Following the town hall session conducted by the National University of Singapore on April 25, some students reportedly left feeling that their concerns about sexual harassment were not adequately addressed.

Reactions on social media from users who claimed to have attended ranged from disappointment to anger.

One criticised the NUS authorities' "cold and unresponsive" manner while another said the session "worsened (their) faith" in NUS.

Statement from NUS Students' Union EXCO

The NUS Students' Union EXCO shared a statement on Facebook on April 26 that echoed these concerns. Said the EXCO:

"NUSSU EXCO would like to thank all the students who attended and participated in the town hall organised by NUS on Thursday, 25th April 2019.

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."

Here were the concerns they highlighted:

1. No extension

"We regret that the town hall was planned in a manner that did not allow for an extension. 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."

According to a tweet from someone who claimed to have attended the town hall, the professors chairing the session said they had to leave to attend another meeting at 6:30 pm.

The Union apparently requested for an extension, given the number of people waiting to speak.

However, the professors chairing the session also asked the students to send further questions by email to a designated email address.

2. Not on review committee

The EXCO also expressed disappointment that the panellists were unable to make commitments on behalf of the Review Committee, which has yet to be confirmed, as they were not members.

"NUSSU EXCO is disheartened to observe that the panelists were unable to answer students’ questions adequately as they are not on the Review Committee and therefore could not make any commitment on their behalf."

3. Not enough information on procedures and framework

The EXCO also pointed out that the session was lacking in shedding more light on procedural matters:

"Furthermore, the town hall did not meet its original intentions of sharing its investigative and disciplinary procedures and the sanctions framework for sexual misconduct."

Positive developments

However, the EXCO welcomed the following developments from NUS:

• Establishing a centralised victim support unit.
• Improving security infrastructure in halls and residential colleges.
• Appreciated that NUS followed through on their suggestions to enforce anonymity, and include counsellors on standby.

Further requests

The EXCO added that it had formally submitted two requests to the President of NUS, Professor Tan Eng Chye:

• Increase the diversity and quantity of student representation in the Review Committee.
• Convene another town hall with members of the Review Committee on the panel as part of their report crafting methodology.

This was to ensure that students' voices are heard and they would receive "committal answers" from the Committee.

Added the EXCO:

"Last but not least, we applaud the students who mustered the courage to share with the NUS administration their experiences and feedback with the purpose of creating a safer and more empowering environment for all."

The EXCO also shared their notes of the meeting, including "unasked questions", at this link. However, you need an NUS account to access it.

You can see the statement in the FB post below:

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Top image from NUS Student Union and NUS's Facebook pages.