. Chang frankly admitted that when he was acting chairman last year, he only concerned himself with tasks as they appeared. Since becoming chairman ipso facto in September, he has found that he must look much farther afield, a duty which is weighing heavily upon him. ' Thegreatest common good is achieved when the development of the department and colleagues' career growth are both emphasized and coordinated in a balanced manner.' Dr. Chang explains that there are six teachers on probation in his department, and as chairman it is his duty to supervise their teaching and to assist and encourage them in their research activities. He notes that the department would be the greatest loser in the end in case the appointments of these teachers were not made tenurial, because that would mean five years and a lot of efforts to strengthen the department's academic influence, and to groom a new generation of teachers, coming to naught. The GPA department's main concern is to teach the art of governance. When it came to selecting its own 'governor', the academics in the department elected two nominees and recommended to the University that a choice be made between the two of them. Dr. Chang now takes a central coordinating role and delegates most of the department's business to colleagues to ensure that everyone makes his contribution, pro bono publico. Dr. Chang indicates that Hong Kong politics and research on overseas Chinese activities are his department's fortes, and he will continue to seek the cooperation of other units in the University as well as outside organizations. International symposia will be held to promote academic exchange and to broaden young academics' research interests. He will actively support colleagues in the law programme to develop external liaison as this w i ll help students know more about the laws of different nations and exploit the rich career opportunities in international business. He is also thinking of encouraging students with the right potentials to take up professional training in law and then to enter politics. During his 17 years with The Chinese University Dr. Chang is the most pleased by his students' active participation in department affairs (eg. course evaluation) and their interest in academic exchange programmes. Although a heavy workload comes with the chairmanship, Dr. Chang is confident that he can keep up his well-known hobby of fishing, produce a few papers each year, and continue to write political commentaries. What worries him, though, is the one- year term, to which all department chairmen are subject and which is apt to undermine their long-term planning for departmental development. NO.59 OCTOBER 1994 11