Duksung Women's University to close French and German departments

K-campus

Published: 21 Feb. 2024, 14:41

Duksung Women's University to close French and German departments

Members of Duksung Women's University's emergency measures committee hold signs in front of the university president's office on Tuesday, condemning the school's decision to shut down the French Language and Literature and German Language and Literature departments. [YONHAP]

Duksung Women's University plans to shut down its French Language and Literature and German Language and Literature departments as both struggle to attract students.

Members of the university's emergency measures committee gathered at the university campus on Tuesday with signs condemning the school's decision to shut down the two departments. The committee consists of students, faculty and alumni of the two departments.

The university announced that it plans to amend the school regulation, which will stop admitting students to the two departments starting in 2025.

In the announcement, the university stated it is impossible to operate the two departments due to a decrease in students.

The need to change its educational environment to fit needs of the industry and the fourth industrial revolution was another reason to shut the departments down.

Most Duksung Women's University students are admitted to a college of their choice, choosing their major in the second semester of freshmen year.

For the 2024 academic year, a total of 803 students were admitted to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences through the susi and jungsi tracks, which are similar to the United States' early and late decision. Those students are given 22 majors to choose from, with French Language and Literature and German Language and Literature as two available options.

International students are admitted to their major of application.

This isn't the first time the university considered shutting down the two departments, with the plan first discussed during a faculty senate meeting in July last year. However, the plan was turned down by a vote among attendees.

If Duksung Women's University decides to shut down the two departments, it will be the first Seoul-based university to do so.

Although many French and German Language and Literature programs struggled to attract students, many universities merged them with other programs rather than shutting them down.

Dongduk Women's University merged its Department of French and Department of German with its Department of European Studies in 2022, teaching students about the French and German language, the countries' culture and about doing business in the countries.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]