Ngee Ann College Bill

Bill No. 7/1967

Read the first time on 13th March 1967.

An Act to provide for the incorporation of the Ngee Ann College and for matters connected therewith.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows: —

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the Ngee Ann College Act, 1967, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Council;

“College” means the Ngee Ann College incorporated under section 3 of this Act;

“Council” means the Council of the College constituted under section 5 of this Act;

“the Ngee Ann Kongsi” means the Ngee Ann Kongsi incorporated under the Ngee Ann Kongsi (Incorporation) Ordinance (Cap. 307);

“Principal” means the Principal of the College appointed under subsection (1) of section 16 of this Act;

“Registrar” means the Registrar of the College appointed under subsection (1) of section 11 of this Act;

“Senate” means the Senate of the College constituted under section 5 of this Act.

Incorporation of the Ngee Ann College

3. There shall be constituted in accordance with the provisions of this Act a College with the name and style of the Ngee Ann College, which shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, with full power by and in such name to sue and be sued and to perform such other acts as bodies corporate may by law perform, and with other powers conferred by, under or by virtue of this Act.

Objects and functions of the College

4. The objects and functions of the College shall be —

(a)	to assist in the preservation, dissemination, communication and increase of knowledge;
(b)	to provide regular courses of instruction in the sciences, the technologies and commerce, and in such other branches of knowledge as the Council may from time to time determine; and
(c)	to stimulate the intellectual, cultural, commercial and industrial development of Singapore and thereby to assist in promoting its economic and social welfare.

Council and Senate

5. There shall be for the College a Council and a Senate, the composition, functions and powers of which bodies shall be as set out in this Act.

Council to be supreme governing body

6. The Council shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be the supreme governing and executive body of the College and shall administer the property of the College in accordance with the objects and functions thereof as set out in section 4 of this Act.

Composition of the Council

7.—(1) The Council shall consist of —

(a)	the Principal;
(b)	three members appointed by the Committee of Management of the Ngee Ann Kongsi from among the members of the Ngee Ann Kongsi;
(c)	three members appointed by the Minister for Education;
(d)	two members appointed by the Senate from among its own members, other than the Principal;
(e)	one member appointed by the Economic Development Board established under the Economic Development Board Ordinance, 1961 (Ord. 21 of 1961);
(f)	one member elected from the full-time staff of the College from among themselves; and
(g)	three members representing commercial interests and three members representing industrial interests appointed by a majority of the members appointed under paragraphs (a) to (f) of this subsection.

(2) Persons who hold appointments in the College shall not be eligible for appointment to membership of the Council under paragraph (b), (c) or (e) of subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The Council shall elect a Chairman, one First Deputy Chairman and one Second Deputy Chairman from among its own members.

(4) Every member of the Council appointed under subsection (1) of this section shall hold office for three years and shall be eligible for reappointment.

(5) Any member of the Council may resign from the Council by notice in writing to that effect addressed to the Chairman and as from the date of the receipt by the Chairman of such notice such member shall cease to be a member of the Council.

(6) Upon any vacancy in the Council occurring by reason of the resignation or death of any member or of any other event, the authority by whom such member was appointed shall fill such vacancy for the remainder of the period of membership of the member whose office has been so vacated.

(7) If the Chairman is absent at any meeting, the First Deputy Chairman and in his absence the Second Deputy Chairman shall preside at such meeting, and when so doing shall have and may exercise all the powers and functions of the Chairman.

(8) In the absence of the Chairman and both Deputy Chairmen at any meeting of the Council, such member, as the members may select, shall act as Chairman at such meeting.

Functions of the Council

8.—(1) It shall be the duty of the Council to exercise its powers in the manner best calculated to promote the objects and functions of the College.

(2) The functions of the Council shall include —

(a)	the authorisation of appropriate and necessary expenditure within the limits of the funds available to the College;
(b)	the receipt of an annual report on the working of the College from the Principal;
(c)	the preparation of the annual estimates and of such annual statements of accounts ending 31st December in accordance with any rules made under this Act;
(d)	the appointment of the members of the academic and administrative staffs and the appointment of such advisers as the Council may consider necessary or desirable;
(e)	the provision of residence for members of the academic and administrative staffs and students of the College;
(f)	the raising of funds for the College and the provision of the revenues of the College;
(g)	the discipline of the College; and
(h)	the doing of all such matters and things as the Council may deem necessary for the exercise or performance of all or any of the functions and duties of the Council.

Powers of the Council

9. For the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Council may, where it considers it necessary or expedient —

(a)	enter into contracts;
(b)	acquire, purchase, take, hold and enjoy movable and immovable property of every description;
(c)	sell, convey, assign, surrender and yield up, mortgage, demise, re-assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any movable or immovable property vested in the Council upon such terms as to the Council seems fit;
(d)	borrow money at interest on the security of any corporate land or of any funds of the Council;
(e)	invest the funds of the Council; and
(f)	do all other matters and things incidental or appertaining to a body corporate.

