As the COVID-19 situation eases, exchange students on both campuses are increasing. The number of students who have taken part in the exchange student program this year is about 300, a significant increase from the previous year. However, certain problems still remain before and after taking part in the program including but not limited to these following factors: ▲Ambiguities in the recognition of credit ▲Fairness issues in the process of completing advanced credits ▲Lack of information and communication regarding exchange student programs. Thus, complaints are growing, suggesting that changes are in need to maximize the efficiency and satisfaction of the exchange student program. These controversies raise an important question: What are the reasons surrounding such disparities between the university and the demands of students?

Reasons Behind the Controversies 

One of the most well-known problems regarding the exchange program is that if a Hanyang University (HYU) student takes the same subject at an overseas university, credits are not accepted by HYU. This is because the rules and regulations behind what is considered as the same subject at the two universities is hard to define. This problem of ambiguity arises fundamentally because HYU does not have clear internal regulations regarding credit recognition. The current regulation proposed by HYU makes it difficult to determine what kind of credits earned from studying abroad can be recognized at HYU and which subjects in overseas schools are considered to have been completed. In fact, there is only a vague explanation on the HYU website stating that the “final decision is made at the discretion of a professor,” but there is nothing else that can be called as a standard. The controversy behind the credit recognition criteria is not limited to students preparing to study abroad but also to regular students, showing the need for clearer standards. There have been cases where regular students have taken core lectures according to their major whereas students who have taken part in the exchange program have earned the same credit for an elective lecture. With there being ambiguous standard, the issue behind fairness in credit is inevitable. In fact, both students preparing for the exchange student program and students who are not planning on taking part in the program are insisting on the need for explicit standards. 

Students’ Stance

A survey conducted by the Hanyang Journal proves that 68 percent of students experience inconveniences regarding the student exchange program. Lee Dohyun, a senior student majoring in Business, pointed out an inconvenience at the stage of contact with the exchange school. “When I was first accepted into the program, the Office of Business Administration said that I would be accepted to the university I listed as my second choice because Florida State University, which I selected as my first choice, was currently not accepting exchange students due to COVID-19. However, after directly e-mailing Florida State University, I received an answer that the exchange student program would be conducted regardless of the pandemic, and after inquiring with the administrative office, they admitted their mistake and contacted the school again to proceed with the program,” Lee explained. He expressed further concerns asserting that HYU should provide specific instructions regarding needed forms; such as visa documents. “However, when I asked the administrative office about the documents, most of the respondents said they did not know about them in detail. If better explanations were provided to students, we would be able to break down the barriers faced by exchange students and they would have more enjoyable experiences.” Lee added that a clear criteria should be set and students should receive files related to course registration from HYU, instead of calling and checking with the administrative office, which would also give way for an easier credit transfer process.

Professors’ Stance

The second problem is the overwhelming number of applications for English-speaking universities and the underwhelming number of applications for non-English-speaking countries. This is an inevitable phenomenon that relies on the account of students’ preference, but due to this one-sided application, while some students are unable to study abroad in English-speaking countries due to fierce competition, there is a contradiction that many tables of organization (TO) in non-English speaking universities are unfilled. Yoon Chong-seung, the vice president of International Affairs in the Office of International Affairs (OIA), addressed the problem behind the imbalance. “ The offered placements at European and non-English speaking world ranking schools are being wasted every semester because there are too many students applying to be exchange students in English speaking countries.” Moreover, he added, “As many students are interested in universities in English-speaking countries, we are also in turn steadily trying to expand English-speaking lectures at HYU. We expect that more students from English-speaking countries will come to HYU as we increase the number of English-only courses.”

The School’s Stance

In response to the opinions of students, the academic team in charge of credit recognition for exchange studies answered that the school is operating the program in its own systematic way. Park Eun-ji, an administrator of the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) said, “HYU has detailed rules for the implementation of the credit exchange system written in the school regulations of ‘HYU and internal regulations for credit recognition of overseas exchange students,’ and based on this, credit recognition is conducted. The exchange student system and procedures are listed on the international team’s website and notice board. I think students’ complaints arise because students are unfamiliar with how to gain access to the available information. Improvements regarding this issue need to be considered. If there are any problems or complaints, students may freely contact the university through various complaint service platforms,” Park added.

Conclusion 

To conclude, not all systems can be perfect, and it is difficult to meet the needs of all students. However, clear and fair credit recognition standards for exchange student programs should be made, and it is important to listen to students’ needs and consider each other’s positions. It is especially important to minimize the inconvenience experienced by students who have been taking part in the exchange program after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, and reorganize the program so that a better system can be established. In addition, efforts should be made to strengthen support for prospective students in the process of supporting exchange students. HYU should provide the necessary documents and students should demand swift improvement.