余若薇致港大10院長：別向無權學生施壓　請促校委會勿再拖延

立場新聞 2015/07/31 00:49

    香港大學十位學院院長，今日就港大學生圍堵校委會一事發表聯合聲明，表示不能縱容擾亂大學正常運作的「不文明行為」，指「擾亂」校委會會議之行為令人「深感不安」。公民黨主席余若薇，以港大校友身份撰寫公開信，質疑十位院長向無權學生施壓，卻不直接就副校任命事件表態，促請院長們協助學生，開腔要求校委會勿再拖延任命。
    10院長的聲明，未有直接提及副校長任命爭議，但敦促學校最高決策層，貫徹秉承「學術自由」、「院校自主」兩項原則處理事務，又呼籲校內校外各方，尊重這兩項原則。聲明同時認為，在任何情況下，均不能縱容任何「企圖擾亂大學正常運作的不文明行為」，對前晚有人「擾亂」校委會會議「深感不安」。
    余若薇深夜發表致10位院長的公開信，指10名院長聯合發表聲明，實屬罕見，但質疑院長無意中向無權的學生施壓，但卻未有就校委會處理副校任命的問題作出任何表態，對嚴重損害大學正常運作的校委會決定，未置一詞。
    余若薇指出，目前有大批校友及校方高層，不滿校委會過去兩次會議「等埋首副」的決定，相信院長們亦知悉。余若薇形容，學生所爭取的，本應由院長等人去爭取，促請10院長履行責任、協助學生，要求校委會勿再拖延，令大學回復正常運作。

    你們說不可縱容不文明行為，但可有想過學生行為背後的原因？他們或許擾亂了大學正常運作，但校委會的決定對大學運作傷害更大，你們有說過一句話嗎？院長的責任是引導及幫助學生，尤其是他們代替你們去抗爭之時。

    發這樣的聲明，你們無意中，已將壓力施加於無權的學生身上，卻沒有要求掌權者捍衞你們所講的重要價值。

    余若薇公開信全文：

    OPEN LETTER TO THE TEN DEANS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

    Dear Deans

    I write as an alumna of this University.

    It is rare for 10 deans of the University of Hong Kong to issue a joint public statement. So it must be important and for the right reason.

    You say academic freedom and institutional autonomy are the absolute bedrock of higher education in Hong Kong. You call on all parties including those within the University to respect these principles. By those within the University, you must include the University Council. And you must be aware that many senior staff and alumni of the University are deeply dismayed – to use your term - precisely because academic freedom and institutional integrity are being threatened by the very controversial decisions of the University Council in its last two meetings to depart from its normal practice and due process and to refuse to deliberate on the recommendation of the Search Committee for the post of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Staffing and Resources) despite the strong urging from the Vice Chancellor. The excuse given for such delay is nonsensical and an affront to common sense. When has the University suspended discussion of the Search Committee in order to wait for the view of one single person who has not even been appointed? 

    You say you cannot condone uncivil activity. But you are aware of the cause behind such activity. You say this disrupts normal operation of the University. But have you said anything about the above decisions of the University Council which cause far greater damage to the normal operation of the University?

    As deans, it is your responsibility to guide and help the students, particularly when they are fighting the fight that you ought to be fighting for. Yet by issuing the public statement, you may be unwittingly applying pressure on the powerless students instead of urging those in power to stand by those principles that you say are important. I urge you to do what you can to help the students, to persuade the Council members not to delay, to return to its usual practice and to restore normal operation to the University.

    Yours sincerely
    Audrey Eu LLB 1975