The semester of Spring 2021 just started, yet a great portion of housing issues have not been properly resolved. The housing application for Spring 2021 was opened on 6 November 2020 and closed on 19 November at Incheon Global Campus (IGC). As the housing application began, there were countless inquiries and complaints from IGC students and parents towards the housing office. Understanding the current situation and the complaints would be integral parts of resolving the issues for the IGC Housing Office to regain the trust of IGC students.
Many students faced several significant housing issues during Fall 2020. For instance, some students, who left the dormitory in the middle of the semester due to the prolonged COVID-19, were delayed in refunds. Even though the whole refund for Fall 2020 housing was not completely made, IGC Housing asked students to pay for Spring 2021 first. Also, a considerable number of students failed to pay for Spring 2021 housing on time with technical problems. The housing office received an additional list by 10 December for the students in order to reconsider their payment.
During the housing application period, a few posts related to inquiries and complaints about the Housing Office were uploaded on George Mason University Korea’s online student community, ‘Everytime’. The posts included stories of IGC students and their parents being treated by IGC staff with disobliging attitudes when they contacted the office for help. Many students who read the posts sympathized with the issue and shared their stories that discussed their struggles when they contacted the housing office. Such circumstances that students faced seem to have persisted for a long time.
For direct information from students’ standpoint regarding the housing issue, The Voice interviewed a GMUK student who has used the IGC Housing for Spring 2020 and Fall 2020. The student shared not only the dissatisfaction about the IGC staff's way of work, but about their unprofessional attitude. In the interview, the student was asked questions based on his overall experience with the housing office.
Q. Have you heard about the housing issue or experienced any inconvenience?
A : I have seen many posts about the complaints of the housing office’s unkindness at the online student community of GMUK and experienced some inconveniences. When I called to cancel my housing application last semester, I had to wait as the housing office didn’t answer for a long time. Even after they responded, the staff who answered the call could not solve it directly, and he put the call on other staff, though it was a simple inquiry. I had to talk to many staff over the phone but failed to solve the canceling issue properly.
Q. Do the inconveniences affect your satisfaction or trust in the IGC Housing?
A : I applied for the refund of Spring 2021 housing, but I did not get any clarification from the housing office so far. So I have no idea whether my application is approved or not, and I am still just waiting for the refund. I think I am getting lost trust in IGC Housing because of their work process.
Q. How do you feel about the public opinion of the student community regarding the housing issue?
A : I totally understand that many students feel dissatisfied with IGC Housing. I think the housing office should handle the work swiftly so that students who really need to use the dormitory can be approved as soon as possible. However, the housing office is slow to handle their work and irregular to answer the inquiry calls itself, and students even face inappropriate attitudes. Besides, there is no announcement or countermeasures about such problems. If the situation lasts or worsens, it will cause considerable problems in the future. They need some practical solutions.
Q. What do you think is the best way to solve the issue in IGC Housing?
A : To be honest, the housing office needs some staff changes, but I don’t think that would be the best way. I want to say that all housing staff should be aware of the issue. And they should explain or apologize to the students as soon as possible. Also, if they have some problems to work on and need more time to process them, it would be better to notice students preferentially through the mail. For example, “There has been some confusion to cancel the housing application, and now, the IGC Housing has figured out what thing made the problem and been trying to solve it. Every application will be approved in a few days, and IGC Housing will send a clarification mail to all students.” Using such methods, students will no longer have to wait with anxiety, and they can trust the IGC Housing office.
The Housing Office is a crucial part that the students need in order to have a better campus life in IGC. However, with the continuation of the complaints that are being filed towards the housing office, the students are getting disappointed and starting to lose trust in the housing office. It is unknown whether the housing office is aware of the struggles that the students are facing. However, it is hoped that the IGC Housing office can have better communication with the students to restore trust and prevent further issues from happening.
Written by Yubin Kwon | Staff Writer
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