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| Ewha Womans University students picket for equal representation in votes for school president on the campus in Seoul, where a committee meeting on the presidential election took place on March 8. / Korea Times file |
Dispute lingers on election of school president
By Kim Bo-eun
A huge storm has encompassed Ewha Womans University _ the hitherto prestigious institution was the single most-cited school in the media last year.
Last July, it began making headlines when students started a sit-in protest against the school's decision to set up a night college. Students claimed the school was attempting to make money by selling degrees and decried the former school president Choi Kyung-hee's dogmatic ways.
Tension escalated after the school authorities mobilized police as students trapped faculty members and school staff from leaving a meeting room in which the night college plan was finalized.
Some 1,600 police officers were dispatched to the scene to break up the sit-in. Scuffles resulted in injuries, prompting students to denounce the president for bringing in police to suppress what they claimed was a peaceful protest.
The sit-in at the school's main building housing the president's office continued until after the fall semester began. Choi finally resigned in October, but not only over the night college fiasco.
Mired in scandal
Amid the months-long protest, allegations arose that Choi had ordered faculty members to help the daughter of former President Park Geun-hye's confidant Choi Soon-sil get into the school by bending rules, as part of the massive influence-peddling scandal which led to Park's removal from office. Professors had also helped the student and dressage competitor Chung Yoo-ra obtain grades despite her poor attendance and performance. Students deplored the violation of principles of fairness and equality, demanding Choi to step down from her post.
The prosecution last month arrested and indicted five Ewha professors including Choi and the university stripped them of their positions earlier this month.
Students celebrated, citing democracy finally dethroned the disgraced president and put the professors involved in the scandal before law enforcement.
However, the event has left an indelible scar on the students and school.
The prosecution has indicted former student council president Choi Eun-hye who allegedly played a leading role in confining professors and school staff in the protest. Other students who took part in the protests are currently receiving therapy for trauma sustained in the process.
Since Choi stepped down last October, the president's position has been vacant, and the two largest events of the academic year _ the graduation and entrance ceremonies were held without an incumbent.
The school has been without a president for 150 days _ the longest period ever.
Voices of students
Last month, the school launched a committee of faculty, staff, students and alumni representatives to reach a consensus on the election of a new president.
The tenth meeting was held Monday, but the representatives have differing opinions on the ratio of representatives' votes to be reflected, as well as the age restriction of the presidential candidate, a school public relations official confirmed the same day.
Faculty members are saying students should get a 5 percent representation in the vote for president, but students are calling for equal representation.
A movement is ongoing among students to boycott the weekly protestant chapel sessions, which are a requirement to pass the semester.
"We are calling for students' opinions to be reflected as an equal group within the school," a student council member told The Korea Times, Tuesday.
"Our hope is that the next president is not someone who merely fills up a vacancy, but someone who listens to and reflects the voices of the constituents of the school _ which we are calling for in the process leading up to the election," she said.
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