Meetings of the Council

10.—(1) Every question before the Council at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present.

(2) Six members present at any meeting of the Council shall form a quorum:

Provided that for the purposes of paragraphs (c), (d) and (e) of section 9 of this Act, the quorum shall not be less than ten members.

(3) The Chairman of any meeting of the Council shall have an original vote and, in the case of equality of votes, may exercise a second or casting vote.

Registrar to be Secretary of the Council

11.—(1) There shall be a Registrar of the College who shall be appointed by the Council upon such terms and conditions as it may determine.

(2) The Registrar shall —

(a)	be the Secretary of the Council;
(b)	attend all meetings of the Council unless excused by the Chairman;
(c)	maintain proper records of such meetings; and
(d)	carry out such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Council.

(3) In the absence of the Registrar, the Chairman may appoint a suitable person to act as secretary for a particular meeting.

(4) The records of any meeting shall be circularised to members of the Council within fourteen days of the date of such meeting.

(5) The Registrar shall not, unless he is a member of the Council appointed to serve in that capacity for a particular meeting under subsection (3) of this section, be entitled to vote on any question before the Council.

Use of the Common Seal

12. The Common Seal of the Council shall not be used or affixed to any document except in the presence of the Chairman or a member of the Council and the Principal and in pursuance of a resolution duly passed at a properly constituted meeting of the Council and duly recorded in the minutes of such meeting.

Senate

13.—(1) The Senate shall, subject to the provisions of this Act and of any rules made thereunder, have the control of —

(a)	the instruction, education and research in the College;
(b)	the conducting of examinations for students of the College;
(c)	the award of certificates, diplomas and other academic qualifications.

(2) The Council may, from time to time, add to or vary the duties of the Senate set out in subsection (1) of this section.

Composition of the Senate

14. The Senate shall consist of —

(a)	the Principal who shall be Chairman;
(b)	the Heads of all the Departments of the College;
(c)	the Heads of all divisions under each Department;
(d)	the Librarian of the College;
(e)	two members, elected from the full-time academic staff of the College from among themselves, who shall hold office for a period of three years; and
(f)	the Registrar as the Secretary.

Committees and boards

15.—(1) The Council and the Senate may appoint such committees or boards as the Council and Senate respectively may think fit.

(2) Unless otherwise expressly provided in rules made under this Act, any such committee or board may consist partly of persons who are not members of the Council or the Senate as the case may be.

(3) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Council and the Senate may, with or without such restrictions or conditions as the Council and the Senate respectively may think fit, delegate any of their powers and duties to any committee or board.

Principal to be chief administrative officer of the College

16.—(1) The Council shall appoint the Principal of the College upon such terms and conditions as it may determine.

(2) The Principal shall be —

(a)

the chief administrative and academic officer of the College; and

(b)

responsible to the Council for —

(i)	the proper administration and the academic management of the College in accordance with the policy of the Council;
(ii)	the proper enforcement of any rules made under this Act;
(iii)	the discipline of the students of the College; and
(iv)	the preparation of the annual report on the working of the College, and of the annual estimates and of such annual statements of accounts ending 31st December as are required to be received and prepared by the Council under the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (2) of section 8 of this Act.

(3) For the purpose of giving effect to subsection (2) of this section, the Principal shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, have all such powers as are necessary or proper for such purpose.

(4) The Principal shall be entitled to speak at any committee meeting of the College, but shall not be entitled to vote unless he is a member thereof.

Income and property of the College

17. The income and property of the College shall include —

(a)	such sums of money and movable property as the Ngee Ann Kongsi may donate or contribute to the College;
(b)	such immovable property as the Ngee Ann Kongsi may, subject to the provisions of section 20 of the Ngee Ann Kongsi (Incorporation) Ordinance (Cap. 307), alienate or donate to the College; and
(c)	gifts, grants, donations and other assets from whencesoever derived and of whatever nature.

Rules

18.—(1) The Council may make such rules as seem to it to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, rules may be made for any of the purposes or with respect to any of the matters following, that is to say: —

(a)

matters relating to the general administration and the academic management of the College, including —

(i)	the qualifications necessary for entrance to the College, the courses of instruction to be provided for students at the College, the duration and number of terms thereat and the award of certificates, diplomas and other academic qualifications;
(ii)	the grant of scholarships and studentships and the revocation of any such grant;

(b)

the establishment of a scheme or schemes for the payment of gratuities, provident fund or other superannuation benefits to such employees or classes of employees of the College, as the Council may determine, on their death or retirement from the service of the College or on their otherwise leaving the service of the College;

(c)

the regulation of the proceedings of the Council;

(d)

the regulation of the keeping and presentation of accounts and the audit of accounts;

(e)

the fees to be charged for courses of study and any other fees that may be levied by the College;

(f)

the management of the library and laboratories and all other branches of college activity not specifically provided for in this Act; and

(g)

the constitution, powers and duties of any committee or board appointed under subsection (1) of section 15 of this Act.

(3) All rules made under this section shall be published in the Gazette.

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