"Language is the house of being."
In 2017, K University courageously stepped away from the standardized term, 'Admissions Office,' long used by the majority of universities in South Korea, and built a new 'house of existence for university admissions work' through the language of a 'Talent Discovery Department.' This was the first attempt to boldly diverge from the conventional term. It can be evaluated as an innovative and audacious attempt, reflecting the will to actively seek out talent, moving away from traditional passive admissions work, and identifying the potential of students who are the protagonists of the future generation. Despite the realistic criticism that it was 'awkwardly unfamiliar' and 'difficult to intuitively understand,' six years later, the sign for the 'Talent Discovery Department' at K University remains robust.
In 2019, an American university staff member, referred to as R, was puzzled when she saw the term 'Dormitory' on a Korean university campus. As a writer who had used this term conventionally without finding anything weird, and given that 'Dormitory' is the first result that pops up when you search for 'dormitory' in the dictionary, I was curious about the reason for her confusion. The word she suggested as an alternative was 'Residence Hall.' R's point was that while 'Dormitory' connotes a space for accommodating students from a traditional perspective, 'Residence Hall' embodies a concept aimed at fostering a sense of community among the students living in the same space and supporting their personal growth by providing various conveniences and services.
Even as we discuss 'Talent Discovery' and 'Residence', we may wonder whether we must quote a phrase from Heidegger, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, yet it is an undoubtedly effective means to reflect on the importance of 'naming.' Within the realm of university administration, the names of departments, institutions, and organizations should reflect the △values and goals, △roles and functions performed, and △scope and target of services of the respective unit.
However, the names of administrative departments in Korean universities give off a uniform impression. It might be more accurate to say that they don't seem to bear the marks of special consideration. It's not a problem in itself that the names are similar. There's no need to forcibly change what could be considered a natural phenomenon: departments with similar purposes and functions sharing similar names. Nevertheless, contemplating the 'meaning of existence' embodied and conveyed by such 'language' is significant.
As precisely pointed out by K University, the impression conveyed by the term 'Admissions Office' is passive compared to the 'Talent Discovery Department.' During the era of skyrocketing college enrollment rates, the term 'Admissions Office' invokes an image of students and parents flocking en masse, aspiring to gain admission in order to acquire the 'symbolic capital' of a degree. In this context, the university's task through the admissions office, as the name suggests, is merely to 'admit' students. There's a stark difference between sifting through numerous applicants for pass/fail selection and actively seeking out students that align with the educational philosophy and desired student attributes. The term 'Dormitory,' which made R staff feel slightly uncomfortable, conveys a functional and utilitarian impression compared to the upscale and comfortable connotation of 'Residence Hall.'
Now, let's try linking these two sets of words. Through the former combination, we can envision a scene where many students applying to the university are filtered through the 'Admissions Office' and then assigned and accommodated in the 'Dormitory.' On the other hand, through the latter combination, we imagine students who have chosen the university as a result of active talent scouting in line with the university's values, philosophy, and strategies living, interacting, and growing together in a 'Residence Hall,' which was designed prioritizing their convenience and offering various services.
Many American universities use the term 'Enrollment Management' in their department names responsible for admissions. This reflects a commitment to manage actively and systematically from the applicant's application stage to final registration, going a step beyond the general admission process. Some universities add 'Recruitment' or 'Retention.' By adding the function of 'prospect exploration' and 'prevention of mid-way dropout' before and after the traditional six-stage "admission funnel" – △prospects △inquiries △applicants △admits △deposits △enrolls – we see the ambition for an all-encompassing management and support system.
At Ohio University in the United States, there's the Center for Advising, Career, and Experiential Learning. Breaking away from typical names like job support and career development, it embraces a vision to provide services from all experiential learning outside the curriculum to career counseling and support. Belmont University has the Office of Hope, Unity, and Belonging. True to its name, this organization operates with the aim of enhancing hope, unity, care, and a sense of belonging among university members. Can we easily imagine the word 'hope' included in the name of an organization in a Korean university? There's a need for 'value-oriented naming' that aligns with the changing role of universities.
After writing this column, the 'Office of Student Happiness' at D University feels even more valuable.
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This content is a translation of an article originally composed in Korean language, which was published in May 2023 on the University News Network, a premier media outlet in South Korea dedicated to higher education. For the original article, please visit https://news.unn.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=546502.
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