'Zero tolerance' on sexual misconduct: NTU
Other universities also clarify policies and procedures on sexual harassment following public outcry over NUS case
Some universities in Singapore have spoken about their stance against sexual misconduct on campus, after the public outcry over the case of a female undergraduate who was secretly filmed in a hostel shower at the National University of Singapore (NUS) by another student.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) told The New Paper yesterday that it has expelled students over harassment-related offences, which includes sexual harassment.
The university reminded its students of its zero-tolerance stance towards harassment in an e-newsletter sent by its student life team, made up of staff members, yesterday.
Last Friday, NUS third-year communications and new media student Monica Baey took to social media to complain about what she felt was insufficient punishment for a male undergraduate who had filmed her showering without her consent in Eusoff Hall last November.
Apart from a police warning, the culprit, whom she identified as Mr Nicholas Lim, 23, a chemical engineering student, was also suspended for a semester, barred from entering all on-campus housing, made to undergo mandatory counselling, and told to apologise to his victim after an NUS disciplinary hearing.
Her posts sparked calls from within and outside NUS for the culprit to be punished more severely, including a call by Education Minister Ong Ye Kung for the school to take a tough stand for offences that affect the safety of students on campus.
The police also released a statement to explain why the student was only given a warning, saying he had shown a high likelihood of rehabilitation, among other factors.
On Saturday, documents were leaked revealing 26 cases of sexual offences that were brought before the NUS disciplinary board from 2015 to 2018. None of the offenders in these cases was expelled.
NUS president Tan Eng Chye has acknowledged the university's mistakes in Miss Baey's case.
NUS also said it would convene a committee to review disciplinary processes and support frameworks.
NUS TOWNHALL
It is holding a townhall meeting today to gather feedback and concerns on sexual misconduct on campus and discuss how to improve its disciplinary and support mechanisms.
An NTU spokesman said the school decides its disciplinary action after considering the circumstances and severity of each case.
He added: "Disciplinary actions in the past have included expulsion from the hostel or university, suspension, mandatory counselling and further rehabilitation."
The spokesman also said that the school had strengthened its policy and procedures governing harassment in January.
In addition, NTU plans to introduce anti-harassment online modules in July this year for its orientation programmes.
These modules will educate freshmen on what constitutes harassment and how to respond to such incidents.
Following Mr Ong's call to universities to review their mechanisms for similar offences, at least four other schools have released statements revealing their intention to do so.
These are the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), and the Singapore Management University (SMU).
SMU also reassured students in a letter by President Prof Lily Kong that the school does not tolerate sexual misconduct in any form. SMU told TNP in a statement that it has security measures in place like CCTVs and campus patrols.
SUTD said it reviews its disciplinary frameworks every two years. Its residential toilets are restricted to residents of the same floor by card access.
SUSS has a security hotline for students to report any concerns or suspicious persons.
SIT said it aims to take an active role to develop a university-wide approach to sexual harassment intervention, including increasing students' awareness through structured programmes.
FOR MORE, SEE: 26 cases of sexual misconduct in NUS over 3 years
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