A semester has passed since the launch of the Yeungnam University student council. In December of last year, the student council was defeated in the election, receiving only 77% of the votes in favor. However, in March of this year, it won the election with more votes in favor than against. Leading up to the re-election, the student council prepared and presented various campaign pledges to the students. The students believed in these pledges and voted in favor. While the student council fulfilled some pledges during the following first semester, many others have not yet been implemented.
A prominent pledge of the student council was the reinstatement of the shuttle bus service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, shuttle buses were suspended, causing commuting inconveniences for students. The student council committed to restoring the shuttle buses, and they are set to resume service on September 1, the first day of the second semester. Lee Woo-jin, a sophomore at YU, expressed, “I used to face discomfort as commuting from home to school via subway took a long time, but now that the shuttle bus is returning, I am looking forward to a more comfortable commute.” This move is anticipated to provide a more convenient commuting option, especially for those who had difficulties using the subway or city buses. Additionally, the student council successfully fulfilled its first-semester pledges, including offering snacks during exams, reducing parking fees on campus, and organizing a school job fair.
On the flip side, there are several pledges that the student council has not yet delivered on. For instance, they promised to reform the course registration system, planning to transition from the current first-come, first-served approach to a preference-based mileage system for signing up for courses. However, the course registration system for the second semester continued to operate on a first-come, first-served basis, with the mileage program not being introduced.
Furthermore, the student council aimed to collaborate with the schools to ensure detailed grades are promptly released to students. Some professors only disclosed test and assignment grades upon inquiry. However, grades were not disclosed during the first semester for many courses.
The student council also fell short of other promises, including restructuring the open-air auditorium building and installing smoking booths on campus. Despite reaching out five times, The Yeungnam Observer could not secure an interview with the student council to discuss whether these unfulfilled pledges could be realized in the second semester or later. Whether the student council can uphold its commitments for the remainder of its term remains to be seen.
