Introducing Ewha RC and its backgrounds

Above is anticipated scene of the Ewha Residential College, which will be adopted in 2015. Photo provided by the Office of University planning and Coordination.
A girl wearing a traditional Korean Hanbok stands in front of the classroom, holding a chalk in one hand and trying to solve a problem on the blackboard given by her foreign teacher. Her classmates sit in rows behind her, watching her and solving the problems themselves. This is a typical classroom scene from more than 100 years ago at Ewha Hak-dang, the original Ewha. Although it may not be easy to consider it a university classroom, a similar scene will reappear at Ewha as the Ewha Residential College (Ewha RC) in 2015.

Introducing Ewha RC and its backgrounds

Ewha Hak-dang was a communal academy and a familial community founded in 1886, where students lived together and learned during the day. Today, the historical Ewha Hak-dang is renowned for nurturing many women leaders who have committed themselves to their callings in medicine, education and welfare.
Ewha inherited this communal sense from its tradition by adopting the Residential College (RC) system, which was first implemented by Western universities. Similar to the system of Ewha Hak-dang, the Ewha RC places students and faculty together in a community setting where they will also pursue academic activities. Starting from 2015, Ewha freshmen will be required to spend one semester of their first year at the Ewha RC.
The Ewha RC is also a response to the need to construct a new undergraduate education model according to the changing paradigm of education. The new paradigm mainly aims to cultivate four types of people.
First, it tries to cultivate people who have the capacity to solve problems from complex and various perspectives rather than those who merely possess information and knowledge. Second, as society becomes increasingly exposed to the global environment, it requires people who have various cultural and language backgrounds and are able to embrace diversity. Third, the new paradigm wants people to have not only professional knowledge but also good characters such as modesty and humility. Finally, society wants people who have community spirit and can actively and successfully complete communal duties instead of remaining confined to their private works.
In response to these changes and demands, Ewha strengthened its education support system, of which the adoption of the RC system constitutes a significant part. By adopting the RC system, Ewha wishes to cultivate future talents who can embrace others in a world where individuality is a growing problem and education is becoming a tool for employment. By naturally exposing students to an academic background in their daily lives, the RC tries to blur the boundary between the two factors and provide quality education.
In addition, students will have the opportunity to meet mentors in their residence.
“Currently enrolled students will be able to participate as RC Assistant (RCA),” said Lee Jeong-hee, the manager of the Office of University Planning and Coordination (OUPC). “They will be living together with freshmen and be their mentors. New dormitories will be built so that more and more current students can participate.”
The basic education programs for the Ewha RC will comprise two parts: the RC curricular activities and extra-curricular activities.
For the RC curricular activities, the current Liberal Arts courses designed for freshmen will be taught, and new courses will be developed as well. For the extra-curricular activities, various programs and activities which pursue the “4F”– Fun, Free, Food and Family – will be developed.

* Reporters: Ahn Inkyeong & Chung Che-yoon

* E-mails: iahn@ewhain.net, thfl353@ehwain.net

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