As noted in this observation of the TLQPR Panel, HKUST makes more extensive use of postgraduate students in the support of teaching than is common elsewhere in Hong Kong. These "TAs" are holders of studentships who are assigned ancillary duties in support of teaching functions. Giving them appropriate training for these duties, and assessing their performance, are important issues that we have been working to address in the past year.

As already noted, the requirement for training of TAs was fully implemented this year, with a mandatory general orientation for new TAs, and a series of 12 workshops. These were well attended: as noted on p.5, 202 TAs attended an average of 3.5 workshops in the early part of the 1997-98 academic year.

To provide for the kind of follow-up needed to make this system work, a number of studentship holders were assigned as "TA Coordinators." These students are not assigned teaching duties, but rather work with their Departments and the Instructional Development Unit to identify TA training needs, help to ensure that TAs are enrolled in the appropriate training workshops, and serve as a liaison between the TAs, their Departments, and other units of the University. A new full time position was established in the Instructional Development Unit to work with the TA Coordinators and assist in organizing the training program.