Dongduk Women's University Student Council Demands Student Voices Be Reflected in Coeducation Transition

University Administration: "Implementation to Begin in 2029"

Dongduk Women's University is experiencing ongoing conflict between the administration and students as the school pursues a transition to a coeducational system.

On the 9th, handmade placards by students were posted on the main gate of Dongduk Women's University in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

On December 9, the Dongduk Women's University Student Council held a press conference in front of the main gate in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, demanding, "The university administration must immediately halt the move toward coeducation and reflect the opinions of students."

The Student Council conducted an offline vote from December 3 to 7, surveying the opinions of 8,000 members of the Dongduk community regarding the transition to coeducation. Out of a total of 3,470 votes, 2,975 (85.7%) were against the transition, 280 (8.1%) were in favor, 147 (4.2%) abstained, and 68 (2%) were invalid.

The Student Council stated, "We have repeatedly expressed our opposition to the transition to coeducation, including at the emergency student assembly last November and this year's student assembly. However, the Coeducation Deliberation Committee formed by the university reflected students, faculty, staff, and alumni at a 1:1:1:1 ratio, so even though students had the largest number of opinions, they were given the same weight as the other groups." The council added, "The structure meant that the opinions of 23 students and one staff member were treated equally. Although the Student Council tried to communicate the collective opinion through a general vote, President Kim Myung-ae announced the approval of the recommendation on the very day the vote began, effectively excluding the students' voices."

The university administration responded, "We do not take lightly the opposition expressed by many students through the vote. Taking this into account, we set the transition date to 2029, when the current students will have graduated. This timing was not part of the original recommendation and is a reflection of student opinions."

Regarding the criticism of the 1:1:1:1 ratio, the administration explained, "All universities in Korea are required by the Higher Education Act to establish a University Senate, which stipulates that no single group can hold a majority. Most universities in Korea apply a ratio of about 4 (faculty) : 2 (students) : 2 (staff). If votes were distributed solely according to the proportion of students, it would actually go against the intent of the Higher Education Act."

The administration further stated, "Of course, students' opinions are important, but we cannot disregard the support expressed by faculty, staff, and alumni who represent Dongduk Women's University in society. That is why students, faculty, staff, and alumni all participated in the six-month-long deliberation process, and we hope that everyone will respect the mutual agreement to honor the results."

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