18 May 2009
Clarification of the Senate Reorganization Process of the Chinese University
In response to allegations that decisions in 2008 regarding student representation on the reorganized Senate were made without the participation of students, The Chinese University of Hong Kong wishes to state that the allegations are false, and hereby clarifies as follows.
Background to Senate Reorganization
The Senate is an important organization tasked with the governance of academic affairs at the Chinese University. To discharge its responsibilities effectively and to strengthen accountability, the Senate’s organization needs to be brought in line with international best practices, with a more streamlined and effective structure. The University Grants Committee (UGC) also requested in Higher Education in Hong Kong: Report of the University Grants Committee (The Sutherland Report), published in March 2002, that local institutes of higher learning ensure the fitness for purpose of their governance and management structures. Similarly, in March 2002, the Audit Commission of the HKSAR Government recommended that university senates of a more substantial size should be reorganized.
The Task Force on University Governance of the University Council invited a Panel of External Experts to offer suggestions on university governance. The panel was of the view that Senate membership should stand at around 50. The University Council believed that it should be left to the Senate itself to propose a plan for reorganization.
Senate Establishes Ad Hoc Committee on Reorganization of the Senate
An Extraordinary Meeting of the Senate was convened on 21 May 2008 for the purpose of deciding how the University should proceed in the matter of its own reorganization. At the meeting, with four student members of the Senate present, the Ad Hoc Committee on Reorganization of the Senate was established, with over 30 members. The Senate recommended that two student members be on the Ad Hoc Committee and that they would be elected from among the President of the Students Union and student representatives of the Colleges, and from among student representatives of the Faculties. In the event, one of the two elected students was the President of the Students Union. Also included on the membership of the Ad Hoc Committee were teacher representatives elected by the Faculties as well as other representatives. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lawrence J. Lau, was not a member of the Ad Hoc Committee.
Ad Hoc Committee Attains Consensus
The Ad Hoc Committee held a total of five meetings. The members of the Committee understood that all categories of the Senate’s existing membership needed to downsize, and under that premise, assessed and discussed different issues. At the second meeting held on 26 June 2008, a number of proposals were put forward regarding student membership on the Senate, which were to be discussed and decided upon at the third meeting. But at the third meeting held on 3 July 2008, both student members were absent, and it was agreed to defer to the following meeting any decision on the student membership in the reorganized Senate — a clear indication of the importance attached by the Ad Hoc Committee to the students’ opinions. The Ad Hoc Committee held its fourth meeting on 31 July 2008. Both student members were present. A consensus was reached over the number of student members on the Senate and the manner of their selection. It is worth noting that the manner finally adopted was proposed by one of the student members and accepted by the other student member who was herself the President of the Students Union.
According to the proposal, the Senate will have three student members (a number similar to those of other local universities), including one to be elected by and from among all full-time undergraduate students, a second to be elected by and from among all full-time postgraduate students, and a third to be elected by and from among the student members of the Boards of Faculties. The proposal was supported by the Ad Hoc Committee.
At the fifth (and final) meeting held on 4 September 2008, the members of the Ad Hoc Committee approved without dissent the report of the Ad Hoc Committee, which included the said proposal.
Senate and Council Accept Recommendation
The recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee were submitted to the Senate and put on the agenda of the Senate meeting held on 24 September 2008. In accordance with normal procedure, the relevant documents were distributed to all Senate members a week before the meeting. Two student members were present at the said meeting, including the President of the Students Union. The Senate accepted without exception the recommendations raised by the Ad Hoc Committee and agreed to submit them through the Task Force on University Governance to the University Council. The minutes of that meeting were approved without exception at the following meeting held on 17 December 2008.
Reasonable and Proper Procedure Leading to Consensus
It is clear that the consensus reached over the proposal for the reorganization of the Senate was the result of a reasonable and proper procedure, accepted equally by the teacher and student members of the Senate.
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