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IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED
- Students studied really hard to get into one of Singapore’s most prestigious school – National University of Singapore a.k.a NUS.
- Orientation camps were organised with the intention to welcome and introduce freshmen to NUS community
- Some students said they attended the camps to make friends, but instead felt pressured to take part in increasingly sexualised activities.
- This isn’t the first time such news has appeared in the media and neither is it the first university. And probably won’t be the last either.
WHY NOT?
Well, as much as my memory serves me, this issue has been on the news more than once and nothing seems to have changed over the years. According to trustable source, an e-mail was sent from a professor after this news broke-out.
TL;DR – The prof only sounded “disappointed” because they were caught.
Dear Students
NUS ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES
1. The National University of Singapore (NUS) takes an extremely serious view of the recent media reports and feedback received on instances of offensive and inappropriate orientation activities.
2. Orientation is intended to welcome and introduce freshmen to the NUS community. The University expects that orientation activities are carried out in ways that fully respect the dignity of all participants, regardless of gender. Our students, particularly freshmen, must feel safe, secure and respected at all times during orientation. If any student elects to opt out of an orientation activity, his or her decision must be respected and adhered to.
3. NUS does not condone any behaviour or activity that denigrates the dignity of individuals. In particular, any sexual innuendo or connotation is deemed improper.
4. Every year, before the start of the orientation period at NUS, the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) conducts briefing sessions for students involved in organising and leading orientation activities. The attendees would include student orientation leaders from NUS Students’ Union, Clubs, Societies, Freshmen Orientation Committees, project directors, and Junior Common Room Committees of Halls of Residence.
5. During these sessions, OSA would go through the do’s and don’ts of orientation. It would be mandatory for students to go through the materials, which cite examples of inappropriate activities. The list of banned activities would be clearly conveyed and students would be made aware that offenders would face strong disciplinary action.
6. Beyond these briefings, all proposed orientation programmes and activities must be endorsed and cleared with relevant supervisors, such as Hall Masters and Vice Deans, as well as OSA, before these are allowed to proceed. Supervisors would flag out and give instructions to student leaders to remove any inappropriate activity. Separately, from the beginning of the year, OSA had worked with the Deaneries of Faculties, and the Masters of Halls of Residence and Residential Colleges on the steps needed to ensure the appropriateness of all planned student orientation activities.
7. We are very disappointed that in spite of all the above efforts, instances of offensive and inappropriate orientation activities have surfaced. These activities are neither approved nor endorsed. NUS takes a very serious views of these incidents and is carrying out thorough investigations. Strong disciplinary action will be taken against those found responsible.
8. To reiterate the above message, OSA has met with student leaders of ongoing and forthcoming camps to remind them on the guidelines for acceptable orientation activities. NUS staff will also be on site at these camps.
9. Any student who has concerns with orientation activities can contact the following staff at OSA on a strictly confidential basis:
Mr XXXXX* (Tel: +65 XXXXX; Email: XXXXXX)
Ms XXXXX (Tel: +65 XXXXX; Email: XXXXXX)10. I would like to assure all students that NUS is committed to providing students with a safe and secure environment that is conducive for learning and growth. Thank you.
With best wishes
Prof XXXXX
*All names and contact were changed to protect the personnel involved. (Or myself from getting complained)
HOW THE INTERNET REACTED,
These guys WHO HAVE had enough…
this guy’s got a suggestion
others want more than just expulsion
apparently some are “okay” with it too
this one has more important concerns
YOU DIDN’T ASK ME BUT,
I am not unhappy with the games. No… seriously, if you enter a new environment and this is the first thing that you learn from your seniors and everyone else “seems okay” with it, what makes you think these newbies and freshies have the ability to put a stop to such “traditions”? Moreover, we are talking about a bunch of young adults who are probably more than just curious about the birds and bees. Of course, some are more curious than others.
However, I am very disappointed with the school. This has been brought up in the media one time too often, but yet the school’s reaction was simply to send a half-hearted email to “warn” them and tell them how disappointed they are. How difficult is it to find out who did this and make him face the consequences? Not difficult at all, but why ain’t this happening? Why didn’t the school take the necessary actions to answer to concerned parents and to members of the public? I am not saying that I want to ruin a young adult’s life by putting him in jail, but I think there needs to be a certain form of punishment made as a statement to all to ensure that this “culture” does not carry on. A mild warning in email ain’t deterrent enough.
In case you are wondering, no, I am not regretting that I didn’t school at NUS LOL.
