Creating New Forum fails on master

To reproduce:

1) Click New Forum
2) Enter Forum Title
3) Under Availability choose "Specify dates to open (show) and/or close (hide)
4) Enter a reasonable open date and a reasonable close date
5) click Save

Expected result: Should create a new forum.

Actual result: Returns error that says "Required items marked with a *" . AFAICT the only required item is the Forum title, which is filled out. Click Save again and you get a Stack Trace.

Note: At the time when you get the error "Required items marked with a *" , the screen redraws and the checkboxes are cut off on the left. See attached image cutoff_checkboxes.png.

Stack Trace:
org.sakaiproject.portal.api.PortalHandlerException: org.sakaiproject.tool.api.ToolException: javax.servlet.ServletException: #

{ForumTool.processActionSaveForumSettings}: javax.faces.el.EvaluationException: java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.sakaiproject.portal.charon.handlers.ToolHandler.doPost(ToolHandler.java:77)
caused by: org.sakaiproject.tool.api.ToolException: javax.servlet.ServletException: #{ForumTool.processActionSaveForumSettings}

: javax.faces.el.EvaluationException: java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.sakaiproject.portal.charon.SkinnableCharonPortal.forwardTool(SkinnableCharonPortal.java:1483)
caused by: javax.servlet.ServletException: #

{ForumTool.processActionSaveForumSettings}: javax.faces.el.EvaluationException: java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:292)
caused by: javax.faces.FacesException: #{ForumTool.processActionSaveForumSettings}

: javax.faces.el.EvaluationException: java.lang.NullPointerException
at javax.faces.component.UICommand.broadcast(UICommand.java:332)
caused by: javax.faces.el.EvaluationException: java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.sun.faces.application.ActionListenerImpl.processAction(ActionListenerImpl.java:92)
caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at org.sakaiproject.tool.messageforums.DiscussionForumTool.needToUpdateSynopticOnForumSave(DiscussionForumTool.java:1568)
at org.sakaiproject.tool.messageforums.DiscussionForumTool.saveForumSettings(DiscussionForumTool.java:1494)
at org.sakaiproject.tool.messageforums.DiscussionForumTool.processActionSaveForumSettings(DiscussionForumTool.java:1416)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:62)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:498)
at com.sun.faces.el.MethodBindingImpl.invoke(MethodBindingImpl.java:146)
at com.sun.faces.application.ActionListenerImpl.processAction(ActionListenerImpl.java:92)
at javax.faces.component.UICommand.broadcast(UICommand.java:332)
at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot.broadcastEvents(UIViewRoot.java:287)
at javax.faces.component.UIViewRoot.processApplication(UIViewRoot.java:401)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.InvokeApplicationPhase.execute(InvokeApplicationPhase.java:95)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.phase(LifecycleImpl.java:245)
at com.sun.faces.lifecycle.LifecycleImpl.execute(LifecycleImpl.java:110)
at javax.faces.webapp.FacesServlet.service(FacesServlet.java:213)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:292)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
at org.sakaiproject.util.RequestFilter.doFilter(RequestFilter.java:411)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:52)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.invoke(ApplicationDispatcher.java:720)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.processRequest(ApplicationDispatcher.java:466)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.doForward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:391)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.forward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:318)
at org.sakaiproject.tool.messageforums.MessageForumsFilePickerServlet.dispatch(MessageForumsFilePickerServlet.java:166)
at org.sakaiproject.jsf.util.JsfTool.doPost(JsfTool.java:260)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:648)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:729)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:292)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
at org.sakaiproject.util.RequestFilter.doFilter(RequestFilter.java:411)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.invoke(ApplicationDispatcher.java:720)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.processRequest(ApplicationDispatcher.java:466)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.doForward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:358)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationDispatcher.forward(ApplicationDispatcher.java:318)
at org.sakaiproject.tool.impl.ActiveToolComponent$MyActiveTool.forward(ActiveToolComponent.java:513)
at org.sakaiproject.portal.charon.SkinnableCharonPortal.forwardTool(SkinnableCharonPortal.java:1483)
at org.sakaiproject.portal.charon.handlers.ToolHandler.doTool(ToolHandler.java:204)
at org.sakaiproject.portal.charon.handlers.ToolHandler.doGet(ToolHandler.java:100)
at org.sakaiproject.portal.charon.handlers.ToolHandler.doPost(ToolHandler.java:77)
at org.sakaiproject.portal.charon.SkinnableCharonPortal.doPost(SkinnableCharonPortal.java:1159)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:648)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:729)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:292)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
at org.sakaiproject.util.RequestFilter.doFilter(RequestFilter.java:460)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
at org.apache.tomcat.websocket.server.WsFilter.doFilter(WsFilter.java:52)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:240)
at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:207)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardWrapperValve.invoke(StandardWrapperValve.java:212)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContextValve.invoke(StandardContextValve.java:106)
at org.apache.catalina.authenticator.AuthenticatorBase.invoke(AuthenticatorBase.java:502)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardHostValve.invoke(StandardHostValve.java:141)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.ErrorReportValve.invoke(ErrorReportValve.java:79)
at org.apache.catalina.valves.RemoteIpValve.invoke(RemoteIpValve.java:676)
at org.apache.catalina.core.StandardEngineValve.invoke(StandardEngineValve.java:88)
at org.apache.catalina.connector.CoyoteAdapter.service(CoyoteAdapter.java:522)
at org.apache.coyote.http11.AbstractHttp11Processor.process(AbstractHttp11Processor.java:1095)
at org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol$AbstractConnectionHandler.process(AbstractProtocol.java:672)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.AprEndpoint$SocketProcessor.doRun(AprEndpoint.java:2500)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.net.AprEndpoint$SocketProcessor.run(AprEndpoint.java:2489)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
at org.apache.tomcat.util.threads.TaskThread$WrappingRunnable.run(TaskThread.java:61)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)

user: 8835d8e3-3aab-4418-8645-f5b1077c508c

usage-session: 85c20234-9bcb-4cdd-8fdf-51804a524e7c

time: Jan 6, 2017 09:42:43