SINGAPORE, Oct 18 — The National University of Singapore (NUS) has sacked a lecturer after an internal investigation, a spokesman from the university said yesterday.

Jeremy Fernando, who taught at Tembusu College in NUS, was found to have "fallen short of the standards of professionalism that the university expects of a teaching staff,” the university said in response to TODAY’s queries.

The university commenced investigations after it received two complaints that Fernando had behaved "inappropriately” as a teaching staff.

However, the university did not give details of the complaints or findings of the internal probe as staff matters are internal and confidential, it said.

Said the spokesman: "The university is providing support and assistance to those affected by this matter.”

An internal memo from the college was sent to students yesterday by Tembusu College Master, Associate Professor Kelvin Pang.

The memo, which was seen by TODAY, said there has been student speculation about Fernando’s departure.

"Please know that your safety and well-being is, and always have been, at the heart of what we do,” said Pang.

"If any of you have further questions, please reach out directly to me, and if any of you need support, please reach out to a residential fellow or any member of the residential team. We will be there for you.”

Tembusu College is a residential programme by NUS, where students live and learn together under the same roof. Fernando is a non-residential teaching staff, said the NUS spokesman.

Based on his online resume, Fernando has been a literature lecturer and fellow at the college from September 2011, and has also taught at other schools in NTU.

He is a Jean Baudrillard Fellow at the European Graduate School in Switzerland, and the co-founder of independent publishing house Delere Press. — TODAY