Report #15804 states, “I think the Period Policy is a really good idea. What should be done to adopt this policy at HUFS?” This is a recent post that was uploaded to the HUFS Seoul Campus Bamboo Forest Facebook page. The Period Policy gives attendance credits to female students when they are absent from class due to menstrual pain. There are only two departments that are putting the policy into practice at HUFS: the Department of Arabic, which adopted the policy since last semester, and the College of Business Administration, which had already implemented the system in 2014. However, these two departments are limiting the use of the Period Policy to only their major classes, so the policy is not being practiced widely at HUFS. The Argus met students who have different thoughts on the Period Policy and heard their opinions as well as the pros and cons of the policy.

I go along with the practice of the Period Policy. In my opinion, it is unreasonable to mark a student “absent” when they could not come to class because of menstrual pain. I think the Period Policy is no different from handing in medical reports and getting a score for attendance. However, the major difference between handing in a medical report and the Period Policy is the difficulty of proving the reason for being absent. Normally, students get treatment for their illnesses at hospitals and hand in medical certificates to their professors to prove the justification of absence. On the other hand, unlike other diseases that need treatment, the cause of menstruation is very clear, and the pain will stop as time passes without having to go to the hospital. Therefore, I think going to a hospital only to get a medical certificate is unnecessary, since it does not help to cure the pain. Also, menstruation is an inevitable pain that every woman periodically suffers, so consideration for this situation should be natural.
The Department of Arabic is preventing policy abuse by limiting the usage of the policy to once a month. Once a month does not mean one class, but covers classes during one week, which is commonly considered to be the menstrual period. Moreover, we are preventing overlap usage by recording the student’s name, number, and date they used the policy.
There is a controversy regarding whether students will abuse the Period Policy when they do not want to go to class. Still, although I am a male, I do not think this will be the case. As I took Arabic classes for many years, I realized not attending classes has a negative influence on a student’s study and grade, so students will not use the policy unless they are really ill. The student who uses the Period Policy may benefit by getting credit for attendance, but she also has to endeavor to catch up in class. Thus, I think it is not preferential towards female students.

I disagree with allowing the Period Policy because of the concern of abuse. First, if menstruation becomes a proper reason to be absent from class, many students will think of using it when they over-sleep or have terrible hangovers. I have seen many friends getting medical reports from hospitals and getting credit for attendance regardless of gender when they did not go to class because they simply did not want to go. In reality, some Korean universities that had instituted a Period Policy revoked it because the frequency of use was very irregular. Of course, I know there are many females whose menstrual periods are irregular. However, the problem has deepened because the days of usage were mostly on Fridays or days before or after holidays.
Second, I think the Period Policy is unreasonable. Making a policy that cannot be truly proven as to whether the students were absent because of menstrual pain is reverse discrimination against men. The cases for male students to use official absences from class are very limited to reasons such as physical examination for joining the army or going to an employment interview. In these cases, male students have to hand in certificates to prove the validity of the event as in the case of reserve forces training. I do not understand why the Period Policy is acknowledged by simply providing an oral report at the dean’s office without any proof. Also, the Period Policy only exists in Korea. When we look at the cases of other countries, people can apply for leave when they are ill, but no country gives an officially approved leave of absence because of menstruation.

I agree on introducing the Period Policy for the same reason the school adopted a policy that excuses absences on account of illness. Most women experience menstrual pain once a month. However, it is not a disease that can be cured through medical treatment, so there is no need to receive a prescription for medicine at a hospital. If the purpose of the excused absence on account of illness is to minimize the disadvantage for absences by proving the student was ill, it is fair to add the pain of menstruation to the category of illnesses. Because it is common sense and a medical fact that most women suffer pain from menstruation, I think excluding the procedure is reasonable.
I mostly do not miss class even though I feel menstrual pain. When I am very ill during class, I visit the nurse’s office, take pills, and go back to class. If I am in too much pain, I tell the professor and go home to rest. I sleep all day when I do not have classes. I have to take a painkiller every two or three hours before the effect of the medicine disappears. In the old days, I was afraid of taking four to five tablets every day for a week because of side effects, but now I choose to take them since daily life is impossible for me without it. The Period Policy will be a way to relieve the pressure of going to class for students when they are in menstruation and allow them to rest comfortably.
Abuse of the policy is being raised as the biggest problem with the Period Policy. However, I think limiting the number of usages and leaving it up to the professor’s discretion is enough to ensure no abuse of the system.

I disagree with the Period Policy even though I am a female. People commonly think every woman experiences deadly pain during menstruation, but that is not true. Every woman has different levels of pain. While some cannot even come out of their rooms because of severe pain, other women may feel less pain that does not prevent them from living their daily lives. I am one of those people who do not feel much pain during menstrual periods. Likewise, there is a huge difference within women, so I am doubtful whether it has to be applied to every woman.
Moreover, to get an officially approved absence, a student should go outside, visit a doctor, pay a fee for consultation, and get a medical certificate to hand it in. However, in the Period Policy’s case, an official report of absence is easily issued for free if students simply visit their dean’s office after the pain is gone and record their name without any proof. Leaving this easy method only to students’ conscience enables it very susceptible to abuse. Then, there can also be issues where students argue that they could not leave their rooms due to extreme pain. Diseases like flu can also cause great pain and make it hard for students to move their body, and it can be cured by just resting at home. However, in this case, students have to visit a doctor and pay a fee just to prove they were ill. Both are the cases of ill students, so why should the treatment for each case be different?
Like I said, I am one of those women who do not feel much pain during my period. However, I had a few unexpected menstrual pains when I was a high school student. When I visited the doctor, she said it occurs when one’s body is weak and does not occur if one is healthy. Like the flu, every woman has different reasons for menstruation pains, which can be cured if you visit the doctor, know the clear cause, and receive proper treatment. Therefore, I think the Period Policy should also require a medical certificate like that of a normal official absence. Menstrual pain is an illness, so the process must not be named the Period Policy, but should follow the current policy and be called an absence on account of illness so that every student can use it regardless of their gender.