The party had received an approval rating of 90.98 percent (6897 votes) during the student government election held from March 24 to 25. Under the school’s electoral regulation, the sole registered party was elected after winning the approval of more than 50 percent of the voters.
President Son Sol, a junior majoring in psychology, and vice-president Kim Se-young, a senior majoring in philosophy, will run the SGA in 2015.
“We will control the influx of tourists on campus, persuade the school to reconsider college restructuring, lower tuition and install more lockers,” the SGA president Son Sol said.
While working at the school’s Foreign Tourist Response Team in 2014, Son encountered many students complaining about many tourists wondering around campus.By conducting a survey, she learned that tourists enter the school building during class and take pictures without the students’ permission.
Thus, Son plans to hold a council meeting with the school to set a daily quota on the number of tourists, restrict the hours open to tourists and design a tour program.
“Our goal is to raise awareness of the fact that Ewha is a place for studying,” she emphasized.
In addition to tourist restriction on campus, the new student government hopes to persuade the school to reconsider the college restructuring plan announced in February.
“After the school confirmed its plan to move departments to a new college, many students expressed concern that the school makes decisions without listening to students’ opinions,” Son said.
Through surveys and discussions, the new student government aims to collect students’ opinions on college restructuring. The association will then enunciate student demand to the school in a tangible manner.
“If students repeatedly make demands to the school, we believe that the school’s decision could be reversed,” Son said.
She viewed that the issue of college restructuring is not confined to Ewha.
“The government’s university ranking system reflecting its current policies on higher education is the essence of the problem,” she said. “Thus, Be Ewha will unite with student governments of other universities to ensure that the philosophy of university education should not be diminished under any circumstances.”
Be Ewha hopes to create a school where students can focus on their studies by pledging to keep tuition at manageable levels. The SGA intends to broaden students’ access to merit-based scholarships by lowering the minimum GPA requirement. Son explained that Be Ewha will send letters repeatedly to president Choi Kyung-hee, explaining the difficulties students are facing due to the high tuition rate. Simultaneously, the organization will persuade school authorities to increase the size of the scholarship accumulation fund.
The SGA also promises to promote student welfare by installing more lockers, expanding free printing facilities and launching a friend matching program for freshmen who have difficulties making friends by connecting students from the same department and interests.
Although Be Ewha was elected later than previous student governments, it assures to realize its initiatives.
“We will create an SGA that amasses individual student opinions and empower them,” Son said.
Huh Ryun-jung
ryunhuh@ewhain.net