‘Occupied president’s office” In 2007 April 12, there was an event that Chung-Ang University president’s office was occupied by the Student Body council. Before the event, the Chung-Ang University Student Body council demanded to make a compromise on increased registration fee. However, the president continued to delay the compromise. Therefore, Chung-Ang University Student Body council finally decided to occupied president’s office. They prohibited coming in and going out of the office for all people except for Chung-Ang University students and are still waiting for the compromise.
In 1970s , between the university administration and students, many troubles happened. Those troubles were not about increasing registration fee. Those were about lack of self-student’s space, lack of professors, safety insensibility, and developing university. Many students started student movements to solve those problems and University was opposed to the student movements.
Student movement means that study and free of investigation, University and the basis movement that pursue self-government of students, unfold organic criticism· fighting about step and power.
University student movement started in Europe during developing capitalism and being modern society. Government needed many men who wave abilities to lead the society because the society was keep changed complicatedly. Therefore, government established Universities and students formed a new social stratum. They entered the stage of starting a fight against absolutism and took charge of powerful part in the society. In Korea, first student movement started in 1919, Japan. This student movement was called 2 · 8 Declaration of Independence. 3 · 1movement, Gwang-ju student movement (1929), 4 · 19 revolution (1960) are also representative student movement.
The object of the student movement in the past time was accomplishing democracy and challenged rotten political power. Therefore, a form of student movement used to contain violence. The object of the student movement in the present days is similar with past days. However, object of the present student movement has been changed to draw out self-right. Thus, form of student movement is more individualized and makes much account on profit.
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A student movement against the university administration occurred in Chung-Ang University recently. Last March, new building that called ‘law building’ was constructed at Chung-Ang University bade gate. This building was used for students in Chung-Ang University. However, school over the transom offered building space to college of law inducing the Law-school. Therefore, college of business administration, college of political science & economics, college of performance & visual media that were used same building with college of law don’t have enough self- government space. Students of 3 colleges demanded their self- government space. Nonetheless, the University Administration refused their demand and didn’t present different solution. The University Administration wants to hush up to pass this problem, but students of 3 colleges made an effort for their rights. The Student Body Council started to inform unfairly policy of the University Administration and gathered many students who want to get back their rights. They also progress a signature-seeking campaign and arbitrate negotiation with the University Administration.
Students of Arts & crafts, College of art, Chung-Ang University An-seong Campus has had no major professors for 5 years. They demanded reassigning new major professor to the University Administration. Nevertheless, the University Administration disregarded their demand and has not reassigned new major professor. Thus, the students started a signature-seeking campaign in anseong Campus.
Problem of increasing registration fee happened every school term. In addition, this time, the student body council’s reaction was occupying the president’s office situation. The Student Body Council demanded freezing registration fee and attempted to talk with the President of Chung-Ang University. They spent their time living in President’s office. Moreover, President and Vice-President of the Student Body Council went on a hunger strike. A lot of students visited the president’s office and talked with executives of Student Body Council about the registration fee problem. They concerned about health of Student Body Council President and Vice-President.
But many students badly saw this time decision that occupied president’s office of Student Body Council. Follow to question irradiation, the first and second grade students have positive ideas about the occupying the president’s office and want to participate the student movement. However, they do not know well what the student movement is. The third and fourth grade student have negative point of view on this situation. They think occupying the president’s office is very an extreme reaction. If the event, occupying the president’s office, is known by the public, prestige of the Chung Ang University could be lost and social understanding about the event would be worse.
The first and the second grade students and the third and fourth grade students also had different idea about what kind of problems should student movements involve in. While the freshmen and sophomores think increasing registration fee is the most serious problem, juniors and seniors think developing the Chung Ang University is the most necessary part that student movement should involve in. They want to take more effective lectures. They want the support from the university to help seeking employment- the ability of professors, experience of study or training in foreign countries, a letter of recommendation, and others.
As we saw above, all students in Chung-Ang University don’t have same opinion. We can aware the situation not only from the result of survey, but also with student’s comments in a wall poster. The Student Body Council attached a wall poster about occupying the president’s office to inform reasons in law building. The Student Body Council wrote that they wanted to freeze registration fee and discuss with the president about it. There was also information about the situation at that time and justice of occupying the president’s office. Many students wrote comment in the wall poster. However, content was mostly about occupying president’ office was violent. The comments criticized an action of Student Body Council.
“Why do students like this extreme decision? Isn’t there any solutions?”
Similar frictions appeared not only in Our Chung-Ang University, but also in other universities. However, many universities presented different solution from ours. Many University’ Student Body Councils were against unfit increasing registration fee, but they didn’t insist a form of drastic fighting. Drastic fighting such as occupying the president’s office or closing the executive office cause negative public opinion and distrust between students and university administration. Therefore, negotiation of the registration fee was failed to reach the agreement.
Now, there are various ways of the registration fee negotiation with many Universities. Recently, The Dong-duk Women University decided to freeze registration fee by the Registration Appropriation Committee. Furthermore, The University administration opened financial data to the public because the student representative demanded to do. Kyung-hee University’s Vice-President also formed the Registration Appropriation Committee and managed it. He said “we think that best solution is solved with conference. Our Student Body Council must present rationalistic solutions in registration appropriation committee about plan of registration fee that school presented.” Yon-sei University’s Student Body Council requested to parents of students. They sent letters which were written with contents of decreasing registration fee.
Seoul National University’s student President of college informed that put in operation ‘Registration democracy payment’. He said that the present registration fee was appropriated by false and paid in part registration fee would pay in part after enough discussing . Bu-san University’s student president also said that their University students didn’t recognize increased registration fee with the board of directors and the University Main Office faculties, and they will not because registration fee was controlled by the Student Body Council.
Our Chung-Ang University must solve the problem by peaceful way like those universities. Occupying president’ office is not good to be seen by public and only hurt each others’ feeling. The University Administration should not disregard students’ opinion and participates with students by groping conferences about the argument. In the mean while, most of University’s financial situation is different with other universities. Thus, we do not similarly accompany other University’s instance and must adjust situation of our university and students’ ideas.