香港大學學生會教育學會、香港大學物理學會、香港大學學生會理學會（下稱理學會）聯同其他九個學會昨晚（ 3 月 22 日）向理學院院長艾宏思教授（Professor Matthew Evans）發公開信 [ 1 ]，反對理學院取消天文學和數學／物理兩項主修科目，要求理學院考慮撤回決定。
公開信批評院長未與理學院課程發展委員會商量是次決定，亦沒有向學生和教職員諮詢，院方先斬後奏，有違正常行政程序。公開信質疑院方僅取消兩項主修科目，但沒有削減該兩項主修由數學系及物理學系開辦的課程，院方節省資源的說法成疑。公開信指出，理學院與教育學院合辦的「教育學士及理學士 ( 雙學位課程 ) 」目前不接受學生主修數學科，若學生希望透過修讀該課程成為數學教師，則必須主修數學／物理科，因此教育學院的同學亦受主修科刪減的牽連。此外，香港大學是全港唯一開辦天文學主修的院校，院方理應維持優勢。惟院方基於畢業生人數少的原因作出是次決定，似乎視有志修讀該主修科的同學為微不足道，令同學深感被冒犯。公開信要求院方恪守理學院追求多元及推動探知的辦學方針，努力尋求改善的方法，而非一意孤行，執意取消兩項主修科。
理學會上星期在其 Facebook 專頁上轉載艾宏思回覆理學會之查詢 [ 2 ]。該回覆指，理學院將在 2018／19 學年取消數學／物理及天文學之主修科，理由是科目長期收生不足，過去連續五年各自只有不多於六個學生修畢該兩項主修科。艾宏思認為理學院需要善用資源，投放時間予更多學生，不應固守過於小眾的科目，浪費理學院的資金。現有的學生不會受轉制影響，兩個主修科目的召集人將於月底向學生解釋事件。理學會指，其他主修科目的同學未獲電郵通知。理學會是在收到修讀該主修科的同學反映的有關資訊後，以電郵向艾宏思查詢轉制是否屬實。
本刊向艾宏思查詢詳情。艾宏思表示 [ 3 ] 學生仍可副修天文學，院方暫時未打算取消任何課程，但是明年會檢視理學院的所有課程。由於很多課程只有少數學生修讀，院方有必要審視學校資源是否用得其所。被問到兩項主修科怎樣造成資源浪費，艾宏思提及學生對理學院的評分是低於大學的平均分數，反映同學對理學院的課程質素不滿，理學院如要改善同學的學習體驗，就不應再花費大量時間和金錢來營辦小眾的科目。且講師需要兼顧研究工作，而準備課堂的時間冗長，因此院方的決定能節省人手。但是按照艾宏思的說法，院方暫時不打算取消課程，省卻教學時間的說法無從稽考，未知是否代表明年會削減課程。
艾宏思教授主要研究生態學，於去年一月出任理學院院長，校長馬斐森曾評價艾宏思為一個「大膽的改革者」（bold reformer）。天文學於2008年成立，時任理學院院長郭新是物理學系講座教授，主要研究太空科學，曾擔任國際天文聯會行星狀星雲研究組主席，現任該聯會的太空生物委員會主席。郭現時是香港大學太空科學講座教授，亦是香港大學太空研究實驗室（Laboratory for Space Research）總監。該實驗室的網站指，他們希望教育上能提供更多太空科學的課程予物理學系，長遠更打算開設太空科學的主修科，未知計劃會否受削減課程影響。郭教授回覆本刊的查詢指，他作為去任院長，不應評論理學院事務，以免干預繼任院長的管理。
註：
[ 1 ] 理學會 Facebook 帖文 － 公開信
https://www.facebook.com/scisochkusu/posts/1285631238191123:0
[ 2 ] 理學會 Facebook 帖文 － 艾宏思回覆理學會查詢
https://www.facebook.com/scisochkusu/photos/a.467800163307572.1073741826.467741393313449/1277025585718355/?type=3&theater
[ 3 ] 艾宏思教授之回覆
Q. Has the Faculty taken into account students’ opinions upon making the decision?
A. All faculties must take decisions about what majors to launch and which to retire, this is part of the normal process of programme development in any university. Not to do so would be an irresponsible dereliction of our duty to ensure that students get the best experience possible at their university. The Faculty of Science has decided that it would intend to close the majors of Astronomy and Maths/Physics to new entrants from 2018/19, this is because there have been so few students choosing to enrol in these majors – the number of graduating students over the last five years has been: 1, 6, 3, 5, 4 in Astronomy and 1, 6, 1, 6, 4 in Maths/Physics. Students have simply voted with their feet. The Faculty cannot afford to mount majors or courses that have small numbers of students, we have an obligation to use the funds provided to us efficiently and teaching niche programmes is I am afraid too inefficient and results in a waste of academic time that is better spent in increasing the quality of education for larger numbers of students. The major convenors are due to discuss this with the students current on those majors later this month, we will take their views into account before taking a final decision on the fate of these majors.
Q. After the cancellation of the majors, would students still be able to minor in Astronomy?
A. The minor in Astronomy will continue to run as normal
Q. Some courses of the cancelled majors overlap with those of Physics courses. Will they be cancelled as well?
A. At this point in time we are not retiring any courses as a result of this decision. We will be conducting a review of courses over the next year, and there are many courses that are run in the Faculty for very small numbers of students. We have to question why these courses run at an inevitable cost to the experience of students on other courses.
Q. Could you kindly clarify on the current difficulty faced by the Faculty in allocating academic time and resources to the two majors? How has it caused inefficiency?
A. There is no particular difficulty, but we do need to make sure that we place effort and resources where it is best spent. The Faculty has student feedback scores that are below the University average in almost all aspects, this suggests that many student are not happy with the quality of the courses in the Faculty. We need to respond to this by working on improving the student experience, we will not do that by spending a lot of time, effort and money running majors or courses for very small numbers of students. While I do understand that a small number of students will be unhappy that they cannot do an Astronomy major here, the majority of students are on other majors and I have to be equally concerned about them. I also have to be aware that my staff need to do other things with their time – they need to conduct world class research and they need time to do that. Teaching a course is a significant time commitment even if it is being delivered to small numbers, this time would sometimes be better spent in improving teaching quality elsewhere or in research. As Dean I have to ensure that this balance is right.
