The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Actor Yoo Ah-in appears for questioning over alleged drug use

  • 3

    ANALYSISTesla, BYD's price cuts unnerve LGES, Samsung, SK

  • 5

    Yoo Ah-in appears before police over alleged use of illegal drugs

  • 7

    Revised Japanese textbooks distort wartime forced labor, catching Korea off guard

  • 9

    Dreams come true: TXT mesmerizes 21,000 fans at KSPO Dome

  • 11

    Chun Doo-hwan's grandson apprehended at Incheon Int'l Airport over drug use

  • 13

    Clock ticks for China's massive repatriation of N. Korean defectors

  • 15

    Families of foreign construction workers can receive retirement pay: court

  • 17

    N. Korea fires 2 SRBMs toward East Sea; US aircraft carrier due in S. Korea for joint training

  • 19

    Local bank stocks hit by shockwaves from SVB, CS collapses

  • 2

    SK chief's estranged wife sues his new partner for compensation

  • 4

    4 young Nigerian siblings killed in house fire in Ansan

  • 6

    One of two Kazakhstanis who fled Incheon Int'l Airport nabbed

  • 8

    US aircraft carrier to visit Busan amid NK provocations

  • 10

    Will April releases revive Korean cinema? Films to look out for in April

  • 12

    Korean crypto investors want Do Kwon punished in US

  • 14

    TEMPLE ADVENTURESHaedong Yonggung Temple prospers on Busan's coast

  • 16

    Gimpo-China flights recover to pre-pandemic levels

  • 18

    Actor Yoo Ah-in once again apologizes for alleged drug use

  • 20

    Nongshim plans to build plant in eastern US region

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Wed, March 29, 2023 | 20:02
Society
Universities struggling to resume in-person lectures
Posted : 2021-11-04 16:30
Updated : 2021-11-04 16:42
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
A university campus in Seoul is livened up with students, Tuesday, as the country adopted the 'Living with COVID-19' scheme the previous day, allowing in-person lectures again. Yonhap
A university campus in Seoul is livened up with students, Tuesday, as the country adopted the "Living with COVID-19" scheme the previous day, allowing in-person lectures again. Yonhap

By Bahk Eun-ji

Although the country has begun its "Living with COVID-19" strategy, meant to phase out virus restrictions gradually, many universities are struggling to resume in-person lectures.

Starting with Seoul National University last month, many universities in the capital have been resuming in-person lectures gradually, but some schools have decided to maintain their current teaching methods for the remaining portion of the semester, fearing a possible spike in COVID-19 infections.

The fall semester has already passed the halfway mark, and students living outside Seoul and taking online classes have faced sudden problems finding housing in order to attend classes in Seoul.

As of Oct. 1, 25.2 percent of universities were conducting in-person lectures, while 30.2 percent had chosen hybrid courses, a mixture of in-person classes and remote teaching, and the biggest proportion, 44.6 percent, were providing remote classes.

The proportion of in-person classes increased by 4.1 percentage points from early September, but remote teaching has continued as well, after being practiced for nearly two years.

On Oct. 8, when the nation's vaccination rate passed 70 percent, the Ministry of Education sent an official letter to universities across the country requesting cooperation in expanding in-person classes.

Accordingly, Seoul National University moved some of its online lectures back to in-person, and many universities in Seoul, including Korea University and Yonsei University, have allowed in-person classes for courses with small enrollments of less than 50 students.

Since these universities have expanded face-to-face classes only for courses with small numbers of students, they believe they can control the spread of infection among students by abiding by social distancing measures.

However, some universities have decided to provide only remote lectures for the fall semester, due to concerns about a possible increase in coronavirus infections on campus, as social distancing restrictions are eased in line with the government's "Living with COVID-19" scheme.

Officials at universities in Seoul that are sticking with remote classes this semester say that students living in provincial areas will inevitably experience major inconveniences if lectures are switched to in-person in the middle of the semester.

"There will be no additional expansion of in-person courses other than those that were decided at the beginning of the semester, because many students would then go through the inconvenience of having to move near the university," said an official of Konkuk University.

He said that if the university were to switch from remote to in-person classes in the middle of the semester, students in provincial areas won't be able to continue their attendance, as they are not living in housing near the university, such as dormitories or rental housing.

One of the reasons that they decided not to expand in-person classes was the university's location in a busy part of Seoul with a large floating population of people coming in each day, the Konkuk University official said.

Hongik University, located in another busy and often crowded part of Mapo District, has decided not to offer in-person teaching for similar reasons.

The school is wary of the spread of infection to the extent at which it has assigned only one student to each double room in its dormitories. Therefore, it would be impossible to expand face-to-face classes suddenly.

"The academic calendar set at the beginning of the semester is also a promise between professors and students, so it's difficult to change in the middle of the semester," a Hongik University official said.

"As it is something that requires agreement with the students, it cannot be changed easily just because the education ministry issued guidelines. We cannot tell students living in the provinces to come up in the middle of the semester while concerns of infections are still lingering," he said.




Emailejb@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1Revised Japanese textbooks distort wartime forced labor, catching Korea off guardRevised Japanese textbooks distort wartime forced labor, catching Korea off guard
2Clock ticks for China's massive repatriation of N. Korean defectors Clock ticks for China's massive repatriation of N. Korean defectors
3Gold price nears all-time high amid financial jitters Gold price nears all-time high amid financial jitters
4Ramsar wetland in Han River cleaned up for protected birdlife Ramsar wetland in Han River cleaned up for protected birdlife
5BMW launches new XM BMW launches new XM
6North Korea unveils tactical nuclear warheads North Korea unveils tactical nuclear warheads
7Civic groups in Gwangju await meeting with Chun Doo-hwan's grandson Civic groups in Gwangju await meeting with Chun Doo-hwan's grandson
8CJ CheilJedang sees chicken as next big seller after frozen dumplingCJ CheilJedang sees chicken as next big seller after frozen dumpling
92024 budget to focus on tackling low birthrate 2024 budget to focus on tackling low birthrate
10Over 1,000 financially vulnerable Koreans apply for new emergency gov't loans Over 1,000 financially vulnerable Koreans apply for new emergency gov't loans
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Dreams come true: TXT mesmerizes 21,000 fans at KSPO Dome Dreams come true: TXT mesmerizes 21,000 fans at KSPO Dome
2Will April releases revive Korean cinema? Films to look out for in April Will April releases revive Korean cinema? Films to look out for in April
3'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' to be adapted into live action series in Thailand 'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' to be adapted into live action series in Thailand
4[INTERVIEW] Choi Min-sik, Lee Dong-hwi on creating Korean-style noir with 'Big Bet' INTERVIEWChoi Min-sik, Lee Dong-hwi on creating Korean-style noir with 'Big Bet'
5Ra Mi-ran, Lee Re to lead fantasy drama 'The Mysterious Candy Store' Ra Mi-ran, Lee Re to lead fantasy drama 'The Mysterious Candy Store'
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group