中文系系主任发电邮回复毕业典礼风波 | NTU Chinese Division Head responds to dissatisfaction over convocation ceremony arrangements in email yesterday

中文系系主任昨天通过电邮回复中文系毕业生对学校毕业典礼安排所提出的种种疑问。

文：张育铭 中文编辑

毕业：于去年其中一场毕业典礼获颁大学文凭的南大毕业生。
照片：南洋理工大学

因人文与社会科学学院有超过700名毕业人数，109名中文系准毕业生前天接获通知，即将在七月与艺术设计媒体学院一同举行，但HSS毕业生代表候选人名单当中却没出现中文系学生，也令中文系毕业生议论纷纷，并且有学生通过社交媒体表达不满。

针对学生不满及媒体关注，中文系系主任衣若芬副教授昨天透过电邮再度解释澄清。

在传给中文系毕业生的电邮中，她表示一场毕业典礼一般大约有450名学生, 但人文与科学学院（HSS）每年的毕业生远远超出毕业礼能容纳的人数，所以必须以轮换次序安排科系在别的场次办毕业礼。在过去两年，HSS的经济系毕业生也和艺术设计媒体学院（ADM）同场举办毕业典礼。

衣若芬也澄清说，中文系虽然有推荐的毕业典礼代表，但碍于行政因素，今年将由ADM毕业生代表致词。这是中文系首次没有毕业生代表候选人。

“基于去年中文系已经有代表致词，而且和ADM同一场，ADM的学生人数较多，所以没有被投选。过去两年的情况是：和ADM同一场，2013年由ADM学生致词；2014年的致词人来自HSS。依此规律，今年由ADM学生致词。”

在去年经济系与ADM的毕业典礼中，校方允许经济系毕业生从系内三名候选人中选出代表。

衣若芬也在电邮中呼吁学生们可以向她和大学有关部门商量及反馈意见。她也说：“向大学提出疑问的同学已经满意学校的回复，而且为自己的误解道歉了。”

电邮传出后，有学生表示满意校方的回复，并认为这起事件已圆满解决。

中文系准毕业生何欣恩（23岁）说：“我认为这起风波在校内，至少在收到电邮的全体大四毕业生之中，已经得到妥善的处理。我一直对学校很有信心，相信学校有自己的安排。”

Associate Professor I Lo-fen, Head of Division of Chinese, explains HSS’ decisions regarding convocation ceremony arrangements.

By Chong Yoke Ming Chinese Editor

Amid dissatisfaction from the school’s Chinese major graduands over their convocation ceremony arrangements, the Head of Division of Chinese from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) responded yesterday with an email.

“The usual convocation ceremony can only accommodate approximately 450 students due to space constraints. HSS has more than 700 graduands each year, excluding Masters and PHD students. As a result, there will be some students from the school who have to join a separate convocation ceremony,” said Associate Professor I Lo-fen in the email, which was sent to the 109 Chinese major graduands, some of whom had expressed their displeasure on social media earlier.

She also pointed out that in the previous two years, Economics major graduands had to hold their convocation ceremonies with graduands from the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM), instead of with the other HSS graduands.

She was responding to concerns over the school’s decision two days ago to arrange the Chinese major graduands to have a separate convocation ceremony from the rest of the HSS graduands — one that will be shared with ADM.

The convocation ceremonies are scheduled to be held in July this year.

A more controversial issue that caused dissatisfaction among the Chinese major graduands was that an ADM graduand will be appointed valedictorian for their ceremony. Despite the Chinese major graduands nominating one earlier, their candidate did not show up in the shortlisted list of candidates for the HSS valedictorian.

This is the first time the Chinese division will not have a valedictorian candidate.

Regarding this, Prof I explained: “The Chinese majors already had a valedictorian from their course last year, and in their convocation ceremony this year, the majority of the students are from ADM, hence the decision. In the past two years when the Economics graduands shared a venue with ADM, the two schools took turns to name a valedictorian. It was ADM in 2013, and HSS last year. Therefore, the valedictorian in the ceremony this year will come from ADM.”

In the convocation ceremony for the Economics major graduands and ADM graduands last year, the Economics graduands were allowed to choose a valedictorian out of three nominees in a vote that was held separate from the rest of the HSS cohort.

In the email, Prof I also urged students who have issues with the arrangements to approach her or the relevant university authorities, saying that they will be glad to discuss these issues.

“The students who had voiced their concerns earlier are satisfied with the school’s reply and have already apologised for the misunderstanding,” she added.

After the email was sent out, there were students who felt satisfied with the school’s reasonings for their decisions.

“I feel that this entire saga has been dealt with properly by the school, at least within the graduating batch,” said Chinese major graduand Ho Sing Ern, 23.