Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Social Sciences Programmes

YEAR 1 STUDENT HANDBOOK (2015-16)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AY 2015-16 Calendar for Year 1 Students of the Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/ Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) Programmes (GEOG/GIS/HIST/SOC)

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2015 Sept 1 2 3 4 5 1 First Semester Begins

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 2 First Semester Classes Begin 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2 First Day to Add/Drop Courses (1st Semester) 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 15 Last Day to Add/Drop Courses (1st Semester) 27 28 29 30 Oct 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Nov 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 Tuition Payment Due Date (New students) - 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Balance Payment for First Semester 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Dec 1 2 3 4 5 3 Last Day of Classes (1st Semester) 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 8-19 First Semester Examinations 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 Second Semester Tuition Payment Due Date 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

2016 Jan 1 2 9 First Semester Ends 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 Second Semester Begins 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 11 Second Semester Classes Begin 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 11 First Day to Add/Drop Courses (2nd Semester) 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 14-23 First Semester Make-up Examinations 31 15/18

Major Application Briefing & New Year Dinner Gathering (Exact Date to be confirmed, Tentative at 6:30pm)

23 Last Day to Add/Drop Courses (2nd Semester) Feb 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Mar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Apr 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 25 Last Day of Classes (2nd Semester) May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 4-17 Second Semester Examinations 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Jun 1 2 3 4 15 Second Semester Ends 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13-21 Second Semester Make-up Examinations 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 10-28 Major Application Submission & Release of Result 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 (Exact dates to be confirmed) 26 27 28 29 30

Sundays and public holidays University Holidays

WELCOME

Welcome to the Faculty of Social Sciences, HKBU, and admission to the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of

Social Sciences (GEOG/GIS/HIST/SOC) Programmes!

This Student Handbook provides you some general information about Year 1 academic study for your

adaptation to the university environment and your preparation for Major study in Year 2. Used in

accordance with the University Calendar and Bulletin, this handbook should keep you properly

informed. Should you have any enquiries not addressed in these documents, please consult the

Faculty Office on the general programme arrangements or the Programme Advising

Coordinator/Advisors per Major on subject discipline matters.

Upholding the “whole-person” education philosophy of the University, the Faculty provides students

with a liberal arts education that enhances their personal, intellectual and professional development.

We trust that your choice of our Programme (Geography, Government & International Studies,

History or Sociology) will definitely prove to be correct and challenging.

CONTENT

Page

1 Introduction 1

2 Schedule 2

3 Programme Descriptions 3

4 Programme Structure & Schedule 5

1. Programme Structure

2. Year 1 Programme Schedule

5 Major Application & Assignment 6

1. Schedule

2. Criteria

3. Notes

6 Course Arrangements 7

1. Courses Pre-registration

2. Adding/Dropping of Courses after Registration

3. Bad Weather Arrangement of Classes

4. Assessment and Awards

5. Attendance

6. Unit and Grade Point Average Requirements for Graduation

7 Academic Advising/Mentoring Activities (6-10 Hours Requirement) 10

8 Useful Information 11

1. Webpages

2. Programme Advising Coordinator, Major Advisors and General Enquiries

3. Fax Numbers

9 Building Code 13

10 Campus Map 14

Appendix I Sample of Online Major Application Form 15

1. INTRODUCTION

The Faculty of Social Sciences consists of seven departments, Education Studies, Geography, Government

& International Studies, History, Physical Education, Sociology and Social Work with a total of 12

UGC-funded undergraduate programmes in various disciplines.

With the implementation of four-year university curriculum structure in 2012, the Faculty has introduced

the broad-based admission for four undergraduate programmes, namely Geography, Government &

International Studies, History and Sociology.

Under the new admission practice, students will be provided with a broad-based social sciences training

in their first year with no specific Major. Upon the completion of the first year of study, students will

apply to take one of the four Majors as their Major and enroll into the specified Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/

Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) programme based on individual interest and academic performance

(Please refer to P. 6 “Major Application & Assignment”).

