Poly University cuts ties with student union

The student union of Polytechnic University said on Friday that the university had cut ties with it by demanding that it stop using the university’s name or claiming affiliation with the institution.

The union’s Ad-hoc Executive Committee said the university had also told it in an email sent on Thursday that all of its affiliated organisations must move out of the university campus by July 15, 2022.

The student union said the move came after it had refused to sign an agreement with the university requiring it not to carry out any acts that would damage the institution’s reputation.

The union said it decided not to accept the agreement after the majority of its members had voted against signing it in January.

It expressed deep regret over the university’s move, saying the union had been serving PolyU students for half a century and been a bridge between the study body and the university.

It said the university’s decision means it no longer recognises the union’s official status and that it amounted to an erosion of students’ rights.

Responding to an RTHK enquiry, the university said organisations claiming connection with it must sign a form to obtain authorisation, but the union had not done so.

“In accordance with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Ordinance, the university requires any organisation which claims connection with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to sign and return the acknowledgement of compliance to the university in order to obtain authorisation. The requirement serves to safeguard PolyU’s reputation and interests.

“The university has given repeated reminders to the students’ union to sign and return the acknowledgement of compliance by 31 January 2022, but no such response has been received from the students’ union to date. As a result, the university has decided to require the students’ union and its affiliated organisations to immediately cease to use the title of ‘The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’ or ‘PolyU’, and to refrain from claiming to be connected with the university. The students’ union and its affiliated organisations should move out of the campus venue on or before 15 July 2022.”