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| 20th
Anniversary
Prof H K Chang, President, invited staff, on 18 February
to suggest ideas for 20th Anniversary activities, which start now but
will build up to a crescendo later this year. He said the anniversary
celebrations should be "upbeat, forward-looking" and express
CityU's achievements and aspirations. Specifically, he welcomes ideas
on activities organized on the theme of "communicating a vision for
the development of the University and of Hong Kong, and looking into the
future with anticipation of greater achievements as empowered by the University's
new role statement."
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| Departure
Scheme
As of Monday, 23 February, a total of 111 applications
were received. Only substantiated staff on superannuable terms were eligible
to apply. One or two administrative departments are believed to be adversely
affected with the loss of a relatively high percentage of senior staff,
should their applications be approved at the end of March.
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| Student
residences
Mr Raymond Or, General Manager of HSBC
and University Treasurer, officated at the Prosperity Hall Naming Ceremony
27 February. The second block of Phase I of the Student Hostels Project
has 132 single and double rooms and can accommodate 250 students. Meanwhile
the second phase of the Project, comprising four blocks (with one specially
catering for postgraduate students), is ready for occupation in early
March. Together, the seven blocks of residences in Phase I and II provide
some 2,200 bedplaces for students. The third phase of the Project will
start today, 1 March, and is expected to be completed in July 2005.
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| APC
Sub-committee
A proposal has been adopted by the Academic Policy Committee
(APC) and will be put before the Senate at its 9 March meeting to set
up a sub-committee for Undergraduate Studies. The new group, taking over
the work of two sub-committees of the APC, respectively, the Working Group
on the Credit Unit System, and the Sub-committee on Undergraduate Admissions,
will focus on academic issues of undergraduate studies in the University.
This need arises as the range and complexity of the work relatng to academic
planning, self-funded programmes and enrolment management increase, the
APC finds it more appropriate and efficient to deal with policies of undergraduate
studies in a co-ordinated manner.
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Faculty
giving
The staff giving campaign, "Turn One To Five",
launched in late December 2003, is close to the HK$ 2 million target.
By the latest count, on 26 February, more than 670 staff members have
donated HK$ 1.85 million to the University.
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2005-08
funding
On 27 February, the Legislative Council Finance Committee
finally approved the funding for universities 2004-05, after an impasse
that lasted more than a month. Earlier, the Heads of Universities Committee
(HUCOM), on 20 February, said it would accept a "0-0-X" formula
to the next triennium funding from the Government, provided that the "X"
percentage cut in 2007-08 will not be more than 5%. In a message to all
staff on 23 February, Prof H K Chang, President, said
that the figure for the final year of 2007-08 will be subject to further
discussion among the Government, the University Grants Committee, and
HUCOM. The final figure will depend on the economic situation nearer to
the time. Prof Chang explained that he has given support to the HUCOM
statement in the interest of the higher education sector, because "it
might be possible for member institutions to not receive normal and regular
public funding support when the new fiscal year (2004-05) begins. Should
this happen, we would then have to rely on our resources which could be
depleted in a very short period."
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| Self-recommendation
Scheme
The Senate Academic Policy Committee (APC) approved, on 26 February, a
Self-Recommendation Scheme for Joint University Programmes Admissions
System (JUPAS) applicants, starting with 2004 entry. The Scheme, now offered
by some peer institutions, are for applicants who will nominate themselves
for admission, through JUPAS, into CityU programmes with their non-academic
achievements and extra-curricular activities. APC approved the introduction
of the Scheme, which broadens the admission criteria. It also endorsed
a selection framework, based on an aggregate Non-Academic Score. Departments
and applicants will be notified separately of the operational details.
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ISO
accreditation
The Industrial Attachment Scheme (IAS) and Co-operative Education Scheme
(CES), brainchilds of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), have
received an ISO 9001:2000 accreditation. The IAS places students in a
nine-week summer internship in an industrial or manufacturing setting
in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region. Last year, 357 second-year
students, mainly from FSE, benefitted from the work-and-learn experience,
despite advent of SARS and an economic downturn. IAS is now extended to
other faculties and its next round will start in June/July 2004. CES is
an extension of IAS, placing 54 third-year FSE students for a nine-month
to one-year internship with 18 partner industrial corporations last year.
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| Outreach
Members of the Shamshuipo
District Board were invited to visit CityU on 26 February to familiarize
themselves with the latest developments of the University. Led by Ms
Michelle Li, Shamshuipo District Officer, the 23-member group
toured the Library, the School of Creative Media, the Wireless Communications
Research Centre. Meanwhile, a group of Consuls-General representing Australia,
Belgium, Korea, Russia and Turkey visted the University on 25 February
and toured the Wireless Communications Research Centre and the School
of Creative Media. The visitors were impressed by the high-tech research
projects developed by CityU scientists and the students' creative projects.
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| Conferences
"Regional Conference on Clean Technologies for Pollution Prevention
and Control in Pearl River Delta," 25 & 26 March, co-organized
by the Department of Biology and Chemistry and the Hong Kong Productivity
Council, Wei Hing Theatre.
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