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Heartwarming Teacher and Pupil Companionship amid COVID-19
Writer 국제교류팀 방민혁
Date 2021.11.24
View Count 678
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Due to government guidelines to protect the public during the pandemic, our university culture has undergone unexpected changes over the past two years. In particular, students in lower years only had online classes which made it difficult for them to get to know professors, not to mention having experiences of true campus life with lectures, club activities, and student gatherings all put off. In response, student teams from both Dankook campuses have provided a venue to promote communication between professors and students, offering various professor-pupil programs that are being widely acclaimed, instilling school spirit and offering a chance to enjoy extracurricular activities.



The Teacher-Pupil Companion Program was started so professors and students could come together in advancing college life. The program was launched in 2015 and, after a hiatus last year, reopened this year. While 25 teams took part in the spring semester, 91 teams participated in the fall semester which recently concluded with enormous success. Teams were grouped based on their applications, with 18 teams working virtually and 73 teams being in person. In total, over 800 students and professors collaborated on various topics and built stronger teacher-pupil ties. 



The program consisted of various collaborations, including experiential activities, cultural activities, sports, volunteer work, online meetings, online counseling for college life, career counseling, and viewing videos on respective majors. “I always felt something was missing while taking online courses for so long. So it was an invaluable experience to be able to meet professors and fellow students in person to talk about our studies and the future, and also receive precious advice,” commented Da-hyeon Kim (Year 3, Dept. of Public Policy) who participated in the in-person part of the program. Professor Son Hee-rak (Dept. of Fine Arts) said that “serious topics such as studies and employment are important but it was especially worthwhile to just meet each other and get to know each other by sharing personal interests or simply talking about the pressures felt as young members of society.”



The Teacher-Pupil Companion Program is being introduced for the first time this year at the Jukjeon campus on November 13th. Face-to-face programs have been prepared with applications received for teams consisting of 4~6 members. A total of 60 teams have been selected to enhance a sense of belonging, to build ties between professors and students, and to offer experiences in extracurricular activities for students for an opportunity to grow in new ways. Various programs are planned, including academic research site visits, career exploration, physical activities, cultural activities, sporting events, volunteer work, and other specialized activities for each major.