KCUE Proposes Policy Reforms to the Ministry of Education to Address Issues Facing Small Universities

□ The Korean Council for University Education (KCUE), led by Chairman Yang O-bong proposed policy reforms to the Ministry of Education to address issues facing small universities.

 

ㅇ KCUE held two policy debates (February 26 and March 13, 2025) to discuss issues facing small universities. Moderated by KCUE Secretary General Lee Kyung-hee, the debates covered various topics including the University Evaluation and Accreditation System, transfer admission quotas, financial support projects for universities, and the International Education Quality Assurance System. The policy recommendations derived from these debates were reported to the 269th meeting of the KCUE Board of Trustees and submitted to the Ministry of Education.

□ The key policy recommendations for addressing the issues facing small universities are as follows:

ㅇ Improvements for the University Evaluation and Accreditation System

       - Currently, universities that not accredited under this system are subject to restrictions on government-funded scholarships and student loans. However, such restrictions, which are intended to act as sanctions on universities, have a direct impact on students. Therefore, the policy that treats the University Evaluation and Accreditation System and government-funded scholarships and student loans in the same framework should be abolished.

 

ㅇ Improving the calculation of slots available for transfer admission

         - The proposed change in the calculation of slots available for transfer admissions under the University Establishment and Operation Regulations from the current four criteria (availability of campus space, availability of buildings, availability of faculty, and availability of income-generating base property) to three criteria (availability of buildings, availability of faculty, and availability of income-generating base property) may pose a high risk that certain universities, regardless of region or size, would have significant advantages or disadvantages. In this regard, universities should be given the discretion to choose between the two requirements.

 

ㅇ Improvement in the selection of university financial support projects

         - In the selection process for RISE projects, priority should be given to small universities for participation in areas in which they specialize, and consulting support for these universities should be expanded.

         - In the University Innovation Support Project, small universities should be exempted from the evaluation of Self-Directed Majors as part of the qualitative evaluation process, given the small number of majors available at these universities and the unique nature of these majors.

 

ㅇ International Education Quality Assurance System

         - The criteria for dropout rates and illegal residency thresholds, which are indicators of the International Education Quality Assurance System, should be relaxed for small universities to the same level as for junior colleges. In the long term, consideration should be given to removing the illegal residency thresholds from the International Education Quality Assurance System indicators.

 

□ KCUE plans to continue to discuss and build on these suggestions to better address the issues facing small universities.