대학 통폐합에 대한 학생들의 적응과정 연구

Abstract

This article explores the impact of mergers on the experiences of students. A case design is used to gain an in-depth understanding of the students in a Korean university that was combined with a two-year college in 2007. Semi-structured interviews of 11 direct entrants, 5 transfer students, and 7 professors were conducted in 2010 for the data collection. The results suggest that mergers do not necessarily ensure the integration of the students involved. Since mergers pose enormous challenges to both transfer students and direct entrants, university leaders need to give careful attention to students’ persistence and integration as the campus changes. The results also reveal that students’ experience of mergers may be affected by cultural backgrounds as well as the hierarchical structure of higher education. In Korean society, where credentialism prevails, mergers can have different impacts on students who come from initial institutions of differing perceived quality, and thus mergers may incite tension among the students. In light of these concerns, this study’s findings highlight the importance of student integration as a key element in mergers.