고등교육 규제개혁에 대한 이해관계자 경험 및 인식 연구: 포커스 그룹 인터뷰를 중심으로

Abstract

(Purpose) This study investigates how university stakeholders perceive and experience recent regulatory reform in Korean higher education, with the aim of identifying institutional and administrative improvement strategies grounded in on-the-ground practice. (Design/methodology/approach) A focus group interview was conducted with six university faculty members and administrative staff who were directly involved in regulatory affairs. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and the collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurrent patterns and meanings within stakeholders’ narratives. (Findings) Participants reported that deregulation has enhanced institutional autonomy—particularly in academic administration, budget execution, and faculty recruitment—and has contributed to strengthening universities’ responsiveness to regional talent demands. At the same time, several challenges were identified: inconsistencies between existing internal rules and newly relaxed regulations, misalignment between deregulation timelines and expected performance outcomes, the emergence of unintended regulatory burdens, and widening disparities between metropolitan and non-metropolitan universities. These findings collectively illustrate both the perceived benefits and structural tensions accompanying ongoing regulatory reform. (Research implications or Originality) The study highlights the need for a more coherent regulatory framework that balances institutional autonomy with accountability, supported by integrated inter-ministerial coordination and real-time information-sharing mechanisms. It also underscores the importance of regionally tailored implementation strategies that reflect institutional context. While limited by its small sample size and the time-bound nature of participants’ perceptions, this research provides empirical insight into how regulatory reform is experienced at the university level and offers a foundational basis for future policy development and follow-up studies.