the slogan of KHU:VOICE 

Photo: KHU (khu.ac.kr)

The campus suggestion system of Kyung Hee University (KHU), which had been suspended since 2016, has been revived after 10 years under the new name KHU:VOICE—based on five core values: value-up, open, insight, co-creation, execution. The Strategic Planning Team of the Office of Planning & Coordination stated, "We have rebuilt this system to revitalize overall university management and foster a sustainable innovation ecosystem." This system operates under the slogan, "Wondrous imagination that changes Kyung Hee, where every voice becomes a policy."

Core Improvements of KHU:VOICE

The biggest feature is the realization of an “open administration” centered on campus members and a comprehensive expansion of eligible participants. An official communication channel has been established so that the creative opinions of members, including faculty, students, and staff, can directly contribute to university development policies and campus environment improvements. At the same time, the participation has been expanded to include alumni to foster affection and pride in their alma mater, with the plan to serve as a catalyst for spreading a culture of donation. Furthermore, to ensure that proposed ideas are not discarded but implemented into policies, a so-called joint reward system will be introduced. This system will award up to 2 million won in prize money not only to the proposer but also to the executive administrative department responsible for the project, reinforcing the system's effectiveness and sustainability.

An Arena for Ideas Covering Overall University Management

​five core values of KHU:VOICE 

Photo: KHU (khu.ac.kr)

The application categories for suggestions are centered around V·O·I·C·E, the five core values that will drive the University’s innovation, covering all areas of university management from securing long-term financial planning to improving the campus environment. First, to solidify the foundation of finance and administration, it seeks value-up plans that capitalize on tangible and intangible resources, such as vitalizing knowledge commercialization and raising development funds, as well as ideas for introducing an open administration system that transparently shares the decision-making process based on data. In addition, in the realm of insight, which proactively responds to a rapidly changing era, it deals with the automation of administrative tasks using AI (AX, DX), flexible academic system reform toward future-oriented curricula, and substantial improvements to educational, research, and welfare spaces. Furthermore, going through the process of co-creation that maximizes synergy between the dual campuses and improves student support programs, the ultimate goal is to exercise execution so that all these proposals do not remain mere ideas but are immediately applied to systems requiring improvement across all areas. However, routine complaints or projects already under way are not eligible for submission.

A Systematic Process and Practicality-Focused Evaluation Criteria

The core criterion for evaluating submitted suggestions is feasibility. According to the evaluation scoring, an overwhelmingly high weight is placed on practicality (40 points), which can be immediately reflected in the actual administrative system, and economy and efficiency (30 points), which reduces budget waste and leads to work efficiency, rather than creativity (15 points) that differentiates it from existing methods, or completeness (15 points) that contains logical execution plans. In other words, practical ideas that can contribute to University’s development will receive the best evaluations. High-scoring proposals selected by passing these practicality-centric criteria are born into actual school policies through a systematic three-step process. First, after passing step one, where outstanding works are awarded through an intensive evaluation per semester—twice a year—the proposal is transferred to the relevant executing department in step two to undergo a specific system design and monitoring process for about six months. In the final step three, once implementation is complete, the final results are evaluated, incentives are provided to the department responsible for execution, and outstanding cases are shared across the University, creating a virtuous cycle of administrative innovation.

KHU:VOICE is open to all members of KHU, whether on an individual, joint, or departmental basis, and operates on a year-round submission system. The upcoming deadline for the first intensive submission is August 28. After this official communication channel has returned with a new look after 10 years, it is expected that the voices of KHU members will lead to positive changes on the actual campus and structural improvements in the University's systems.