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2. SCHEDULE

At the end of the 2nd Semester, Year 1 students of the BA/BSocSc programmes should apply for one of the

four Majors and enroll into the specified Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons)

programme based on individual interest and academic performance.

A schedule for preparing the Major Application is suggested below:

Date Event

15 September 2015 Last Day to Add/Drop Courses (1st Semester)

15/18 January 2016 Major Application Briefing (Exact Date to be confirmed, tentatively starts at 6:30 pm)

23 January 2016 Last Day to Add/Drop Courses (2nd Semester)

10-28 June 2016

- Deadlines of Major Application Submission of Round 1 & 2 (exact dates to be confirmed)

Note: Students who fail to fulfil the 6-10 hours requirement of academic advising/mentoring activities will only be allowed to bid for their Major choices in Round 2 of Major Application. For the details, please refer to P. 10 “Academic Advising/Mentoring Activities (6-10 Hours Requirement)”.

- Release of Major Assignment Results (exact dates to be confirmed)

It is advised that students should consult the Major discipline matters with the Major Advisors before the

Major Application.

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3. PROGRAMME DESCRIPTIONS

Major Programme Descriptions

Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Geography The BSocSc (Hons) in Geography is structured so that

students can either choose to specialise in certain

sub-fields of the discipline at later stages of their study

or to undertake a well-rounded training in Geography,

in line with its synthesising tradition. The BSocSc

(Hons) in Geography enables students to obtain a firm

foundation in geographical methodology while at the

same time acquiring an understanding of the spatial

order and interdependence of the world’s peoples and

regions.

Emphasis is placed on the ways in which geographers may assist in finding solutions to real world

problems. Students are offered considerable freedom to take a broad spectrum of courses,

particularly in their third and final years, when they may choose to concentrate on aspects of

either physical or human geography.

Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in

Government & International Studies

BSocSc (Hons) in Government and International Studies

provides a programme of study which is intended to give

students a firm grasp of the different areas of political

science. These cover political sociology (including

political institutions, political culture and political

behaviour), government and public policy-making,

international relations and political economy, political

theory and political thought, and political methodology.

In geographical terms, the programme focuses on the

politics of Hong Kong, Mainland China, the Asia-Pacific

region, and European Union. The programme seeks to

sharpen the student’s awareness by incorporating a

systematic, comparative and international dimension,

drawing both on the China Studies and European

Studies programmes.

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3. PROGRAMME DESCRIPTIONS

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History

It is hoped that students, after completing this programme, will be able:

1. To investigate the development of human society from a historical perspective;

2. To demonstrate power of critical thinking and

analytical ability in understanding historical

events;

3. To show in-depth knowledge of the heritage of

China and other great civilisations;

4. To pursue graduate studies in history or a related

discipline; and

5. To enter various fields outside history, such as the

civil service, business, publishing, and teaching.

Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology

In this programme students will be required to develop a

sound knowledge of sociological theory and research

methods. They will be introduced to the main features of

social change and organisation in Hong Kong and

mainland China. They will also be exposed to sociological

inquiries about social inequalities, collective identities,

and forms of solidarity, power and resistance.

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4. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE & YEAR 1 SCHEDULE

4.1 Programme Structure

Students are required to take a total of 128 units in the 4-year programme.

Major 60 units Major Required Courses (including Honours Project) (24-36 units) Major Elective Courses (24-36 units)

General Education Courses 38 units Electives 30 units

128 units

4.2 Year 1 Programme Schedule (For AY2015-16)

According to the study schedule set by the Programme, students should complete 32 units of coursework in Year 1. The distribution of units is as follows:

Semester 1 Units

University English I 3.00

University Chinese 3.00

Numeracy 3.00

Physical Education Course 1.00

University Life 0.00

Free Elective Courses 6.00*

Writing Enhancement Course (students who have not

obtained Level 4 or above in the HKDSE “English Language” are required to take this course)

