Educational System Changes at Universities
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Educational System Changes at Universities
  • Hong Ha Sunwoo
  • 승인 2015.04.04 16:58
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Nowadays, a wind of change in the educational system is blowing among colleges.  Until now, when students entered university, most of them would enter a specific major through the department system.  However, a number of people are insisting on introducing a faculty system instead of department system.  Some universities including Chung- Ang University will introduce this system from the beginning of next year after the college entrance process.  Besides Chung-Ang University, a number of other universities have already instituted this faculty system.  Universities claim a faculty system has lots of positive aspects such as learning diversity, a flexible structure geared towards rapid changes in society and increased university competitiveness.  However, the faculty system is also criticized by students and professors for its similarity to corporate structuring, which could undermine the foundation of humanities and natural sciences.  With completely differing views on this issue, the Sookmyung Times asked Sookmyungians how they felt about implementing a faculty system rather than using the current department system. 


- Debate Topic -
Universities Should Not Employ the Faculty System


 

Pro

Jeong Dajeong
Division of Business Administration '14
woxj5485@naver.com

Nowadays Korean universities are adopting a new academic system called the faculty system.  Universities are abolishing the current department system that establishes one’s major upon university entrance.  The shortcomings of the department system have been magnified in recent years.  Setting one’s major field of study immediately upon entering university has been problematic, especially trying to determine the standard behind which students select their majors.  Many students have transferred major or been “stuck with” an unliked major once their first year is complete.  However, if the faculty system is implemented, more problems will arise. 
First, students will have to face harsh competition again, just as they did entering university.  Students have often said that their major was determined by their academic credit point.  It has nothing or little to do with their learning interest in reality.  After entering university and coming out of fierce competition, they will need to go through that type of competition one more time under a faculty system. 
Second, when they choose a major in first year through the faculty system, students are unlikely to correctly know about major options accurately.  There would be tendency of students choosing only popular majors in spite of faculty system.  If the faculty system of education is adopted, students will merely study irresolutely, and not develop any great insight into a certain subject. 
Third, the system could lead to the collapse of pure learning and create numerous unpopular majors.  If the process of the faculty system is enforced, universities will be likely to eliminate these unpopular departments.  Therefore, universities must not focus on the popularity and practicality of a major but consider real education carefully.  In other words, universities should not restructure just like a company.  A university is not a place for producing employable students.


Con

Choi Lan
Department of Food & Nutrition '13
lan_choi111@naver.com

A faculty system will positively affect students’ lives.  First of all, by introducing a faculty system, students will be given more opportunities to choose a specialty field that best matches their interest.  By increasing the number of students each major can accept by turning it into a faculty, more students are offered the chance to learn a specific major.  For example, currently there are only 10 available slots for students in the Psychology Department; on the other hand, there are 100 slots available for students in the Faculty of Social Sciences.  A faculty gives students a wider range of chances to study psychology. 
Next, students can enroll in many different lectures and can look for a major that best suits them.  Students have no chance to experience university courses in high school, so they don’t know well about certain majors.  There is a gap between what students think they will learn and what they actually learn at college.  To be more specific, a student interested in psychology enters the Psychology Department, but to her surprise she must not only take psychology courses but also statistics courses, which she detests.  It is difficult for her to adapt to university.  However, in a faculty system, students can take different lectures and later make an informed decision about their major choice.  Plus, they can have a more meaningful university life. 
Last but not least, a faculty system helps to create a better social life.  After graduating, students enter the workforce.  They don’t know where they will work.  Most cases it will be in an area unrelated to their major.  Knowledge acquired from various lectures will help them more easily adapt to new circumstances.  Furthermore, since diverse fields of studying have become more and more important these days, studying a variety of subject-matters will prove more helpful than studying only one field.


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