The KAIST Undergraduate Association (UA) announced that Physical Education (PE) mandatory general courses will be removed from graduation requirements from the Fall 2022 semester onwards. Previously, all undergraduate students had to fulfill 4AU from PE courses, with 2AU earned per class.  Additional changes in AU requirements will also be applied, addressing possible shortcomings that may arise from the new policy, especially for students serving military duty or those participating in extracurricular sports club activities. 

The UA has long since been working towards improving PE AU requirements and maximizing the input of students in making their decision. In July 2021, the UA surveyed students on having military service recognized as AU, how they intend to acquire the PE AUs, and the type of sports they would prefer to learn. In February, a general survey was sent to all undergraduates asking for their opinions on possible improvements to the AU requirements. Some proposals that were not selected included reducing the PE course requirements to two AUs, increasing the number of AUs given per PE course, or leaving PE course requirements unchanged but allowing additional AUs to be earned from club activities and military service. 

To account for the reduction in graduation requirements, the minimum number of credits required for graduation will be increased from 136 to 138. All PE courses will be recognized as elective general courses; thus, each PE AU attained before the Fall 2022 semester will be exchanged with one credit. Students currently involved in sports club activities will be able to apply for AUs. Considering that providing the option to obtain AUs from sports club activities has led to increased awareness and promotion of exercise among students, the UA is hoping to discuss and implement additional measures to maintain students’ interest and high participation rate in sports clubs. As a strategy, a Physical Education category led by sports clubs will be added under the Humanity/Leadership III program. 

Furthermore, students serving in the military would be able to obtain one AU in the Humanity/Leadership category. Students in the army regularly engage in combative sports to strengthen their endurance. Thus, serving in the military has been accepted as completing a leadership AU from the Spring 2022 semester. 

Due to their heavy workload and busy schedules, many students may encounter difficulties maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Despite the change in requirements, students are still encouraged to engage in exercise regularly through means including PE classes or extracurricular sports clubs. This will not only allow students to experience diverse sports activities but also build a closer-knit student community.