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SINGAPORE: A group led by students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) called on the university on Monday (October 19) to show “transparency and accountability” following the firing of a Tembusu College professor for inappropriate behavior.
Dr. Jeremy Fernando was fired by the university following an internal investigation after he received two complaints alleging that he had “behaved inappropriately as a teaching staff,” a NUS spokesman said Sunday.
The spokesperson added that it was found that Dr. Fernando’s conduct “did not meet the standards of professionalism that the university expects from a faculty.”
In a statement posted on Facebook, Students for a Safer NUS (SafeNUS) said that NUS ‘initial comments on the matter were “scant” and urged it to take “proactive action” in this case.
“The first statement from any staff representative was delivered about two weeks after they were fired,” he said.
“It was lacking in providing information on follow-up measures, and it was posted only after people on social media had already taken this incident lightly.
“While we fully understand the importance of confidentiality in such cases to protect the identity of survivors, it is not the same as silence on the subject. Responsibility and support are needed for students to feel safe. “
SafeNUS also wrote on Facebook that it was “disappointed by the lack of clarification and responsibility shown by Tembusu College following the dismissal of Jeremy Fernando.”
He added: “We call on all NUS students to demand transparency and accountability from the university.”
According to his curriculum vitae, Dr. Fernando was a professor and fellow at Tembusu College from September 2011 to October 2020.
SafeNUS said it has contacted the administration staff of Tembusu College and NUS to seek clarification on what happened in the case.
“In the future, we hope to see more proactive steps taken by the administration to keep students and the community updated on this case.”
In its statement, the group said it has also requested clarification on the NUS Staff Code of Conduct, ongoing follow-up on survivor support, and follow-up correspondence with the group and the student body on building better security measures.
SafeNUS was formed in 2019 after a fellow student filmed then-graduate Monica Baey while she was showering in a hostel bathroom.
She spoke about how the university handled the case, which resulted in changes to disciplinary frameworks at NUS and other universities, and the issue of sexual misconduct on campuses was also raised in Parliament.
In response to the SafeNUS statement, a NUS spokesperson said the university is aware of the statements.
“We thank the students for raising their concerns and sharing suggestions with us. We are studying their statements carefully and will communicate with student groups in due course. ”
Tembusu College is one of four residential colleges in University Town, an extension of the main NUS Kent Ridge campus. Professor Tommy Koh is the principal of the school.
