Finding textbooks can be a struggle for university students. Likewise, the process for some George Mason University Korea students has been tough as getting the equivalent books can take up to months. By policy, as Mason Korea courses are reflective to the courses in the Fairfax campus, students here are expected to prepare and use the same textbooks as the Fairfax students, without consideration of the different locations. Due to this reason, getting textbooks ready for the new semester has aroused some controversy throughout the student body.
After being addressed in two consecutive town hall meetings with Provost Wu, it has been proven that this is an important matter which should be seriously dealt with. In the parent townhall meeting with the Provost Wu on June 19th, several of them asked questions regarding how their children can properly find the textbooks with a concerned voice. A number of students also asked the similar questions in the student townhall meeting the next day. After the two meetings, Provost Wu stated that he acknowledged the situation and promised to discuss this matter with other school faculty members.
To help fellow students out, upperclassmen developed a system of exchanging textbooks on a Facebook page called ‘GMUK Selling and Buying.’ There, students are given the opportunity to post both textbooks they want to sell as well as the ones they are looking to acquire. However, many students still have issues and rush to find the correct textbooks due to late class syllabuses uploads on the blackboard. Kyungjoo Lee (Conflict Analysis and Resolution, ’22) expressed her distress, “Even though there were ways to find the textbooks, I barely got to know the titles a week before my classes start.”
It has been mandatory for professors to deliver their class syllabuses to the Office of Academic Affairs a month in advance of the first day of class, but it has been only been suggested for them to do the same on blackboard. Dr. Soyoung Kwon, a professor of Global Affairs, proposed, “I hope the professors give out their syllabuses at least a month before as it has been suggested. Also, it would be much better if the school has its own book store selling the required textbooks like the one not only in the Fairfax campus but also in most of the foreign universities for the convenience of their students.”No official solution has been announced, but hopes to see the students not worrying about their textbooks from next semester remain high.
Youngseo Park | Reporter
ypark26@masonlive.gmu.edu
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