College students can choose the subjects they want to take. The students may give up the credits if they feel the content is not suitable or become unsatisfied with the result after taking the course. This is the ‘credit withdrawal system’, in which the courses and grades students have given up are excluded from the semester’s total grade point. Chung-Ang University only provides the drop/add period in the first week of the semester and the course withdrawal period up to the fourth week of the semester. However, in the current situation in which classes will be offered remotely for the first 8 weeks in the second semester of 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the credit withdrawal system can alleviate students' confusion and ensure their right to study. Therefore, Chung-Ang University should introduce a credit withdrawal system during the remote class periods.
What Is a Credit Withdrawal System?
The credit withdrawal system was first executed for its merit of allowing students to take other classes by discarding credits from classes that were not able to be retaken due to cancellations. In fact, there were many Korean male students who were unable to retake a course after being discharged from the military since the classes had been discontinued. So, they could get help from the system. The credit withdrawal system provides an opportunity to study various subjects. Also, it becomes useful when the grades are low due to relative evaluation or personal circumstances. However, according to a survey by the Ministry of Education in 2013, it was found that 152 schools, 77% of the 198 schools surveyed, issued transcripts differently from the original grades. The Ministry of Education pointed out that universities used a system to allow students to raise their average GPA by dropping subjects that received F grades through a credit withdrawal system. Since the Ministry of Education and the Korean Council for University Education recommended reducing grade inflation in December 2013, the credit withdrawal system has been gradually abolished in universities. However, the number of schools implementing the system is increasing as the necessity has increased due to COVID-19.
The Necessity of Credit Withdrawal System During COVID-19
Decrease of Education Opportunity
As online remote classes started from the first semester of 2020, students continue to experience hardships since they are not able to ask questions or use campus facilities freely. It was a guaranteed right for students with face-to-face classes conducted as before. In particular, the problem was more serious with practice-based subjects. Students had to suffer from discomfort because of restrictions on using the practice room at the School of Music. During the first semester of 2021, the on-campus practice room was available from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm on weekdays only for members who complied with the quarantine guidelines. It was completely closed on weekends as the school did not operate a quarantine station. As a result, students had to rent a practice room at their own expense. In addition, it is difficult for students to share their opinions directly with the school. A learning gap is also occurring due to external factors such as digital infrastructure and the residential environment. The introduction of a credit withdrawal system can reduce students’ damage in situations where they cannot take advantage of educational opportunities. In fact, Dongguk University, which is scheduled to implement the credit withdrawal system for the upcoming second semester, mentioned that the decisive factor was the violation of students’ right to study because of COVID-19. An official from Dongguk University said, “Online classes may not guarantee the right to study, so we have made the academic system flexible.” In addition, Sejong University provided an opportunity to give up credits to all students from June 2 to 4 after the midterm exam period in 2020. “To compensate the reduced academic effect due to COVID-19, we have temporarily expanded the credit withdrawal system,” the school mentioned.
Insufficient Course Withdrawal Period
Chung-Ang University's withdrawal period is up to the fourth week of the semester. Students can drop undesirable classes after studying for four weeks, but this is not enough. This is due to the current situation in which the school announced offering classes remotely for the first 8 weeks until the midterm period. If the COVID-19 crisis becomes alleviated, the curriculum can be switched into face-to-face classes. In that case, students will be able to figure out the exact schedule after the cancellation period has passed and have to deal with many variables afterward. Students living in rural areas may have to suddenly commute to school, or some may encounter unexpected class activities such as group projects or presentations. This can adversely affect students' ability to study. Also, since the school has operated online classes due to the COVID-19 crisis, most students could not understand the exact curriculum even after reading the syllabus before the course registration. In the syllabus of the 'Science of Sex' course held in the second semester of 2021, the class method of the first 8 weeks is mentioned as 'to be announced later'. The majority of students are expected to experience difficulties due to an insufficient cancellation period due to COVID-19. Therefore, a credit withdrawal system is necessary.
Unfair Online Exams
As universities conduct online exams recently, the exams have also lost some semblance of fairness due to increased cheating. In fact, some students at Chung-Ang University cheated while taking an exam of the law course during the midterm in the first semester of 2020. They searched precedents and shared stenographic records with each other through KakaoTalk. It became a huge controversy at the time, as it was reported in media beyond the campus such as Yonhap News and E-Daily. The students abused the loophole of the online exam where strict test supervision is impossible in reality. It would be difficult for this kind of incident to occur if the test was held on campus. However, there is still no effective solution to prevent cheating on online exams. While the exam was not counted towards the final grade, the credit withdrawal system can be an alternative. Yonsei University introduced the credit withdrawal system when students pointed out the fairness of the online exams from May 2020. Likewise, the credit withdrawal system can protect honest students who were damaged by others’ cheating.
Concerns and Alternatives
Some show negative views toward the credit withdrawal system. This is because grade inflation, which was pointed out by The Ministry of Education in 2013, might reoccur. Due to COVID-19, most universities have been calculating students’ grades through absolute evaluation, not a relative evaluation for the past year and a half. If the credit withdrawal system is introduced at this moment, it can rather reduce students' desire to learn as well as companies' credibility toward the grades. For these concerns, it is possible to make a compromise. Yonsei University stipulated the students can withdraw credits for one course in the first semester of 2020. In order to keep fairness, the school applied the original grade only in cases of academic probation, expel, and selecting students of the honor roll. Also, Chung-Ang University can limit the subjects if it introduces a credit withdrawal system. According to a report by Korea Economic Magazine on August 11, 2020, a professor at a private college in Seoul said, “Wouldn't it be possible to reintroduce the system by giving the withdraw chance to all students in the 3rd or 4th week as before, and for prospective graduates or students who cannot retake the course due to reorganization or cancellation in the last week of the semester?” Flexible operation of the credit withdrawal system during COVID-19 can be an alternative for the concerns about it.
The credit withdrawal system will guarantee students' right to study in the current chaotic state due to COVID-19. The school can surely prevent grade inflation by strengthening self-regulation or limiting subjects. Chung-Ang University announced that classes will be substituted to online lectures until the 8th week midterm exam period, so it seems that students have to endure the discomfort for a longer period. Therefore, it is necessary for Chung-Ang University to introduce the credit withdrawal system by considering the students' situation more and reflecting on the trend shown in other universities.