The following message is sent to you for and on behalf of Mr. Jonathan Chu who is a 5th year resident and the Convener of the SA Review Committee of St. John’s College.
Dear St. Johnians and Alumni,
On 19th September this year, the Students? Association (?SA?) at its 2nd EGM resolved to establish a committee for the review of the governance and finance of the SA (?SA Review Committee?). After rounds of discussions and consultation, the SA Review Committee has published its Final Report on 20th November, making 40 recommendations on the SA’s structure, financial practice, subscription and other constitutional amendments.
On 27th November, the SA at its 3rd EGM received the Final Report of the SA Review Committee. It also resolved to adopt the proposed amendments to the Constitution, By-Laws and Internal Regulations, as well as to adopt the new Financial Regulations, in order to give effect to the recommendations.
Most notably, the previous 16-member Executive Committee has been restructured into an eight-member Council of Directors, positioned to formulate the SA?s directions, policies and corresponding initiatives. The Council is composed of the following:
– The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson (recommended to be 3rd year residents)
– The Directors of College Life, of Communications and of Integration (recommended to be 2nd year residents)
– The Treasurer, Secretary and Council Representative
Six additional offices have been established. They are called the Executive Officers:
– The Publications Officer
– The Promotion Officer
– The Integration Officer
– The Sports Officer
– The Cultural Officer
– The Awareness Officer
While the Publications, Promotion and Integration Officers are positioned to assist their respective Directors in carrying out their initiatives, the Sports, Cultural and Awareness Officers have a larger mandate under the Constitution to further the development of their respective fields in the College.
You may access the Final Report and the revised governing documents of the SA at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lskXVZAe5VbHu8yDJGrfzYWrcO28SNO7.
Please consult these documents for the rationale behind the recommendations, and details of other changes that have been adopted. In particular, you may wish to refer to the diagram on p. 68 of the Final Report for a visual representation of the reformed SA structure.
I would like to thank the other 13 members of the SA Review Committee (the names of whom could be found on p. 3 of the Final Report) for their invaluable input and effort in the past two months. Thanks are also due to the current residents, tutors and alumni for their support throughout and their suggestions. It is hoped that, with the changes that have now been adopted, the student body of the College could step out of its recent difficulties and move on to a new stage of development.
Best Regards,
Jonathan Chu
Convener of the SA Review Committee
5th-year resident at St. John’s College
