Parents want university president to stay in post

Parents of National Chi Nan University students yesterday announced plans to support president Lee Chia-tung (李家|P), who has offered to resign over a recent dispute because of his decision to relocate students to Taipei from earthquake-hit Puli, Nantou County.

"We think it was the right decision to let the students come to Taipei," said parents' representative Wang Jen-hua (?y?秘?/CHINESE>) after a meeting with other parents yesterday afternoon.

Wang said the group will meet Education Minister Kirby Yung (楊朝2?/CHINESE>) today to recover Lee's letter of resignation and visit Lee tomorrow to ask him to change his mind.

Because most of the university's buildings were damaged in the Sept. 21 earthquake, Lee evacuated the students , encouraging them to attend classes in Taipei, sharing classrooms with National Taiwan University students.

The decision, however, has over the past month received much criticism from certain lawmakers, who believe that the damage suffered by the university was not enough to warrant an evacuation.

The politicians accused the university of abandoning the Puli community and failing in its responsibility to help Puli with reconstruction work.

The conflict heated up last Thursday when Lee was invited to the Legislative Yuan to brief the lawmakers on the damage done to the university.

DPP legislators led by Lin Chung-mo (林-威?/CHINESE>) and Tsai Huang-lang (1/22?瑯) lashed out at Lee, calling him a liar who was not welcome in Puli.

Lee announced his resignation immediately after that to protest against what he said was political interference in the university's affairs.

Parents yesterday condemned Lin and Tsai for the insulting remarks, demanding that they offered an apology.

"Otherwise, we will go to the Legislative Yuan to relay our severest protest," Wang said.

Wang said it was unreasonable to expect the university to take all the responsibility for Puli's reconstruction.

"Chi Nan students are also disaster victims themselves and of course they could not offer help," Wang said.

"When all water, power and sanitary facilities have broken down, how can the students stay?" Wang said.

In fact, Wang noted, working teams consisting of Chi Nan students have already been sent to help Puli residents, while the parents will also help rebuild the university and the community.

Chi Nan students meanwhile, have sent a letter to Yung to ask him to persuade Lee to stay. In the letter, the students said what they need is a simple educational environment and a president who cares about them.

They said Lee was a competent president who had started reforms to improve the university's administrative efficiency since he took office in July.

Hsu Hong (徐泓), the university's dean of academic affairs, said his university is set to release a statement today to condemn political attempts to interfere with the school's affairs.

"Lawmakers have no right to do that," Hsu said.