About Direct Election System for University President

<#320 Howdy, CNUians?>
 
Direct Election System for University President:
What Is Your Opinion?
 
By Yoon Ji-yeon, Guest Reporter
 
Na Seol-hee (Junior, Department of Psychology)
As the pillars of our school, the least we can do is to vote directly in an election. However, looking into ourselves inwardly, how many of us are totally interested in 'our' election? How many of us are aware of the presidential candidates? Not knowing where the election was held, being busy, being stuck with major studies, and not being interested in the election with the impractical pledges of the candidates, we might have postponed our immersion into the realities of the university. Considering the impact of our behaviors, I think a new way of selecting the president, rather than the direct election system, could be better. It will be the 'indirect election system' by people who are informed about the presidential candidates. Of course, alternatives should be prepared to keep the election balanced, such as collecting opinions from the student representatives or going through the proper procedures in selecting a new president to be much more willingly accepted by the majority of the members of CNU.
 
Yi Ji-ang (Junior, School of Mathematics)
Before raising the issue of a direct election system, foreign students are actually not familiar with the election. Since the number of foreign students is not that many, it is difficult for us to have a decisive effect on turning the table of an election. What’s more, the pledges for us are scarcely found, which has made us uninterested in the topic. Likewise, I don't mind any approach, as long as a new system shall provide us with more opportunities and will give us more practical benefits. It is likely that it doesn't matter whether a direct election system should be consistent or not, under the condition of both improving the welfare of students and bringing us new ideas that we ourselves participated in during the decision-making procedure. The educational environment is continuously being changed with the changing flow of society, and I will be willing to stand in the direction of my school being developed.
 
Yoon Ye-ji (Freshman, School of Self-designed Interdisciplinary Studies)
I disagree with the abolition of a direct presidential election. To begin with, it’s quite natural that the education system would be severely damaged if each university loses their independence. It means the democracy of the country is being threatened, which is also against the Constitution declaring South Korea a democratic republic. Secondly, the possibility of corruption among the professors cannot be the reason to lift the direct election system. I believe that dishonorable bribery could be settled through strict investigation since it often occurs in the election of both the president and the National Assembly. I think, paradoxically, that the seemingly negative process of the current election system shows that ‘the real president’ could be elected. To sum up, a direct presidential election system should be protected for our educational future based upon democracy and the real president that we ourselves choose. It is our duty to preserve the inherited direct election system in which all of the schools members can democratically participate.
저작권자 © Chonnam Tribune 무단전재 및 재배포 금지