—Satisfaction Levels Much Higher than Expected
In 2014, Yonsei began a new chapter in its educational history, launching the Residential College (RC) program for freshmen at the international campus (YIC) in Songdo. This year, 4000 freshmen are living and learning in the RC, enjoying the benefits of its holistic educational program. The RC has proven to be even more successful than Yonsei officials envisioned. Faculty members are providing very positive reports of students who have already gone through the RC system, indicating that these students are even more serious than in years past. At the same time, reactions from students and parents have also been very encouraging. Education officials from Korea and abroad are visiting the YIC in increasing numbers, wishing to learn firsthand how the RC system functions and consider how it might work at their home institutions.
What is RC?
The RC system is based on an Ivy League model in which learning and living are integrated, with dormitories functioning as a space for living, studying, and engaging in a number of extracurricular activities, including foreign language learning, art and culture appreciation, and sports programs.
The educational vision of the RC is based in the broad, ecumenical spirit of Christian teaching upon which Yonsei was founded, and it is dedicated to training global leaders with a strong civic consciousness. As such, the RC strives to instill in students an appreciation of the virtues of scholarship, self-cultivation, and service to society.
Korean and international Residential Masters (RM), English Residential Fellows (ERF), and other professors also live in the dorms. Their role is to assist students in learning how to live mindfully with others, develop strong academic habits, and foster civic awareness and a commitment to democratic values.
The RC curriculum is designed to connect in-class education and out-of-class activities. To this end, a key feature is the frequent one-on-one meetings between students and faculty members, which ensures that they receive meaningful guidance and develop stronger communication skills.
What does the RC consist of?
The Core of RC: Holistic Education
Yonsei has established Holistic Education (HE) as the fundamental mission of the YIC, seeking to improve upon educational models that primarily focus on academics. As such, HE concerns itself with the intellectual, psychological, ethical, and physical development of students. HE offers a number of courses emphasizing civic duty, critical thinking, arts and culture, and physical education.
1) Holistic Education 1
HE1 (Service Leadership) seeks to train global leaders with a strong sense of civic responsibility and social awareness. To gain hands-on experience in the community, students participate in a variety of volunteer projects. The largest of these is the Yon-In project, which has Yonsei students provide mentoring and academic guidance to teens in the Incheon area.
2) Holistic Education 2
HE 2 (Culture and Arts) aims to foster creativity, cooperation, and aesthetic appreciation through literature, music, the performing arts, filmmaking, and other artistic media. By participating in cultural activities through HE2, freshmen gain greater self-confidence, develop self-expression, and become well-rounded and culturally sensitive individuals.
3) Holistic Education 3
HE 3 (Physical Education) provides students with a number of opportunities to participate in athletic activities, making use of the YIC’s state-of-the-art sports facilities. In HE 3, students learn skills such as cooperation, leadership, and sociability. HE3 is a unique offering in Korea, and these courses are especially meaningful for freshmen students who have just come through the grueling college admissions process.
4) Yonsei RC 101
Created in the spring of 2013, Yonsei RC 101 is a mandatory course for all Yonsei freshmen (excluding premed, pre-dental, fine arts, and physical education students). RC 101 is designed to give students the opportunity to explore the essence of college life—what it means to be a college student and how they can make the most of their time at Yonsei.
5) RC Reading and Discussion
English Residential Fellows lead discussions and debates in English during the evening in order to improve students’ English listening and speaking skills. Short stories, articles, plays, and movies dealing with issues related to society, ethics, science, and the environment are interpreted and discussed. Students and faculty members decide together which themes they wish to address during the semester, and the faculty select the content accordingly.
“RC education is a blessing for Yonsei students”
What kind of lives are freshmen in the RC leading? What do they think about the program? We spoke to Park In-ae, a freshman architecture student, who offered her thoughts on the RC program as a current participant. Although she was initially apprehensive about studying at the YIC, after a highly enjoyable first semester in the RC, Park expressed satisfaction with her decision to study at Yonsei and the YIC:
“The RC offers the opportunity to become very close with members of my cohort. It has provided a platform for developing independence, while fostering a sense of belonging. I am very satisfied with the RC program.”
“HE1 taught me about service, HE2 quenched my thirst for books, music, and culture, and HE3 taught me about maintaining a healthy body and spirit. They all taught me very valuable lessons. To tell you the truth, when I took HE1, a Yon-In mentorship, I had to take a class that I didn’t want to because the ones I preferred to take were all full. However, as the weeks passed, I whole-heartedly realized that service and Christian leadership is about sharing my time, heart, and talents. My friends have all said that they really loved HE2 and HE3, with their emphasis on culture and physical education after several hard years of studying for the college entrance exams. I believe the HE classes will become a Yonsei legacy for generations of students to come.”
Park also spoke about some of the RC’s inconveniences, as well as her suggestions for improving the program. “First off,” she said, “the HE classes fill up in about two or three seconds barring many students from taking the classes they want to take. I wish that the university would offer more HE classes, because these classes are the core of the RC system and its holistic education program.”
She also regretted that there was little interaction between YIC freshmen and upper-class students (sunbaes). “When I came to Yonsei, I was eager to meet role models and mentors for my college years. I would like more opportunities to learn from our sunbaes.” She thus expressed her wish for more exchanges between the Sinchon Campus and YIC.