Academic staff need support in administration
I write to provide more information about the role of non-academic staff at Hong Kong Polytechnic University so that your correspondent Bill Proudfit, a PolyU graduate, and the community may have a different perspective into the issue of non-academic support ('Universities can trim support staff members', January 5).
PolyU has always been very prudent in deploying its resources to provide the best possible education to our students. While teaching by faculty staff is important, quality education requires great attention to student admission, personal development, moral education and career counselling, just to name a few. Our academic staff also need support in administration so that they can focus on their duties (teaching, research and services to the community). As such, the non-academic staff members are instrumental in ensuring the achievement of the university's mission and vision. Please be assured that we do review our staffing needs from time to time as part of our continuous improvement process.
We thank Mr Proudfit for sharing his view on the teaching arrangement and department administration for the course he went for in 2009. We would be pleased to learn more and will liaise with him separately.
Tracy Ng, director of communications and public affairs, PolyU
Still room for improvement
I refer to the letter by N. S. Lam ('Hong Kong still has a long way to go', January 3), about the unwelcome treatment that he encountered from a Hong Kong shipping agent. He was refused permission to use the toilets in the mall where the agent was located. Mr Lam's case is neither extreme nor unusual.