0.00

Term Total: 16.00

Semester 2 Units

University English II 3.00

Information Management Technology 3.00

Values & the Meaning of Life 3.00

Physical Education Course 1.00

University Life 0.00

Free Elective Courses 6.00*

Term Total: 16.00

* Elective Courses suggested to be taken in Year 1

If students have taken the listed course(s) below from the Department(s) as electives, such course will be counted under the respective Major to which they will be assigned after Year 1. Students are advised to take the following course(s) in relation to the Major they will pursue in Year 2:

Offering Department Course

Semester 1 Geography GEOG 1005 Geography & the Contemporary World

History HIST 1405 History, Heritage & Human Communities

Semester 2

Government & International Studies

POLS 1005 Foundations of Political Science

Sociology SOCI 1005 Invitation to Sociology

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5. MAJOR APPLICATION & ASSIGNMENT

5.1 Schedule

Students should pay attention to the schedule below for planning the Major Application:

Date Event

15/18 January 2016 Major Application Briefing (Exact Date to be confirmed, tentatively starts at 6:30 pm)

10-28 June 2016

- Deadlines of Major Application Submission of Round 1 & 2 (exact dates to be confirmed)

Note: Students who fail to fulfil the 6-10 hours requirement of academic advising/mentoring activities will only be allowed to bid for their Major choices in Round 2 of Major Application. For the details, please refer to P. 10 “Academic Advising/Mentoring Activities (6-10 Hours Requirement)”.

- Release of Major Assignment Results (exact dates to be confirmed)

5.2 Criteria

The Faculty follows the following criteria to determine students’ Major Application: a) Student’s choice of Major Programme b) If the number of the applications for a Major exceeds the cap set by the Department,

preference would be given on the basis of Cumulative GPA of the two semesters of Year 1.

5.3 Notes a) Students should submit the On-line Major Application by the deadline (exact dates to be

confirmed).

b) As regards late submission or no application from students, they will be randomly assigned to one of the Majors without prior notice.

c) It is advised that students should consult the Major subject matters with the Major Advisors

(please refer to Point 8.2, P.11) before the Major Application.

d) The results of the Major Assignment will be released to students individually via email on or by the end of June 2016 (exact dates to be confirmed).

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6. COURSE ARRANGEMENTS

6.1 Courses Pre-registration

Students enrolled with the University will automatically be registered on courses which are

required by their programme of study. For registration of elective courses, students have to

participate in the pre-registration exercise in August and November for Semesters 1 and 2 courses

respectively. Students who fail to gain admission to some courses due to limited places during the

pre-registration exercise are required to complete the course registration during the first two weeks

of classes.

Furthermore, students are advised to take note of the followings:

i) It would be desirable for students to enroll on the suggested elective course(s) in at least one

semester in Year 1 (Please refer to P.5). ii) To avoid study overload, students should enroll 12-18 units per semester. iii) Students are encouraged to check the e-news from the Academic Registry often during the

course registration period. iv) For students who want to register for more than 18 units must obtain approval from the

Programme Coordinator and the Academic Registrar during the Course Add/Drop period.

6.2 Adding/Dropping of Courses after Registration

For students who want to change their course enrolment after pre-registration, they may do so during the Course Add/Drop period (2-15 September 2015 for Semester 1, AY2015-16).

6.3 Bad Weather Arrangement of Classes

Classes may be suspended in the event of typhoon or bad weather. Normally, classes will be

cancelled upon hoisting of Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal.

Students should take note of the “Arrangement of Classes During Typhoon Signal No. 8 or Black

Rainstorm Warning Signal” which can be found on the Academic Registry Web page at

http://buar2.hkbu.edu.hk.

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6. COURSE ARRANGEMENTS

6.4

6.4 Assessment and Awards

A) Grading System

Students are assessed by assignments, examinations, and other elements of course work.

The standard method of assessing coursework and examination performance at the

University is the Grade Point Average (GPA). Letter grades are used to indicate the results

of assessment. The number of grade points gained by a student in a particular course

corresponds to the letter grade.

