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NUS reassures students it will bring in 'high quality' lecturers amid exodus; modules discontinued due to curriculum revision

SINGAPORE — The National University of Singapore (NUS) has assured undergraduates studying the communications and new media course that it is working to bring in “high quality academic staff”, after a wave of lecturer resignations.

In the wake of TODAY’s report on a spate of lecturer resignations from the National University of Singapore's communications and new media department, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has assured students that the departures are “not unusual”.

In the wake of TODAY’s report on a spate of lecturer resignations from the National University of Singapore's communications and new media department, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has assured students that the departures are “not unusual”.

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SINGAPORE — The National University of Singapore (NUS) has assured undergraduates studying the communications and new media course that it is working to bring in “high quality academic staff”, after a wave of lecturer resignations.

The discontinuation of several modules this year was also largely due to an ongoing curriculum revision to ensure the course content remains relevant to academic and industry trends, it added.

The university gave this assurance to students in an email on Monday (Dec 24), a day after TODAY reported about a series of resignations among lecturers at the communications and new media department — eight in as many months — which has resulted in some modules being discontinued.

They left due to differences with the department’s new head, Professor Audrey Yue, who officially assumed the post on June 13, taking over from Prof Mohan Dutta who resigned in March and left NUS in June.

The departures have caused anxiety among students, some of whom have had to change majors and thesis topics as lecturers with the relevant expertise had left.

Monday’s email, which included a message from Prof Yue and another from Prof Robbie Goh, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), sought to address these concerns.

Prof Goh said in his message that the resignations are “not unusual” and “part of the periodic coming and going of faculty at the university”.

He added: “Please be assured that FASS is working closely with the communications and new media department on the appointment of high quality academic staff who will bring the department's teaching and research to greater heights.”

To ease students through the transition period, Prof Yue wrote that the department will be hiring new staff members who will bring “a new set of expertise, perspectives and knowledge to match the new curriculum which will be rolled out”.

Students whose thesis supervisors have left will be supported by existing and new lecturers, she added.

The curriculum revision is being conducted in consultation with an industry advisory council, which includes experts from the media and communications industries, she said.

“The proposed revisions will provide students with clearer industry specialisation pathways to equip you with industry relevant skills and enable you to be adaptable when you join the workforce.”

Students told TODAY that some of the more interesting modules such as social media, photography, videography and news writing had been discontinued.

However, Prof Yue said in the email that those modules, which are “popular and industry-relevant”, will continue to be offered.

“Other modules that overlap in content will be combined and enhanced, in response to both student feedback and industry advice”, she added.

For instance, topics on news reporting and editing as well as digital media will be updated with new content and titles. The department also said that there will be new modules included, such as digital humanities and digital journalism.

Prof Yue said that these changes “will be progressively rolled out in subsequent semesters”.

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