Newsletter No. 87

CUHK Newsletter 4 No. 87 19th April 1996 宣 布 事 項 ANNOUNCEMENTS 新任講座教授 Professorial Appointment 大學委任林國威教授 爲眼科及視覺科學講座教 授，由一九九六年三月廿 三日起生效。 林國威教授於一九五 七年取得東德克薩斯浸會 學院外科醫學士學位，一 九六三年獲匹兹堡大學頒 授哲學博士學位。同年加 入美國國立衞生硏究所任 博士後硏究員，六五年出 任訪問科學家。六六年改投美國視網膜基金會任硏究助 理，七零年出任副科學家並兼任波士頓大學硏究助理教 授。七三年任奧爾巴尼醫學院硏究副教授；八零年晉升 爲硏究教授，並出長該校眼科生物化學實驗室。兩年 後，受聘爲德克薩斯衞生科學中心大學講座教授兼眼科 生物化學實驗室主任。林教授服務該校十四年，直至到 中大履新。 Prof. Lam Kwok-wai has been appointed professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences from 23rd March 1996. Prof. Lam obtained a BS degree from East Texas Baptist College in the United States in 1957, and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1963. After graduation, Prof. Lam joined the National Institute of Health first as postdoctoral fellow, then visiting scientist. From 1966 to 1973, he worked for the Retina Foundation. Thereafter he joined Albany Medical College as research associate professor, and was promoted to research professor and director of its Ophthalmic Biochemistry Laboratory in 1980. Prior to his appointment at this university, Prof. Lam was professor and director of the Ophthalmic Biochemistry Laboratory at the University of Texas Health Science Centre at San Antonio for 14 years. Prof. Lam is married, with three children. Private Tenancy Allowance (PTA) From the Acting University Bursar: The Hong Kong Government has announced the following new rates of PTA with retroactive effect from 1st April 1996: Salary Range PTA (HK$) (w.e.f. 1.4.95) (HK$) Non-clinical Clinical Family Married Single 83,935up 95,550 up 35,410 31,870 28,330 55,640-81,495 53,660-72,195 29,810 26,830 23,850 48,025-53,110 47,135 25,750 23,180 20,600 40,380-45,485 41,120 21,790 19,610 17,430 The revised rates will apply to (a) staff newly joining the scheme on or after 1st April 1996, irrespective of when the tenancies commence; and (b) staff already on the scheme whose tenancies commence on or after 1st April 1996; such tenancies include fixed term new or renewed tenancies and existing tenancies extended on a month-to-month basis under the protection of the Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance. 兩性角色交流會 Annual Gender Role Workshop 香港亞太硏究所性別硏究計劃和新聞與傳播學系將 於五月十八日合辦一九九六年兩性角色交流會，探討傳 媒對性別角色的建構，以及傳媒教育、訓練及工作中的 性別因素。副文康廣播司劉吳惠蘭女士獲邀爲主講嘉 賓。 會議假信和樓第二講堂舉行，由崇基學院贊助，費 用全免。有意出席者請向朱小姐報名（電話二六零九八 七七五或傳眞二六零三五二一五）。大會設托兒服務， 歡迎採用。 The Gender Research Programme of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies and the Department of Journalism and Communication will jointly organize the Gender Role Workshop 1996 on 18th May from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. in LT2 of the Sino Building. The theme this year is 'Gender and the Media' and the function is sponsored by Chung Chi College. For registration and enquiries, please contact Ms. Serena Chu at Ext. 8775 or fax 26035215. Child care services will be provided. 教職員及配偶國粵語課程 Putonghua and Cantonese Courses for Staff and Spouses 新雅中國語文硏習所由一九九六年六月六日至八月 八日於方樹泉樓再度爲本校教職員及其配偶舉辦下列各 項國、粤語課程，上課時間暫定星期二及四下午五時至 六時四十分。 (一）供外籍教職員及其配偶選修之初級國語課程。 (二）供外籍教職員及其配偶選修之初級粤語課程。 (三）供粤籍教職員及其配偶選修之初級國語課程。 (四）供非粤籍教職員及其配偶選修之初級粤語課程。 以上各課程每班限額八人，少於四人不開班，按報 名先後取錄。學費全期三千八百八十港元，凡聘任期不 少於兩年之本校全職教職員及其配偶，如未獲其他語言 學習資助者，可獲大學津貼學費百分之四十。 有意就學者，請於一九九六年五月廿四日前與該硏 習所聯絡（內線六七 二七）。 The New Asia Yale-in-China Lanaguage Centre will offer Putonghua and Cantonese courses to University staff and their spouses from 6th June till 8th August 1996. The following courses have been tentatively scheduled to take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 5.00 p.m. to 6.40 p.m. at the Fong Shu Chuen Building: (1) Beginner's course in Putonghua for foreigners. (2) Beginner's course in Cantonese for foreigners. (3) Beginner's course in Putonghua for non-Putonghua speakers of Chinese origin. (4) Beginner's course in Cantonese for non-Cantonese speakers of Chinese origin. The size of each class is limited to eight students and the minimum number of students to form a class is four. Enrolment will be on a first-come-first-served basis. Basic tuition fee for each course is HK$3,880. The University will subsidize 40 per cent of the tuition fee for all full-time academic and administration staff as well as their spouses who are expected to be with the University for at least two years and who are not receiving a language study subsidy from any other source. For enrolment, please contact the Chinese Language Centre at Ext. 6727 before 24th May 1996. Letter