Convocation EGM - Change of Venue and Standing Orders

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Message from HKU Convocation Standing Committee

Dear Members,

HKU Convocation Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) will be held on Tuesday, 1 September 2015 at 7:00pm in Hall 3G, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai (Entry at Harbour Road) and will close at 10:30 pm.

These Standing Orders are to be read in conjunction with the Important Notes on Conduct of the Meeting.

1. Venue

a) The number of registrations received so far exceeds the capacity of any venue on the HKU campus. It is necessary to hold the EGM outside the HKU campus. The Convocation Standing Committee apologises for the short notice regarding the change of venue. Every effort will be made to notify all Convocation Members of the new venue of the meeting, and notices for directing members to the new venue will be placed at the previously announced venue. Furthermore, it has been decided to extend the voting period to 10:30pm (see 4(b)(v) below) to accommodate Members who might need time to travel to the new venue to vote.

b) After checking all other possible venues in town, Hall 3G, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai is the only venue that can be arranged for the EGM and at such short notice.

2. Admission

a) This is a closed meeting for Convocation Members only.

b) On arrival, you will be asked to present your HKID card/passport for verification before admission. You are therefore requested to arrive early. Admission Counters will open at 6:00 pm.

c) After confirmation of your membership status, you will receive:
    (i) a security tag which you must wear at all times during the EGM as proof of admission to the venue;
    (ii) a speaking request form on which you shall fill in your own name, year of graduation and degree, or department and present post for teaching staff, before depositing it in the Speaking Request Box if you wish to speak during General Discussion (see 3 (b) below) at the EGM; and
    (iii) a set of ballot forms for voting (see 4 below).

d) Registration to attend the EGM will close at 6:00 pm on 28 August 2015. Members who have not registered by this deadline can attend in person, but are requested to arrive early for registration on-site at designated counters, following instructions of staff.

3. Meeting Proceedings

a) The Chairman of the EGM will call the meeting to order (see Order of Business) at 7:00pm.

b) General Discussion will last for about two and a half hours, beginning with speeches from the three requisitionists or their representatives.

c) A number of duly completed speaking request forms will be drawn from the Speaking Request Box. Those Members who have their speaking request forms duly drawn from the Speaking Request Box will speak in turn during General Discussion. Each speaker will speak once and for no more than two minutes. Only Members whose names are drawn can speak, and this opportunity to speak is not transferable.

4. Voting

a) Convocation Rule 20 provides that "At any general meeting a resolution or motion put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands, unless (before the declaration of the result of the show of hands) a poll is demanded by at least five members entitled to vote present in person or by proxy, and unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the Chairman, or the chairman of the meeting that a resolution or motion has, on a show of hands, been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost shall be conclusive."

b) If a poll is duly demanded, the following procedures will take effect:
    (i) Members attending in person or by proxy are eligible to cast votes.
    (ii) Each ballot form contains three boxes: "for", "against" and "abstain". Please put an "X" in one of the relevant boxes to indicate your decision and deposit in the ballot box.
    (iii) Convocation Rule 19 provides that all resolutions or motions which may be put to vote at a general meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members entitled to vote present in person or by proxy.
    (iv) The motions to be voted on shall be the motions as shown on the Notice of EGM, and there shall be no amendment made to the published motions.
    (v) Voting will begin with the commencement of General Discussion (see 3(b) above), and will close at 10:30 pm.

c) The voting results will be announced on the Convocation website (www.convocation.hku.hk) on 2 September 2015.

5. Proxy

a) Proxy appointment is an agreement between the Appointor and the Appointee.

b) Membership particulars of Appointors and Appointees on the proxy forms will be verified by the Secretariat prior to the date of the EGM.

c) Proxy counter will open at 5:30pm. Proxy Appointees are advised to arrive early at the venue to sign for confirmation of the proxies. The number of ballot forms issued will be based on the number of proxies confirmed by the Appointee.

d) A Member who has submitted a proxy form before the deadline of 6:00 pm on 28 August 2015, but subsequently chooses to vote at the EGM in person, is required to first withdraw the proxy in person together with the Appointee at the proxy counter on site between 5:30-6:30pm on the date of the EGM. A Member who fails to withdraw the proxy will not be issued any ballot forms.

6. Conduct of Meeting

Members are reminded that no photography, recording or filming is allowed during the Meeting. Convocation may arrange for official photographers and videographers for documentation purpose.

7. Acknowledgement

The Convocation Standing Committee wishes to thank the University for rendering the support and resources necessary for the conduct of this EGM. The Standing Committee is mindful that at the time of the EGM, a new school term will have just begun and that the University will be fully committed to and preoccupied with the regular administrative duties particularly essential to teaching and learning.

John Wan,
Chairman, HKU Convocation
25 August 2015

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