By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Chung-Ang University, taken over by the Doosan Group last year, faces the prospect of an open revolt by professors and students over sweeping reforms by its businessman owner.
The school's board Chairman Park Yong-sung is pushing ahead with corporate-style reform plans, including restructuring departments, and assessments and incentive schemes for professors. However, a group of faculty members and students are calling for a halt.
According to sources, Wednesday, a selected committee of professors is at odds with school authorities over Park's reform initiatives.
The two sides had originally planned to announce renovation plans together Friday, but school officials unilaterally released their plans without giving any notice to the committee.
Bang Hyo-won, head of the committee said, "The vice president of the school told us to accept them, saying that it was a decision from the top."
Other professors are also complaining that Chairman Park is running the school as he would manage a business, ignoring the opinions of school members.
They say that if Park pushes ahead with his plans, it will further worsen the conflict.
Students are also complaining about the reforms ― the Student Council claims Park has cut financial aid to the school newspaper, which published a cartoon and articles critical of the chairman, last November. "Park is trying to punish students opposing his school policies," a council member said.
Under the business-minded chairman, Chung-Ang has introduced a merit-based annual salary system for professors. This is a first among Korean universities, and the school will grade professors into four groups ― those belonging to C, or the bottom 10 percent will have their salaries frozen at current levels.
The university has also mandated that students must complete basic accounting courses, and have a double major for graduation.
Students with a grade point average (GPA) lower than 1.75, which was previously set at 1.5, are put on academic probation.
The chairman also vowed that he will highlight the department of business administration. Chung-Ang has 19 colleges and 77 departments with some 25,000 students.