The interview had been constantly demanded since March 25, when the 2014 Student Council was successfully held with the support of 1,661 Ewha students on the grass field next to the main gate.
At this council, the Student Government Association (SGA) and the student body requested a public interview with president Kim Sun-uk pertaining to the SGA’s proposed agenda consisting of 10 main demand plans.
The interview was originally planned to be held in early April; however, due to repeated failures in settling the schedule between president Kim and the SGA, the final settlement date was not made until May 16.
President Kim Sun-uk, professor Shin Ha-yoon (Chinese), the vice president of the Office of Student Affairs and SGA president Seong Hee-yeon (Geography Education, 4) participated in the interview.
The interview commenced with a short welcoming speech given by president Kim.
“I was thrilled to be notified about the Student Council meeting held in March because I knew it meant student participation is becoming more active,” president Kim said. “Consequently, I hoped to communicate with the student body on topics students wish to bring up.”
Following the speech, student representatives from each department inquired concerning five issues of the 10 main demands: expansion of scholarships, reduction in tuition rates, enlargement of classes, alleviation of relative evaluation system and assurance of adequate student space.
“Many of the students are still dissatisfied with the 0.6 percent decrease in tuition fees,” Seong remarked. “I would like to ask if the 0.6 percent decrease is the best the school can provide for students.”
President Kim discussed this particular issue mainly regarding the school’s deposit and its transparency in revenue and expenditure.
“I would like students to take more pride in the transparency of the school’s administration,” president Kim said. “Reduction of tuition fees is a demanding request, but I can assure students that they are receiving service that corresponds to twice the amount of their tuition. Students are always welcome to request official data on how the tuition is spent.”
After two and a half hours of the interview, president Kim and SGA president Seong delivered their review on the interview process and gave closing remarks.
“First of all, I am mostly thankful to all students who helped this interview take place,” Seong said. “I am satisfied with the successful progress of the interview. On the other hand, I am partially dissatisfied by our failure to reach a clear consensus on detailed issues. Nevertheless, the SGA will try its best to catalyze improvements by performing regular check-ups in the responsible offices.”
Ewha Voice
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