[Viewpoint] Challenges Facing Universities After COVID-19

The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has completely transformed universities, which had remained unchanged for at least the past 20 years. It simultaneously resolved issues such as regulations on remote education, skepticism about the effectiveness of remote education, and academic systems centered on face-to-face classes.

The Ministry of Education's "General University Remote Class Operation Standards" had been a factor suppressing the expansion of remote classes. It defined remote classes only as those operated in a remote format for more than 70% of the course, limited remote classes to no more than 20% of the total credits offered, and excluded law and medical professional graduate schools from remote class eligibility.

Professors and students were also skeptical about remote classes. Professors were passive toward remote classes because they required a lot of time for class preparation, assignment handling, and grading, yet offered no particular incentives. Students found remote classes convenient but hesitated to take them, feeling that the quality of the classes somehow declined despite paying the same tuition. Universities hesitated to adopt remote classes from the perspective of managing the number of students per course and per professor, which were key indicators in various university evaluations.

Song Ki-chang, Professor at Sookmyung Women's University

However, as a result of inevitably experiencing remote classes due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Ministry of Education realized the necessity of deregulation, and universities discovered the possibility of cost reduction. Professors' perceptions improved to the extent that they considered trying it once, and students' views shifted to seeing remote classes as convenient and potentially offering better learning outcomes depending on their adaptation. In short, the COVID-19 crisis was a byproduct that dispelled resistance and prejudice against remote classes and highlighted their expansion potential.

Once the COVID-19 crisis ends, universities will inevitably change whether they want to or not. First, students' demand for remote classes will increase, and professors will actively attempt remote teaching. General education or foundational major courses, which had many sections, are likely to be converted to remote formats, and joint lectures between universities will expand. Blended Learning and Flipped Learning will become more active. By conducting face-to-face classes on remote class platforms, a new form of simultaneous remote-face-to-face classes may emerge, allowing students to freely switch between face-to-face and remote classes.

Considering the recent cases demanding tuition refunds, a review of the university tuition calculation method is also inevitable. The partially implemented differential tuition system by department, major, and credit should be completely changed to a system that reflects the actual cost of education. This is because there are realistic cost differences between face-to-face and remote classes, theoretical and experimental/practical classes, large and small classes, and professor-led and instructor-led classes.

It would be worth introducing a system where students pay a basic tuition fee based on the number of credits registered at the beginning of the semester, and at the end of the semester, tuition is adjusted by reflecting the cost per course completed, use of educational facilities, and participation in programs. Although this may increase administrative costs and provide an excuse for tuition hikes, it should be actively considered to reflect students' demands, who have been sensitive to tuition fees.

The current 20% limit on the proportion of remote classes and various regulations should also be abolished. Additionally, the standards for general universities regarding campus land and buildings, educational and revenue-generating properties, and professors, as stated in the University Establishment and Operation Regulations, should be reviewed. Like cyber universities, existing establishment standards should be lowered, but remote education facility standards should be added, and criteria for securing tutors to assist remote classes are also necessary.

General universities can convert surplus educational properties created under the new university establishment standards into revenue-generating properties to increase corporate contributions, and by appointing tutors instead of reducing professors, they can expect to lower labor costs. Now is the time to adjust university establishment standards, abolish regulations on remote classes, expand remote education facilities, and prepare for the post-COVID-19 era by improving tuition systems, personnel systems, academic systems, and evaluation systems in line with the expansion of remote classes.

Song Ki-chang, Professor, Department of Education, Sookmyung Women's University