Chungnam, Kongju national universities to submit Glocal University 30 action plan as coalition

Chungnam National University and Kongju National University are submitting their final action plan together for the Glocal University 30 project, deciding to merge their campaigns amid support from both institutions.

Chungnam National University campus [CHUNGNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY]

Chungnam National University and Kongju National University are submitting their final action plan together for the Glocal University 30 project, deciding to merge their campaigns amid support from both institutions.

After running online votes among faculty, staff and students from Monday through Wednesday, asking whether they would support submitting the final action plan for the Glocal University 30 project as a merged coalition, Chungnam National University announced that 60.83 percent of the weighted vote of 12,810 respondents were in favor of the move.

The Glocal University 30 project offers funding of up to 100 billion won ($72 million) over five years to universities outside greater Seoul, encouraging schools to enhance their competitiveness in attracting students.

The Ministry of Education short-listed 18 applicants — which includes the coalition between Chungnam and Kongju national universities — and is waiting for them to submit the final action plan by Aug. 11.

Chungnam National University said during a faculty meeting on July 30 that it will not submit the action plan if less than 50 percent support the merger. Faculty votes were given a 50-percent weight, staff and teaching assistant votes were weighted at 30 percent, graduate students at 5 percent and undergraduate students at 15 percent.

Chungnam National University’s vote showed that 67.50 percent of the university’s professors, 77.89 percent of its accounting staff, 64.24 percent of the teaching assistants, 71.29 percent of the graduate students and 43.10 percent of related public sector staff said they supported the merger.

Out of the 9,278 undergraduate students who cast votes, 1,527, or 16.46, percent said they supported the plan.

On Kongju National University’s side, 81.24 percent of the faculty said they were for the merger. Around 69 percent of the staff and 54.43 percent of the undergraduate and graduate students said they supported it.

Based on the results, the two universities will turn in their final action plan to the Ministry of Education on Aug. 11.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]