to the Editor Unlike many international universities, CUHK has not paid enough attention to the physical well-being of its staff and students. The sports facilities are either insufficiently equipped or insufficiently serviced. With the increase in staff and student numbers, more physical facilities are needed. The inadequacy of sports facilities results in the higher incidence of physical problems among students and staff, especially the latter. Although swimming is recommended by most doctors and physiotherapists as the best physical exercise, it remains a serious problem at the University. The swimming pool is open only half the year, and clearly not used to the full. The other major insufficiency is in health services, physiotherapy treatment in particular. The physiotherapy room of the University Health Service is often overcrowded with patients. The two full-time physiotherapists can hardly catch their breath serving a university community of over 15,000 in a clinic with only eight beds. Each patient has to wait for 5 to 25 minutes for treatment. Waiting for new equipment is another great trial of patience for both patients and therapists. It's a tug-of-war where either the patient wins the use of the equipment he/she needs or loses all hopes of getting the appropriate treatment. I would propose that the University consider building an indoor swimming pool and providing more manpower and facilities in the physiotherapy room. These additions will contribute enormously towards alleviating the discomfort of those who use these facilities, and will rejuvenate the entire campus community. Sabrina Chin Su-fen Assistant Professor Department of Curriculum and Instruction Response 1 In planning the University's facilities and physical development, input is sought from different sources, and the needs and operational modes of different units are considered. It was through such efforts that facilities like all-weather track surfacing, a squash centre, extra tennis courts, air-conditioning and lighting for the University gymnasium/stadium were acquired one after the other. We have made many requests for funding to the UGC over the years for other sports facilities. We asked specifically in May 1991 for funding to construct a new swimming pool for teaching and training purposes. Notwithstanding our failure to secure UGC support each time, we thrice submitted, between 1992 and 1994, an alternative suggestion to equip the existing pool with warm-water facilities. That request was also turned down. In view of the unfavourable financial climate in 1995 and 1996, the project was put on the pending list. Last year, upon learning the UGC would set up a separate funding source to entertain alteration, addition and improvement works under HK$15m a piece, we included the project on the list of items queueing for such funding. Unfortunately and understandably, sports facilities and amenities usually command low priority in the UGC and the University's allocation of resources. We have, on our part, exerted more effort in extending or improving existing facilities than is apparent. Vincent W. S. Chen Director, Buildings Office Response 2 The physiotherapy department of the University Health Service was established in 1980 with one part-time therapist to offer services to clients with sport-related injuries. In 1985 it began employing a full-time therapist. With an increase in the University population, the demand for physiotherapy treatment has risen in the past 10 years. We have also had increased referrals of staff and students from the specialist clinic of the Prince of Wales Hospital. Hence the department was strengthened in November 1991 with two full-time therapists. However, with the introduction of outpatient benefits to retired staff in 1993, the department is again placed under stress as we have to accommodate more clients with the same resources. The increase in the number of clients, therapists and equipment would inevitably make the treatment room much more congested than desired. We appreciate the suggestion that an increase in manpower and facilities would help improve our services. This, however, is only possible if we have extra resources and funding from the University. In the meantime, we will monitor the situation very closely, and upgrading the physiotherapy department will remain one of our top priorities. Lo Tsun-fan Acting Director, University Health Service