As the immoral prevail, the righteous wither
We are left with no room to fall back in safeguarding our autonomy
HKUSU declaration in response to the rejection of the appointment of the Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Staffing and Resources) of the Council of the University of Hong Kong
Yesterday, the Council disregarded our long-established convention and rejected the recommendation from the search committee on the candidate of the post of Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Staffing and Resources). Our few yet just and fair university members indeed attempted to put an end to the absurdity. But it was still futile in evening out the external members, subordinates of the injustice. Autonomy in this institution shall then no longer be seen. In view of such injustice and unfairness, the Hong Kong University Students’ Union strongly denounces these traitors in the Council. We shall also seek legal advice and apply for judicial review in order to restore justice to this institution.
In retrospect, the Council has long trusted the professional judgement of the search committee and authorised it to administer the selection process, never rejecting any of its recommendations. The current Council yet disregards the competency of the President. First deferring, absurdly, the appointment of the Vice-President ‘until the post of provost is filled’, the Council further rejected the recommendation made by the search committee led by the President. Our President was currently, unfortunately, nominal and superseded with his management team laying in fragments. Leong Che-hung, the Chairperson of the Council, even exploits our right to know with the pretexts of the ‘practice of confidentiality’ and ‘collective decision’, leaving us ill-informed with the ostentatious claim of deciding ‘at the long-term and best interest of HKU’. The Council has now become merely a place for members to commend their own superiors. The manipulation of external members in our institution shall only be ever-escalating. Today, our eminence meets its end, our motto lays in pieces.
In view of such injustice, the Hong Kong University Students’ Union hereby demands that:
1. All Council members shall report and explain their choices of votes.
2. All twelve members who cast vote against the appointment shall resign from their positions.
3. Leong Che-hung shall be accountable for the issue and step down, resigning from the position of the Chairperson of the Council. He shall also apologise for his mistakes in the Council.
4. The University shall promise a review to the composition of the Council and increase the proportion of university members.
The Hong Kong University Students’ Union
30 September 2015