Kim Jee-na (Social Studies, Graduate School), a teaching assistant, was perplexed when she was told by the administrative office of the College of Education that she had to return the borrowed microphone 30 minutes before the class ended. Kim is not the only one facing this problem. Lots of professors and teaching assistants were also frustrated because of the shortage and the early returning time of the microphones.
The administrative offices of each department are in charge of lending the microphones. In general, the office requires the borrowers to return the microphones before , before the end of their office hours. Students who cannot meet the time requirement are to drop off the microphones at the janitor’s room.
“Normally, it is unreliable to leave the microphones at the janitor’s room since janitors are often on patrol leaving the place empty,” said Kim.
Currently, is the time the last period ends at Ewha. For those who end at have difficulties is returning the microphones. If the microphones get lost, both janitor and students are in charge of it. Instead of leaving the devices at the janitor’s room, some take it home and return them back to the office the next morning. However, this is causing inconvenience.
“I was even insulted by a staff member at the administrative office to return the microphone forcibly in time although I had more classes after that time,” said a teaching assistant who remained anonymous because of her status as a graduate student.
In return to borrowing the microphones, the person in charge must submit a student identification card, which later would be returned upon returning the devices, to borrow the microphones. However those who end after cannot get their identification cards until the next morning.
“Last time, my class ended after So I couldn’t get my identification card which enabled me from borrowing books and entering the reading rooms,” said a teaching assistant who remained anonymous due to disadvantages that she would get as she is currently a graduate student at Ewha.
“I think the office should extend the deadline and allow us to return the devices by later than ,” said Kim.
However, there are few colleges that run after The College of Business Administration has extended their office hours to because the M.B.A. classes which normally end before Also, the College of Pharmacy also extended their office hours until due to the classes.
The shortage of microphones is causing problems. Currently, the number of microphones is restrained for each classroom. But there are some cases that professors or teaching assistants borrow microphones few hours before their actual class hour, enabling some other professors who actually have classes to use them.
“Lectures taught by professors not using a microphone lower the efficiency of both professors and students because some students cannot hear professor clearly. Teaching tools should be managed more properly,” said Kim Young-eun (Business Administration, 2)