official e-mail by NUSSU
Dear Fellow Undergraduate,



The NUS Students' Union is holding an Open Dialogue Session (ODS) this coming Friday to:



1) Address the issue of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and discuss the necessary course of action by the University to safeguard the NUS student community.



2) Launch “Without Borders”, an appreciation signature booklet, for local healthcare workers involved in SARS.



You are cordially invited to give your input, have your concerns addressed and/or support the movement for “Without Borders”.



The details of the ODS are as follow:

Date: 4 April 2003, Friday

Time: 6.30 PM sharp (Please be seated by 6.15 PM)

Venue: LT 7A (Engineering EA Block, besides University Hall Building)

Who: All NUS Students!

Please read on for more details.

On Behalf of the 24th NUSSU Council,



GOH Seng Wee

President

NUS Students’ Union





1) Address SARS and discuss the necessary course of action by the University

There will be a panel from the University Senior Management comprising:

- Deputy President, Dr. N. Varaprasad

- Vice-Provost, Prof. Ivan Png

- Director for OED, Prof Yong Kwet Yaw

- Dean of Students: A/P Tan Teck Koon

- Acting Registrar: A/P Yeoh Hock Hin



The panel will present the measures that have been taken in response to this issue and the recommended plans.



Amongst the discussion will be the proposal for closure of University, postpone of examinations and/or other academic changes to accommodate SARS prevention.



Your presence will help shape the outcome of the final recommendations by the University.



2) “Without Borders”, an appreciation signature booklet, for local healthcare workers involved in SARS



SARS has invaded our nation and has, at this point of time, caused 4 deaths. The number of people who have contracted SARS has been increasing over the past week. There is no telling when the increase will stop.



What is sad, perhaps apart from the rising number of such patients, is the fact that most of these victims of SARS are the medical and paramedical personnel, who are standing in the frontline to battling the disease.



This is perhaps the best time to show our gratitude and encouragement to these people who have been fighting an uphill task, patients, medical and paramedical personnel alike. Those who are fighting a shady enemy we have little knowledge of.



The books will be first launched in the ODS and subsequently circulated around the campus. Do take this opportunity to pen down your thoughts, support, concerns and comfort to the patients who are afflicted with the disease and the frontline heroes who are helping the patients recover.



You may include your other reflections or thoughts in the book as well. At an appropriate time, we will be collecting all the books and sending them down to Tan Tock Seng Hospital/ Communicable Disease Centre.



Hopefully, this will ripple on to the larger community of Singapore.