Letter Grade Academic Performance Grade Point Per Unit

A ) Excellent 4.00

A- ) 3.67

B+ ) Good 3.33

B ) 3.00

B- ) 2.67

C+ ) Satisfactory 2.33

C ) 2.00

C- ) 1.67

D Marginal Pass 1.00

E Conditional Pass 0.00

F Fail 0.00

I Incomplete Not included in GPA calculation

S Satisfactory Not included in GPA calculation

U Unsatisfactory Not included in GPA calculation

W Withdrawn Not included in GPA calculation

YR Year Grade Not included in GPA calculation

NR Not Yet Reported Not included in GPA calculation

PR Project to be Resubmitted Not included in GPA calculation

B) Academic Honours

For students taking 12 units or more and attained the following results in a semester:

a) President’s Honour Roll: Applicable to students with a semester GPA of 3.50 or above and

with no grades below “C” for a given semester*.

b) Dean’s List: Applicable to students with a semester GPA of 3.00–3.49 and with no grades

below “C” for a given semester*.

* Students with a “U” grade in that given semester are NOT eligible for receiving the academic

honours.

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6. COURSE ARRANGEMENTS

C) Honours Classifications and Scholastic Awards

The various classifications are based on the Cumulative Grade Point Average (cGPA). The

general guidelines are as follows:

cGPA Honours Classification

3.40-4.00 First Class

3.00-3.39 Second Class (Division I)

2.50-2.99 Second Class (Division II)

2.20-2.49 Third Class

2.00-2.19 Pass

Individual Faculty/School may develop additional or alternative indicators for the award

classifications in the programmes.

The graduate who has the highest cGPA in the graduating class of the programme and whose

cGPA is no less than 3.20 will be awarded the scholastic award of the programme for that year.

6.5 Attendance

A student who is reported—

a) to have been absent without approval for more than 15 per cent of scheduled classes, or

b) to have attended less than 70 per cent of scheduled classes (with approved and

unapproved absences)

shall receive an F grade for the course. The student will not be allowed to sit for the course

examination, if any.

A student who is more than 15 minutes late for a class may be counted as absent by the course

instructor. All unapproved absences will be counted.

6.6 Unit and Grade Point Average Requirements for Graduation

To be awarded the Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) degree, students

should have:

a) obtained the total number 128 of units required; andb) obtained a cumulative GPA (cGPA) of 2.00 or above for all course attempted and have passed

all courses stipulated by the Programme.

9

7. ACADEMIC ADVISING/MENTORING ACTIVITIES

(6-10 HOURS REQUIREMENT)

The Faculty and 4 Major Departments organise various advising/mentoring activities each year for

Year One students such as Major Application Briefing and Information Sessions to facilitate students’

university studies and assist them in the consideration of Major Study preceding Year Two. It is

stipulated on P. 25 in Calendar/Bulletin 2015-2016 that,

“To better cater for student needs,

all students are expected to meet with their academic advisers/mentors for

normally 6-10 hours in a given academic year.”

Students, therefore, are required to fulfil this requirement by the end of April in Year One study

through participating in the Faculty-/Departmental-based advising/mentoring activities. Those who

fail to fulfil the requirement will only be allowed to bid for their Major choices in Round 2 of Major

Application instead of Round 1. Please refer to Point 5.1, P.6.

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8. USEFUL INFORMATION

8.1 Webpages

Faculty of Social Sciences http://hkbu.edu.hk/sosc/

Broad-based Admission Programmes http://hkbu.edu.hk/sosc/bap

Department of

Geography http://geog.hkbu.edu.hk/

Government & International Studies http://gis.hkbu.edu.hk/

History http://histweb.hkbu.edu.hk/

Sociology http://socweb.hkbu.edu.hk/

8.2 Programme Advising Coordinator, Major Advisors and General Enquiries

Email Address (@hkbu.edu.hk)

