The report shows the statistics in detail that Ewha accepted 33 more students who are permanently enrolled and had 119 more foreign exchange students in 2011 than in 2010.
In accordance to the situation, Ewha gives its best effort to give good care to foreign students currently studying at Ewha and attract the potential foreign students who would study in Ewha.
As part of the action, Ewha not only opened the Global Service Center for the convenience of foreign students, Ewha also found its way to improve the quality of stay in Ewha.
Especially, in the hopes of making the little “global village,” Ewha also recently opened the International House II, the dormitory for the foreign exchange students and the foreign faculties.
The two dormitory buildings on Ewha Campus for foreign exchange students and foreign faculties, the International House I and II can hold up to 282 students at maximum.
However, considering the number of foreign exchange students Ewha greets each year, increased from 412 students to 531 in 2011, only half of the total foreign exchange students are housed each year.
Since Ewha can send its own students abroad each year up to the number Ewha can receive each year, it is important for the school to increase the capacity of the foreign exchange students. For such purpose, the recent construction of the dormitory for the foreign exchange students were more than just a friendly gesture to the foreign exchange students.
Ewha’s goal to globalize the campus and send more Ewha students abroad, however, creates inevitable bitterness to Ewha students.
There are Korean students who struggle each semester to find a suitable place to live in Seoul, notorious for real estate price than any other major cities.
The Hanwoori Dormitory only holds up to 713 students at maximum. What about the rest of 13,367 students (Ewha had total 14,080 students in 2011) who did not get their room at the Hanwoori Dormitory?
A commercial entity may not have full obligation for the housing of their members. But as an education institution, it does have responsibilities to provide safe and sound condition for their students to reach their academic goals with less hardship. After all, it is how Mary F. Scranton started the long history of Ewha, 126 years ago when she picked up the first few students to raise and nurture as women leaders of the upcoming generation.
Therefore, despite the need to globalize the campus and receive more foreign students and faculties, a college should care the living and academic environment of its own students before any other goals.
In terms of budgeting and making financial decisions, the fiscal year of 2012 starts bumpy already with the recent tuition reduction and the newly built buildings on campus. So, if the school has budget restraints and clashing priorities, the school should find its best way to mediate and fulfill unmet needs on campus, not just ignoring the chronic problems students have been facing for years.
Now is about time the school makes the list of things to be done and decide again what becomes the top and most urgent priority and what becomes not. Ewha, already famous world-wide as a top quality academic institution raising women leaders for more than a century, should not be blinded by the mere trend of globalization but should focus on the real problem on campus experienced by students.
Ewha Voice
evoice@ewha.ac.kr