The recruitment process for student dormitory residents for the first semester of 2026 began on Jan. 19 when the initial application period opened for both returning and incoming students, and concluded on Feb. 26 with the submission of move-in documents and the announcement of room assignments for selected applicants. During this process, students typically choose and apply for specific dormitories based on their scores, location, and cost. Since each dormitory has a different cutoff score, applicants generally calculate their scores in advance and apply strategically.

  However, the selection criteria were revised this semester. Until 2025, quotas were allocated to each college based on enrollment, and students were selected within each college in descending order of scores. Starting this semester, however, the college-based quota system was abolished, and all applicants were evaluated and selected through an integrated ranking system.

  Concerns have been raised over insufficient communication from the dormitory administration regarding these changes. Kim Hye-won(Dept. of English Language and Literature, 25) said, “There was no official announcement, so I first learned about the change through the platform Everytime, university’s online community. Since the information seemed uncertain, I assumed the previous system would still apply, but the results turned out to be different.” Yoon Hye-won(Dept. of Economics, 25) also mentioned, “After being rejected in the first round of dormitory selection, I learned that the selection criteria had been changed only after contacting the dormitory administration.”

  Students who were not selected faced unexpected disruptions to their daily routines. Kim added, “Now that I have to commute, I often have to leave departmental activities early to catch the bus. I spend nearly three hours round-trip for classes, and I have nowhere to stay during breaks.” Yoon also said, “After failing to secure a dormitory spot, I had to quickly find off-campus housing, which made it difficult to get a place with good conditions. Even the room I was not available until after the semester had already begun.”

  Kim has expressed dissatisfaction with the additional recruitment process, pointing out, “The announcement for additional recruitment was posted suddenly on the same day, and there was no information on vacancies, so I could not properly decide whether to apply. In the end, I missed the opportunity because I saw the notice too late.”

  Yeon Je-bun, head of the dormitory administrative team, explained the background behind the policy change. “Each year, there are structural changes such as the establishment, integration, or closure of colleges, and the final enrollment figures are only confirmed after the semester begins. Since the selection process takes place one to two months before the semester starts, it is difficult to accurately reflect enrollment numbers.” He added, “Because of this, it became inappropriate to allocate quotas based on college enrollment, the regulations were revised to ensure a fairer selection process.”

  No formal procedure was conducted to gather student opinions during the revision process. Yeon noted, “Selection guidelines may be revised with the approval of the dormitory director when necessary, so there was no separate process for collecting opinions.” Addressing criticism of the notification method, he said, “The guidelines have always been posted on the dormitory website under the ‘Selection Guidelines’ menu, and the revised version was also announced there. We will consider providing additional notices through the announcements board in the future.”

  This case illustrates that even when policy changes are justified, a lack of sufficient guidance and predictability can lead to greater confusion and dissatisfaction among students. Attention is now focused on whether the dormitory administration will strengthen transparency and communication alongside its efforts to ensure fairness.