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The following is issued on behalf of the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education:
The Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education (CSPE) today (June 30) promulgated the Code of Good Practices on Governance and Quality Assurance for Self-financing Post-secondary Education Sector for all self-financing post-secondary institutions to adopt on a voluntary basis.
The Chairman of the CSPE, Mr Tim Lui, said, "While self-financing post-secondary institutions are diverse in size, character and mission, good governance and quality assurance (QA) are of pivotal importance to the healthy and sustainable development of the self-financing post-secondary education sector. The key aspects covered by the Code are institutional governance; programme design and delivery; and staff, other resources and student support. Implementation of the Code will enhance the quality, transparency and sustainable development of the self-financing post-secondary education sector. I encourage these institutions to adopt the Code."
Among the good practices for institutional governance included in the Code is having an appropriate mix of stakeholders and expertise in the governing body and putting in place a procedure for periodic review of their performance. Institutions should also adopt an open and transparent fee-setting mechanism and stakeholders within the institution should be kept informed of the justifications supporting any changes in tuition fees and other charges. Moreover, institutions should make available relevant financial information in a way that is transparent and accessible to the public.
On programme design and delivery, the Code specifies, among other things, that institutions should set out their framework for managing academic standards and quality and develop QA mechanisms and procedures that are clear and transparent to all their stakeholders.
Regarding the good practices on staff, other resources and student support, the Code specifies, inter alia, that institutions should publish annually information on staffing (including academic staff profiles) and facilities to support programme delivery. Measures should also be put in place to help students with different needs, such as non-Chinese speaking students and students with special education needs, adapt to learning and teaching at the institutions and to facilitate their integration with other students.
The CSPE compiled the draft code earlier this year, after studying the report of a consultancy study it had commissioned on local and international good practices in the governance and QA of the self-financing post-secondary sector.
After considering views received during the public consultation on the draft code, the CSPE refined the draft and submitted the finalised Code this month to the Secretary for Education, who accepted it.
The Code and relevant documents are available on the website of the Concourse for Self-financing Post-secondary Education (www.cspe.edu.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:00
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