Student Union & Hall Association Disputes: Overview

One recall referendum, one late-night candle-wax incident, a stack of advertising invoices nobody could quite account for — in the century-long history of HKU student self-governance, running a "society" (莊) was never just a clean line on a résumé. This module covers organisational and operational disputes involving the Student Union (HKUSU) and hall resident associations: elections and recalls, Council conflicts, opaque "society fund" (莊費) accounting, orientation-camp incidents, hall hazing, and handling of sexual-harassment cases. Multiple sources are presented side by side, each item marked for credibility, with no political characterisation offered. Politicised events from 2019 onward (debate over the Union's continuation, Council splits, etc.) are covered separately in 13 · Campus Governance & Reform and 14 · History of Student Movements, and are not repeated here.

# Files in this module

# Timeline at a glance

# See also

• 07 · Student Life · Student Organisations — HKUSU structure and the six broad categories of societies (factual)
• 07 · Student Life · Halls of Residence & Traditions — the hall system, high-table dinners, and other positive traditions (factual)
• 13 · Campus Governance & Reform — the balance of power between the university administration and the Council
• 14 · History of Student Movements — timeline of debate over the Union's continuation and politicised events
• 19 · Canteens & Food Safety — a sister module in the campus-life group

Last updated: 2026-07-01 · This overview is organised into four in-depth files by theme, presented neutrally at the level of mechanics; politically characterised material is routed to Modules 13/14.