SINGAPORE: The National University of Singapore (NUS) Students' Union (NUSSU) said on Friday (Apr 26) that it was "extremely disappointed" with how the town hall held at the campus to address students' concerns about sexual misconduct was run, calling for another session.
The town hall was held to address concerns and feedback from NUS students on sexual misconduct on campus, and to discuss how the university can further strengthen its disciplinary and support frameworks.
Advertisement[h=3]READ: NUS students call for school to be held accountable for sexual misconduct on campus[/h][h=3]READ: NUS Students’ Union to consider if ‘heavier punishments’ are needed for sex harassment cases[/h]It was organised as the university came under scrutiny after one of its students, Ms Monica Baey, took to Instagram to call for tougher action against a student who had filmed her taking a shower at her hostel.
"While we appreciate that the university promptly responded to the students’ call for a town hall, we are extremely disappointed in the way the meeting was run," the student body executive committee said in a Facebook post one day after the town hall was held.
AdvertisementAdvertisementNUSSU said in its post that it regretted that the town hall was planned in a way that "did not allow for an extension".
Some students had taken issue with the amount of time allocated for the town hall, and that requests for a longer session were not met.
Dozens of students were still in line to ask questions when the meeting ended after one-and-a-half hours.
"The town hall should have been the administration’s top priority in light of the various concerns raised by the students over the past week.
"This was also a huge letdown for students who cleared their schedules prior to finals but were unable to voice their concerns," it said.
The group also stated it was "disheartened" that the panellists were "unable to answer students’ questions adequately".
It said that this was because they are not on the Review Committee - a body set up to review the university's current disciplinary and support frameworks after Ms Baey's story came to light.
Among those on Thursday's panel were Vice-Provost (Student Life) Florence Ling and Dean of Students Peter Pang who addressed more than 500 students at an auditorium.
"Furthermore, the town hall did not meet its original intentions of sharing its investigative and disciplinary procedures and the sanctions framework for sexual misconduct," NUSSU added.
During Thursday's session, NUS students called for the school to take responsibility for cases of sexual misconduct that take place on campus.
Ms Baey was also in attendance and said there was a lack of victim support and bad communication by NUS.
Prof Ling apologised to Ms Baey and the student body. She added that NUS was setting up a unit for victim care, and that they would step up education workshops.
Students also came forward during the session to share other stories of sexual harassment on campus.
[h=3]READ: 'We fell short': NUS president apologises to alumni over handling of sexual misconduct case[/h][h=3]READ: Commentary: University campuses must be safe places for all[/h]FORMAL REQUEST FOR A SECOND TOWN HALL
Despite the criticism from NUSSU, the student body welcomed the university's move to establish a centralised victim support unit and improve security infrastructure in halls and residential colleges.
It also acknowledged that the university accepted the group's suggestion to enforce anonymity and include counsellors on standby.
It added that two formal requests were sent to the NUS president, Prof Tan Eng Chye - one concerning the Review Committee and the second for another town hall.
"The first (request) is to increase the diversity and quantity of student representation in the Review Committee.
"The second is to convene another town hall with members of the Review Committee on the panel as part of their report crafting methodology. This is to ensure that students can receive committal answers from individuals who have decision-making power in the committee, and that their voices are heard," NUSSU said.
Students' reaction to the first town hall was mixed. While some students thought it was promising that the management organised the sessions, others told CNA it lacked transparency and was a "disaster".
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