Office Location

Phone Number

Programme Advising Coordinator

Dr. LEUNG Hon Chu honchu AAB 1058 3411-7148

Major Advisors

Geography

Dr. CHUNG Him himchung AAB 1223 3411-7208

Dr. MAH Ngar-yin, Daphne daphnemah AAB 1234 3411-5941

Government & International Studies

Dr. WONG Wai Kwok, Benson bwkwong AAB 1113 3411-5648

History

Dr. KWONG Chi Man cmkwong AAB 1140 3411-6431

Dr. LAW Yuen Han yhlaw AAB 1156 3411-7111

Prof. CHUNG Po Yin s53096 AAB 1145 3411-7101

Sociology

Dr. CHAN Kwok Shing kschan AAB 1049 3411-7134

Dr. LEUNG Hon Chu honchu AAB 1058 3411-7148

General Enquiry

Faculty Office sosc_gghs AAB 1319 AAB 1325

3411-8089 3411-7119

Department Office of

Geography geog AAB 1220 3411-7129

Government & International Studies

gis AAB 1110 3411-5669

History hist AAB 1151 3411-7107

Sociology soc AAB 1046 3411-7131

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8. USEFUL INFORMATION

8.3 Fax Numbers

Faculty Office 3411-8094 3411-5777

Department Office of

Geography 3411-5990

Government & International Studies 3411-5799

History 3411-7885

Sociology 3411-7893

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9. BUILDING CODE

Buildings Codes

Ho Sin Hang Campus HSHC Academic Community Hall ACH Au Shue Hung Building ASH Cha Chi-Ming Science Tower SCT Christian Education Centre CEC Fong Shu Chuen Library FSC Lui Ming Choi Centre LMC Oen Hall Building

East Wing OEE Main Building OEM West Wing OEW

Sing Tao Building STB Sir Run Run Shaw Building RRS Wai Hang Sports Centre WHS Yeung Shui Sang Building YSS

Shaw Campus SC Au Shue Hung Memorial Library AML David C. Lam Building DLB Joint Sports Centre JSC Madam Kwok Chung Bo Fun Sports and Cultural Centre SCC Shaw Tower SWT The Wing Lung Bank Building for Business Studies WLB

Baptist University Road Campus BURC Academic and Administration Building AAB Communication and Visual Arts Building CVA Dr. Ng Tor Tai International House NTT Jockey Club Academic Community Centre ACC Jockey Club School of Chinese Medicine Building SCM Madam Chan Wu Wan Kwai SCE Tower SCE Student Residence Halls SRH

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10. CAMPUS MAP

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HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

BACHELOR OF ARTS / BACHELOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCES PROGRAMMES

ONLINE MAJOR APPLICATION FORM

Please complete the electronic form to the Faculty Office by [the scheduled Date & Time] via the [LINK] provided.

Preceding Year 2 study, Year 1 students of the Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Social Sciences Programmes (GEOG/ GIS/ HIST/ SOC) should apply for one of the Majors and, upon confirmation, enroll on the specified programme. The Faculty follows the following criteria to determine students’ Major Application:

a) Student’s priority of Major programmesb) If the number of the applications for a Major exceeds the cap set by the Department then preference

is given on the basis of Cumulative GPA of the two semesters of Year 1.

Notes

- After the release of examination results on [Date], students should complete the Major Application

on or before [the scheduled Date & Time of Round 1 / Round 2 Major Application]. No amendment

is possible after submission.

- This link of Major Application for each student is unique with pre-loaded personal information.

Please DO NOT forward this link to other students for submission.

- It is advised that students should consult the Major subject matters with the Major Advisors or

Student Mentors before the Major Application.

Please indicate:

My Existing Study Programme is: _____________________________________

Please complete the information below:

Student Name (English) HKBU Email

Student Name (Chinese) Mobile No.

Student ID Year 1 Cumulative GPA

Please state your preferred Major:

Preferred Major:

Disclaimer

The personal data collected from you will be kept confidential and used for Major Application under the

Faculty of Social Sciences ONLY; and they will not be disclosed to third parties or organizations outside the

Faculty unless otherwise stated or with your prior consent.

Appendix I

SAMPLE

15

NOTES

16

NOTES

17

Faculty of Social Sciences

3411 8089/ 3411 7119

sosc_gghs@hkbu.edu.hk

http://hkbu.edu.hk/sosc/

http://sosc.hkbu.edu.hk/bap/