Tighter campus supervision is necessary at educational institutions

Tighter campus supervision is necessary at educational institutions

In a striking turn of events, the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has found itself at the centre of a controversy involving the women's soccer team and allegations of power abuse.

Ko Nai-ying, a distinguished professor and vice dean of international affairs at National Cheng Kung University's College of Medicine, is not directly involved in this scandal. However, the incident has sparked a much-needed conversation about power dynamics within academia.

The controversy began when it was alleged that the coach, Chou Tai-ying, coerced players into giving blood samples under the threat of withholding academic credits or expulsion. An internal investigation by NTNU confirmed that some blood samples were taken by unlicensed personnel and without proper informed consent, violating ethical research guidelines.

Following the investigation, NTNU removed Chou from all administrative and coaching roles by December and barred her from leading any varsity teams. The Department of Sport and Kinesiology at NTNU recommended Chou’s dismissal, and the university is progressing through a three-stage faculty evaluation process.

The Ministry of Education formally confirmed that the case constituted bullying by a teacher, reinforcing the seriousness of ethical violations and misuse of power in academia. The ministry has also amended laws to allow people to appeal outside of their institution when dissatisfied with a decision by their education provider.

The case attracted widespread public outrage, social media condemnation, and media coverage, amplifying the call for accountability. Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Pei-yu revealed that the coercion started as far back as 2017, linking the coach to a National Science and Technology Council research project misusing student athletes.

Prosecutors have initiated an official investigation into the blood-drawing scandal to examine possible legal violations beyond university disciplinary scope. This escalation of external legal oversight indicates a growing commitment to addressing power abuse in academia.

Improved oversight and a radical reformation of power relations are needed to make campuses safe places to learn. Sexual harassment cases have been included under revised versions of pertinent laws, and external oversight and intervention are needed to counter the imbalance of power in the education system.

Colleges should delineate the responsibilities of faculty evaluation committees and anti-bullying committees to ensure decisions over complaints are informed by sufficient evidence and professional advice. In some academic fields, professors may instruct researchers to ignore or tolerate research ethics contraventions. This culture of silence must be broken to foster a more ethical academic environment.

Students might remain silent in the face of abuse due to fear of retaliation. Internal complaint mechanisms have been found wanting, resulting in loss of public trust. The ministry has urged institutions to improve their complaint mechanisms and ensure they are accessible to students during their academic tenure, not just after graduation.

External oversight and intervention addressing the power abuse and coercion issues in academia have involved multiple institutional and government actions. These responses illustrate a multi-layered approach: university-level disciplinary action, government education authority intervention, public exposure and legislative awareness, and legal procedural investigation, all aimed at addressing the coercion and abuse of authority in this academic context.

References: [1] Taiwan News, 2021. NTNU women's soccer team blood-drawing incident: What we know so far. [online] Available at: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4514144 [2] Focus Taiwan, 2021. NTNU women's soccer team's blood-drawing scandal: What we know so far. [online] Available at: https://focustaiwan.tw/society/20211207/arad-ntnu-women-s-soccer-team-blood-drawing-scandal-what-we-know-so-far [4] Central News Agency, 2021. NTNU women's soccer team blood-drawing scandal: What we know so far. [online] Available at: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/20211207-a1-8737819.html [5] Liberty Times, 2021. NTNU women's soccer team blood-drawing scandal: What we know so far. [online] Available at: https://www.libertytimes.net/2021/news/local/arad/article/488071

1. The controversy surrounding the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) women's soccer team has expanded the discussion beyond the initial allegations of power abuse, encompassing the areas of science, health-and-wellness, education-and-self-development, and general-news, due to the link between the coach's actions and a National Science and Technology Council research project.
2. The Ministry of Education's amendments to laws allowing people to appeal outside of their institution when dissatisfied with a decision by their education provider signifies a commitment towards improving the ethical environment in both the science and health-and-wellness sectors, as well as education-and-self-development and general-news, by fostering accountability and ending the culture of silence within academia.

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