About the Review

Lingnan University is incorporated under a Hong Kong Ordinance - Lingnan University Ordinance (Chapter 1165) (LU Ordinance) which outlines the University’s powers and duties, privileges and constitution. The LU Ordinance can only be amended by resolution of the Legislative Council.

 

With the purpose of improving the governance of LU and preparing for its future growth, the LU Council has resolved to propose various changes to the LU Ordinance and has prepared the draft of the Lingnan University (Amendment) Bill 2022 for submission to the Panel on Education of the Legislative Council for consideration.  The purpose of the Amendment Bill is to:
 

(i)	clarify that while the LU Council still preserves the authority to approve the policies governing the terms and conditions of service of staff, the LU Council may delegate to its committee(s) or the President the power to approve the terms and conditions of service of individual employees;
(ii)	stipulate the Senate’s duty to direct and regulate matters relating to intellectual property rights and knowledge transfer;
(iii)	allow appointment of up to three Vice-Presidents;
(iv)	amend the student membership in the LU Council and the LU Court; and
(v)	provide for related matters.

 

Proposed amendments

Clarification of the LU Council’s role in approving the policy governing the terms and conditions of service of staff

LU believes that the LU Council should be the authority to approve the policy governing the terms and conditions of service of staff members while it may delegate its power to its committee(s) or the President to approve the terms and conditions of service of individual employees.

 

Revision to reflect the Senate’s duty to direct and regulate matters relating to intellectual property rights and knowledge transfer

LU has started to register trademark and patent that result from its research work.  LU deems it appropriate to clarify the role of the Senate in regulating and overseeing matters related to intellectual property rights and knowledge transfer in the relevant provisions of the LU Ordinance.

 

Appointment of up to three Vice-Presidents

LU considers that there is a pressing need to strengthen the University’s management team for the development of the University.  The current structure of the LU’s senior management team consists of a President and a Vice-President appointed by the Council and three Associate Vice-Presidents appointed by the President who are responsible for academic affairs and external relations, academic quality assurance and internationalisation, and student affairs respectively.  LU deems it appropriate to appoint up to three Vice-Presidents to build a stronger University’s management team for the University’s future development.

 

Student membership in the LU Council and the Court

LU appreciates that students are among the key stakeholders of the University and the importance of student member’s participation in university business, and notes that there is a significant increase of the number of postgraduate students in LU and “Augmenting Postgraduate Studies” is one of the strategic areas in LU’s Strategic Plan 2022-28.  In order to better allow the University to reflect overall student representation, LU proposes a student representative to be elected from the undergraduate students to be a member in the LU Council and the Court to encourage participation of the undergraduate students in university business, and to expand the student membership in the LU Council and the Court to include postgraduate students to the effect that their views could be better reflected in the University’s governance structure.