POSTECH and Other Korean Universities’ RC System
POSTECH and Other Korean Universities’ RC System
  • Reporter Lee Il-bong
  • 승인 2016.10.12 16:59
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POSTECH has operated Residential College (RC) system since 2008. It was the second RC adoption in Korea (the first RC was Yonsei University Wonju campus in 2007). Nowadays, many universities are currently operating or preparing RC system. According to the paper, “The Origin and Development of Residential Colleges in the British Universities” written by Joo-Kwan Kim, RC systems in Korea stem from foreign universities’ examples. Among those examples, RCs in Oxford and Cambridge University are recognized as the beginning of modern RC system. Those RCs were operated economically and structurally independent, and provided educations inside of their daily lives.
Back to modern days, the biggest difference of RC and regular dormitory system is also that RC gives students’ the cultural and personality education. In POSTECH RC, they have two Residential college Assistant (RAs) and one Master Professor for each floors like usual RC system. POSTECH RC operates culture programs, special lectures, and student mentoring programs. All of these programs are directed by RAs. They have specified organization under RA president. For example, RC culture programs like musical appreciation are directed by Department of Planning and Management. Inviting orator for special lectures is done by Department of Education Planning. RAs form six departments and work as independent organization managing overall RC programs. New projects are directed by RAs and they discuss by themselves. Then the new projects are checked by Master Professor, and delivered to Housing Services. RAs have sufficient power to manage RC, and Master Professor takes a role of mediation.     
How about other universities? Yonsei University’s RC started its demonstrational operation since 2010, with the completion of International Campus. In 2013, about 2,700 students lived in RC for one semester, and since the next year, four thousands of all freshmen has entered to RC and lived for one year. RC in Yonsei University has 12 Houses with respective concepts. Each building has its distinct educational programs related to its theme. For instance, Yoon Dong-ju House operates the program reading novels and writing essays. House system resembles to that of Oxford and Cambridge. Besides, they have essential Residential Education course “Yonsei RC 101”. The course is composed of future planning for successive university life. POSTECH RC operates lots of programs, but does not have respective essential course like this. They also have RAs, and Master Professors.
Ehwa Womans University also started to operate RC programs. It is the first RC built in Seoul. Its demonstrational operation started since 2013, and planned to provide RC programs for all freshmen from 2015. However, its construction got delayed and it completed recently. RC in Ehwa Womans University claims “Family System” in RC. They have respective essential RC course, divided into Common Reading Seminar and Sharing Leadership. Moreover, they have programs with themes of 4F (Fun, Free, Food, Family), and 3-ing (reading, meeting, acting).