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The Chief Executive-in-Council has approved that Lingnan College should be awarded university status, and should adopt a new internal governance structure. Lingnan College will be retitled as 'Lingnan University.

The Lingnan University Bill, which gives effect to these changes, will be gazetted on June 17 and introduced into the Legislative Council on June 23.

"The awarding of university title and status to Lingnan College is a logical step following the College's attainment of self-accrediting status in September 1998 and a formal recognition of the College's tremendous effort in upgrading its academic standards over the past years," said a Government spokeman today (Wednesday).

"This has followed the same practice of retitling the two former Polytechnics, the former Baptist College and the former Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong," the spokesman added.

In line with the practice of other tertiary institutions, the internal governance structure of the future Lingnan University will consist of a Council, which is the executive body of the University, a Court, which mainly performs an advisory role, and a Senate, which is the supreme academic body of the University.

"As Lingnan College has been funded fully on par with other UGC-funded institutions, the awarding of university title to the College will neither incur additional Government resources nor affect the existing basis for funding allocation among tertiary institutions," the spokesman noted.

Lingnan College was registered as a post-secondary college in 1978. It started to offer degree programmes in 1991, came under the aegis of the then University and Polytechnics Grants Committee in 1992 and achieved self-accreditation in 1998.

After becoming a university, the institution will continue its mission to become an internationally recognised liberal art university with Hong Kong characteristics.

"The Chief Executive is currently the titular head of Lingnan College and will continue to hold such a post to be renamed as 'Chancellor' in the future Lingnan University," the spokesman said.

"The Chief Executive earlier considered relinquishing his role as titular head of all tertiary institutions in order to relieve himself of the heavy ceremonial duties. After careful reconsideration of various views, he has decided to continue his chancellorship in all tertiary institutions so as to maintain the traditional links with these institutions and to show support for the tertiary education sector.

"However, he would not be obliged to attend any ceremonial functions, such as annual Congregations, starting from 1999," he added.

End/Wednesday, June 16, 1999

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