To All Staff
From Provost
Enquiry info.prvo@cuhk.edu.hk
Dear Colleagues,
With Term 2, AY2019/2020, now behind us, it is time to plan for September. But, first, please let me thank all of you for stepping up so brilliantly in the face of truly trying circumstances. Though the results of the CTE exercise for Term 2 are still being analyzed, looking at the broad, headline figures there is cause for optimism. For example, students responded positively to the question whether “the teacher made effective use of the online platform to promote interaction and engagement,” with an adjusted mean score of 4.94 on a 6-point scale. The overall satisfaction level was high as well, at 5.03 and 5.30, for the course and the teacher, respectively.
These are gratifying results, reflecting your commitment to education. The CTE serves an important developmental function, and the results will be interpreted holistically during the annual academic staff development review, taking into account the many difficulties colleagues faced. While the efficacy of online teaching and learning will continue to invite debate, there is little doubt that advances in technology will have a significant impact on education. We need to continue to innovate, not only adapting to but more importantly, also playing a leading role both locally and globally in enhancing the changing landscape of teaching and learning. Such effort should be recognized, and I encourage you to share your best practices, so that we can grow as a community.
A special note of thanks to our wonderful non-academic staff is also due. The contributions of our teaching assistants should not go unmentioned as well. Without your dedication and tireless effort, we would not have survived Term 2!
The Summer Session is already underway. Some 7,000 students are enrolled in one or more of the 265 courses on offer. The threat of COVID-19 remains high, even though the local situation seems to have stabilized. As I shared previously, this is certainly not the time to let our guard down. While some small group academic activities, especially lab sessions, studio work and practicums may now be conducted on campus and in person, online teaching/learning remains the norm. We seek your understanding, as the health and well-being of our community must outweigh other concerns.
What form will teaching/learning take come September? What will the “new normal” look like? 100% face-to-face classroom teaching seems unlikely. 100% online may be avoided, but the “mixed” or “hybrid” mode that lies in between may still take different forms.
Fundamentally, we need to assume that COVID-19 will not just disappear, which entails that some level of social distancing and other preventive measures will have to be maintained. A class of 30 students, for example, will require a lecture theatre that can accommodate at least twice that number, if face-to-face meetings were to be conducted. Some form of seating arrangement may have to be devised, so as to facilitate contact tracing should it become necessary. During the summer, Departments/ Faculties/ Colleges should address the need to enhance their WiFi and computing facilities. One thing we can be sure of is that the demand for online learning will not diminish.
More importantly, we should plan with clear pedagogical objectives in mind, and not treat this merely as a logistical exercise. The Registry is thus looking into the teaching needs of all our courses in the new academic Term. For some courses, large or small, online platforms may be equally or more effective in delivering the desired learning outcomes, whereas for others face-to-face meetings may be preferred. Freshmen may benefit especially from at least a measure of on-campus learning experience. Final year students, too, may need to come back to campus to complete their projects. In the end, we may adopt several “hybrid” forms of teaching and learning. Whatever the case, every effort will be made to ensure that we continue to deliver the highest quality education to our students.
What will College residential life look like? What steps do we take if in the not altogether unlikely event that one of the residents falls prey to COVID-19? The Emergency Response Group chaired by the Vice-Chancellor continues to meet regularly and is making every preparation. In the final analysis, a higher level of health awareness and new social habits will inform the “new normal,” which requires understanding, discipline, and above all, being considerate and watching out for the well-being of others.
Thank you again. We will continue to update everyone as the pandemic evolves. In the meantime, please let me wish you and your loved ones a safe, healthy and productive summer ahead.
Provost
