Ewha Womans University Student Council "Tuition Refund and Optional Pass System Must Be Introduced"... Begins Indefinite Sit-in Protest

"A situation where sufficient study opportunities are not given and even cheating is feared"

Ewha Womans University Student Council held a press conference on the afternoon of the 22nd in front of the main gate on campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, urging the school to refund tuition fees and introduce an 'optional pass system,' and began an indefinite sit-in protest. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] The Ewha Womans University Student Council has launched an indefinite sit-in protest, urging the school to refund tuition fees and introduce an 'optional pass/fail system.'

On the afternoon of the 22nd, the Student Council held a press conference in front of the main gate on campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, appealing that "students have suffered due to fully online lectures and concerns over cheating in online exams caused by COVID-19."

They stated, "The school administration should refund tuition fees and introduce the optional pass/fail system," adding, "From today, we will begin an indefinite sit-in protest until the school responds."

The Student Council explained that as full online lectures were implemented due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), they demanded tuition reductions, extensions of course withdrawal periods, and the introduction of the optional pass/fail system to prevent student disadvantages, but the school did not accept these demands.

They continued, "The quality and methods of online lectures vary greatly. Tuition fees should rightfully be used for receiving quality education," adding, "Students are not given sufficient opportunities to study, and concerns over cheating remain."

In particular, the Student Council urged the introduction of the optional pass/fail system along with partial tuition refunds.

According to a survey conducted by the Ewha Womans University Student Council from the 16th to the 17th with about 5,000 students, 97.5% of respondents supported the introduction of the optional pass/fail system.

The optional pass/fail system allows students, after final grades are announced, to choose whether to keep their grades as is or to receive a 'pass' notation indicating course completion without grade designation.

Recently, Hongik University was the first to introduce this system, followed by Sogang University, sparking debates over pros and cons across universities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.