1. Academic Promotion of Higher Education Teaching Personnel: Hong Kong
Gerard Postiglione
&
Roger Y Chao Jr.
27 November 2014
Zhejiang Narada Grand Hotel
Hangzhou, China

2. Agenda Context/Background National/System Policy Objectives
Significant Issues
Structure & Criteria for Academic Promotions
Evaluation/Recruitment Procedures
Conclusion

3. Context/Background Governance Increasing Access & Provision
“Big Market Small Government” & (efficiency, quality, and accountability)
Top Down Management Style with High Institutional Autonomy
High Regard for Academic Freedom
UGC (RAE, TLQPR & RGC)
Increasing Access & Provision
2 to 19 Degree awarding HEIs (HKU (1911)/ CUHK (1963))
1-2% in the 1970s to 18% (60%) in UGC in mid-2000s
Regional Education Hub
Advanced by UGC in 2002

4. Context/Background Shift in Academic & Faculty Structures
From British to an American Model
From 3 to 4 year UG programs
From Lecturer/Sr. Lecturer/Reader/Prof to AP/Associate Prof/Prof
Research productivity, OBTL, Student Based Teaching Evaluations & Service
Faculty & Working Conditions
Intl Mix (Earned PhD abroad, Worked abroad & non-HK ethnic origin)
Merit based/ Delinking of academic salary (2003)
Competitive Salary / Benefits / No Barriers to hiring FX academics
Institutional Autonomy
UGC Funded HEIs – statutory autonomous corp. with their own ordinances
Selection, promotion, substantiation & remuneration
HKU, HKUST & CityU – annual performance review ( )

5. HK’s Degree Awarding HEIs

6. Student Enrollment (UGC)

7. HK Academics & Their PhD

8. Academic & non-Academic Staff

9. National/Institutional Policy Objectives
UGC Objectives
Source:
See Hong Kong’s higher education sector serving as the “higher education hub in the region” driving forward the economic and social development of Hong Kong, in the context of our special relationship with Mainland China and the region.
Takes a strategic approach to Hong Kong’s higher education system, by developing an interlocking system where the whole higher education sector is viewed with one force, with each institution fulfilling a unique role, based on its strengths
Works with institutions to ensure that each provides quality teaching in all areas relevant to its role
Aims to promote “international competitiveness” where it occurs in institutions, understanding that all will contribute to this endeavour and that some institutions will have more internationally competitive centers than others; and
Values a role driven yet deeply collaborative system of higher education where its institution has its own role and purpose, while at the same time being committed to extensive collaboration with other institutions in order that the system can sustain a greater variety of offerings at a high level of quality and with improving efficiency

10. National/Institutional Policy Objectives
Internationalization of HE
Sr. Chinese Diaspora, geographic location of doctorate studies, ethnic diversity
Increasing trend of HK PhD graduates
International benchmarking (performance based assessments &evaluations)
Shifting Academic Structure
Focus on liberal arts and General Education
Establishing World Class Universities
Focus on research, internationalization and teaching efficiency
International mix of students and faculty

11. Significant Issues Status & Working Conditions Transparent on
Individual Rights & Freedom (roles & responsibilities)
Employment, promotions & remuneration procedures & criteria
Grievance Mechanisms
Male Dominated (esp. at sr. levels)
CAP 2007: 67.3% men and 32.7% women
Women faculty increasing (24.6% (1993), 28.6% (1999) and 32.7% (2007)
Men 4X likely to be full professors (RIHE 2008)
Need for gender – related working conditions
Note: HKEOC (No discrimination vs sex, disability, family status (1997/8) & race (2007)

12. Significant Issues Managerial Considerations
High Degree of Professionalism & Transparency
Faculty are satisfied with
Physical Resources (e.g. classrooms, lab, libraries, and research equipment)
Public funding challenges & focus on managerialism & efficiency
Decreased satisfaction level (RIHE 2008)

13. Structure & Criteria for Academic Promotion

14. Evaluation & Recruitment Procedures

15. Conclusion Challenges Shaped HK higher education policy directives
Maintaining economic competitiveness
Political integration with Mainland China
Meeting social demand for higher education
Shaped HK higher education policy directives
Governance structures, increasing access & provision, internationalization, and shifting academic structure and faculty ranks towards a more American Model
Institutional Autonomy within a top down hierarchy
International benchmarking
Convergence of HEI academic promotion and substantiation practices
Accountable, performance-based and transparent system
does not discriminate against sex, disability, family status, and race

16. Conclusion HK Academic Promotion Practices
Presents clear and transparent criteria
Uses various assessment tools
Encourages broader participation
Ensures fair decisions (3 tier review committees)
Incorporates grievance mechanisms
Relevant Issues
Low level (but increasing) women faculty
Lack of gender, disability, family status and race specific policies
Recent trends
deteriorating technical research support
hiring faculty who acquired their doctorates in Hong Kong
sudden increase of faculty and promotion to senior academic posts

17. Thank you for Your Attention!!!