The Bill of Rights for Graduate Students of Gyeongsang National University
(Written on September 30, 2015)
The Bill of Rights for Graduate Students of Gyeongsang National University aims to protect all universal freedoms and rights applicable to graduate students about the respect, values, freedom, and human rights guaranteed by the constitution and laws of the Republic of Korea; protect graduate students from unreasonable and disadvantageous treatments; help build a foundation upon which all graduate school students may become members of the academic community; and ensure that the rights of graduate students as students, researchers, and teaching and research assistants in master’s and doctorate courses are universally recognized and observed.
Section I. General Principles
Article 1 (Purpose) The purpose of this Bill of Rights is to protect the sacred basic human rights of all members of graduate schools as an intellectual community and contribute to the realization of human dignity and values by strengthening such protection.
Article 2 (Basic Principles) ① Graduate students have the right to be respected as members of the academic community.
② Graduate students have the right to study and conduct their research in a safe environment that is free from all kinds of physical, verbal, and sexual violence.
③ Graduate students shall not be discriminated against based on gender, education, nationality, age, disability, religion, political disposition, or other social categories.
Section II. Rights of Graduate Students
Article 3 (Right of Self-determination) Graduate students shall have the freedom to lead a private life in which their studies and research do not take precedence over their right to pursue health, safety, marriage, maternity, and family life.
Article 4 (Right to Study and Conduct Research)
① Graduate students shall not be unfairly deprived of the opportunities to study and research that have been promised to them and shall have the right to conduct their studies without being unduly interrupted until the completion of their degree courses.
② Graduate students shall have the right to conduct their studies and research and receive professional training and mentoring about their areas of specialization and research topics.
③ Graduate students shall have the right to use any research spaces and support facilities of the university that are necessary for their studies and research, contingent upon the circumstances of the university.
④ Progress levels for obtaining graduate students’ master’s and doctorate degrees shall have to be assessed according to an objective basis, and assessment results shall have to be shared in writing or by interview.
Article 5 (Copyright) ① Graduate students shall have the right to be recognized as co-authors of research publications to which they have made significant contributions through their sharing of research ideas, participation in research processes, etc.
② Graduate students shall have the copyright as first authors of their research results based on their leading, original ideas, and research methods, which are generally accepted by academia in the field.
Article 6 (Right to Fair Assessment) ① Graduate students shall have the right to fair assessments of their research results.
② Each assessment criteria shall be concrete and objective, and the assessment process shall be transparent and fair, and the results shall have to be provided in writing.
③ Graduate students shall have the right to raise objections to any unfair assessments of their academic performance and research results and receive sufficient explanations for such assessments.
Article 7 (Right to Participate in Decision-making) ① Graduate students shall have the right to participate in the process of establishing and implementing the rights specified under this Bill of Rights.
② Graduate students shall have the right to organize and operate autonomous organizations of graduate school students and participate in the activities thereof.
③ Graduate students shall have the right to be informed of all details regarding decisions made by the graduate school about their studies and research.
Article 8 (Rights of Teaching and Research Assistant)
① Graduate students shall have the right to know conditions and methods of employment as assistants in detail, and the right to fair employment screening.
② Where a graduate student provides academic or physical work as a learning assistant, research assistant, or project researcher, the employer shall provide and comply with the information on clear working hours, details of work, and salary standards.
Article 9 (Rights to Know about Financial Management) ① Graduate students shall have the right to know about the financial details, including the budget and expenditure of her/his research project.
② Graduate students have the right to know the financial details, such as budget and expenditure including teaching and research assistant scholarships provided for each department, major, and program.
③ The financial management of all graduate school departments, majors, and programs shall be transparent, consistent, and open to the public understandably.
Section III. Protection of Graduate Students
Article 10 (Right to Reject Unfair Work Assignments) Graduate students shall have the right to reject any unfair work assignments that are unrelated to their education and research.
Article 11 (Right to Have Adviser Replaced) ① Advisers shall play a major role in guiding students in conducting their thesis and research work and shall instruct students sincerely.
② If an adviser is unable to provide such instruction due to a leave of absence, dispatch, or other reasons, the student concerned may have their adviser replaced.
③ In cases where a student wishes to have their adviser replaced due to reasons listed in the Paragraph ② above or for other unavoidable reasons, and a department head acknowledges that said reasons are fair and reasonable, the student may directly submit an advisor replacement application to the department, without their adviser’s consent, and be formally assigned a new adviser after obtaining the approval of the dean of the graduate school.
Article 12 (Settlement of Disputes) ① Graduate students shall have the right to receive information on the procedures to formally raise the issue if the rights specified above are violated.
② In cases where problem-solving bodies such as committees are held, the principle of non-disclosure shall be guaranteed, graduate schools have a duty of proof, and graduate students are free to adopt evidence and witnesses.
Article 13 (Responsibilities as University Members) ① All members of graduate schools shall be responsible for respecting and realizing all rights listed under this Bill of Rights.
② As members of the academic community, graduate schools shall offer education on human rights, including the content of this Bill of Rights regularly.
Article 14 (Other Rights) Any rights of graduate students shall not be neglected although they are not stated in this Bill of Rights.
Appendix
This Bill of Rights shall take effect from the day of the promulgation