City University's council yesterday decided to form a special working group to study the feasibility of offering sub-degree programmes on a self-financing basis.
It was responding to pleas from staff and students in recent weeks for the university not to cut such programmes despite losing government funding.
The government will stop funding 13 of the 19 associate degree programmes being offered by the university in stages from next year. Representatives of a new coalition comprising Student Union members, fellow students and alumni said the university should not give up running the programmes simply because of financial concerns.
It said City U's long years in offering those programmes meant it could provide better quality assurance even if they were self-financing. The group also demanded there be a student representative in the working group. But this was turned down by the council.
Council chairman Leung Nai-pang said students could make submissions to the seven-member group, which will comprise three external council members, two representatives from management and two from the college.
'We want to have constructive discussions and we also hope that the group will come up with proposals before our senate meeting in October,' said Mr Leung.
