Plans and Developments for the Office of Academic Affairs

1. Plans and Developments for the Office of Academic Affairs Dr. Lin, Chin-teng March, 2007

2. Preface • Thesis citation and budgets are two critical determinants of university caliber, though other factors also play a role. In pursuing recognition as one of the world's top 100 universities, NCTU should commit itself to the improvement of research and teaching quality. Developing these two tracks will eventually secure the University a reputation as a top academic institution. • The number of theses and thesis citations at NCTU meets the criteria of elite universities. Accordingly, the University should match its high standards of research with equal attention paid to its quality of teaching.

3. Preface • Students are the subjects of a university, and talents are the most valuable resources to the school. The competence to foster elite students is critical to the evaluation of a top university. • If universities in Taiwan are capable of fostering best students--from both the graduate and undergraduate programs—that exert their influence both within Taiwan and across the globe, these universities will be automatically recognized as top schools worldwide. • Powerful and influential alumni decide whether a university can be recognized as a top institute.

4. Preface • From MOE’s perspective, education tops all responsibilities of a university. It is impossible to conduct quality researches should a university fail to provide best education for its students at the undergraduate level. • For a long time, university assessments in Taiwan have overemphasized thesis and thesis citation while slighting education. This phenomenon has prevented education from receiving its due attention. Thesis—especially the number of theses—has become the sole criterion in evaluating universities.

5. Preface • To most students, what remains influential to their college life is education. Therefore, we should focus on fostering students’ professional knowledge, human concerns and global views. To attain to this goal, the University must conduct prompt implementations of the following plans: Curriculum and Courseware R&D, Student Consultation, Quality Teaching, Evaluation and Feedbacks.

6. New Plans and Developments of the Office of Academic Affairs • Restructuring • The establishment of the Center for Learning and Teaching Development (CLTD) • More flexible evaluation on faculty members and their promotions • To strengthen the College-Specific Development of Academic Affairs • Creative strategies and handlings for student recruitment • Internationalized Education • Liberal Education • Education on Foreign Languages • To Define Indicators and Expected Values of Academic Affairs

7. To establish an Advisory Committee under the Office of Academic Affairs(to be staffed by Excellent Teaching Award winners and enthusiastic faculty members). To establish a Standing Committee under the Office of Academic Affairs (to be staffed by the Associate Dean from each college) to handle administrative works and urgent issues. To build an e-Administrative Platform for Academic Affairs that incorporates handlings on registrations, student recruitment, curriculum designs, Teaching and Pre-warning System and e3 Learning System. To appoint a Director for the Office of Dean of Academic Affairs (to be served concurrently by the Director of Admission Division); the Admission Division will shoulder responsibilities similar to those of the Secretariat. To recruit two Consultants for the Office of Academic Affairs. To issue OAC Bi-weekly (edited by Admission Division and issued/graphed by Digital Content Production Center) Reorganization 7

8. CLTD: Origins 8 • In recent years, a revolutionary wind has spread across both domestic and international fields of education: students as the subjects of a university, and excellent teaching as the school’s ultimate goal of development. • To respond to such demands, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has also required universities in Taiwan to establish their Centers for Teaching and Learning Development (CLTD). Such establishment is obligatory to the 58 institutes funded by MOE’s Teaching Excellent Project. • Among the 12 universities awarded by MOE’s Aiming for the Top University and Elite Research Center Development Plan (ATU Plan), only NCTU and National Tsing Hua University have yet to establish such centers. • Evaluators commissioned by the ATU Plan have expressed their concerns for the University’s lack of CLTD in January this year.

9. CLTD: Origins Edgar Dale, The cone of experience, in “Audiovisual methods in teaching” (1969). 9

10. Organization of CLTD • Mission：To build a diversified and cooperative learning environment for NCTU students and faculty members. • Organization and Services： A Director (held concurrently by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs) and Associate Director (concurrently served by an NCTU professor) will execute the following missions of the Center: (1) Consultation with students on academic affairs (2) Promotion on Quality Teaching (3) Research and Development of Curricula and Courseware (4) Teaching and Learning evaluations and feedbacks

11. Organization of CLTD Quality Teaching Teachers Curriculum and Courseware R&D Student Consultations Students Evaluation and Feedbacks

12. To foster students’ motivation in learning via peer-study groups, extracurricular activities, and consultation service provided by advisors. To help students have a clear view of their academic pursuits and goals at NCTU (through speech events, workshops, experience-sharing with alumni, and direct conversations with masters in different disciplines to build better connections between the University and professionals in industries or academic institutes). To establish a Teaching and Pre-warning system to monitor students’ curricular performance CLTD：Learning and Consultation

13. E3Learning System: an online platform catering to both students’ and instructors’ needs (providing course syllabuses, teaching materials and quizzes/assignments). ＊e3system serves all three teaching methods below: (a) Internet-assisted Lectures (b) Internet-based Lectures (c) Online Learning Considering the low utility rate of e3 system, the University should encourage instructors to at least conduct (a) Internet-assisted Lectures to have their course contents published online. e3 system should also be available in English for international teachers/students. CLTD：Consultation

14. CLTD: Learning and Consultation To help students change their majors or programs if they prove to be against their propensity. To promote 100 % graduation rate (referred to Harvard University) Special education for gifted students and future elites that meets domestic needs. To promote internships with the Office of Research and Development. To organize regular seminars for Teaching Assistants. To award outstanding TAs (TA Awards) Undergraduate students honored with Academic Achievement Awards will be invited to join the TA team.

15. CLTD: Quality Teaching To establish an Advisory Committee on Education (ACE) that enlists senior and outstanding faculty members. To arrange regular Class Open House. To organize workshops on the expertise and experiences of teaching. To increase professional programs for education(eg. Educational Psychology and Cognitive Learning) To increase inter-disciplinary programs (eg. BioMedical and Finance)

16. CLTD: Quality Teaching Trainings for new faculty members (eg. seminars for new teachers; pertinent schemes to encourage new teachers to pursue further education abroad and to decrease their lecture hours). Under the instructors’ consent, the CLTD will have new teachers’ lectures videotaped and analyzed by senior faculty members, who will provide professional advices and comments on their teaching. To integrate technology into education: to assist teachers in utilizing new technology to facilitate their lectures. To encourage—and to provide the channel for—teachers to write their own textbooks. To organize conferences on department/institute evaluations and experience-sharing.

17. CLTD: Curricula and Courseware R&D To conceive the NCTU Excellent Teaching proposal. To encourage faculty members to improve their teaching quality (Teaching Enhancement Plan) and consider teaching part of their academic research. To issue e-papers by the Center for Teaching and Learning Development To promote the dual tracks of research and teaching To promote and establish NCTU’s teaching faculty To consult professionals (as members of the Curriculum Advisory Board) in developing more pragmatic curricula that reflect the current trends and meet students’ needs.

18. CLTD: Curricula and Courseware R&D To enhance the in-depth study of compulsory courses while decreasing the total number of compulsory courses in the BA program, allowing undergraduates to attend more optional, non-major or liberal education courses. To promote the platform for Basic Science Education To establish the core curriculum To improve the quality of liberal education To implement TA-ships in Student Counseling and Elite Education To implement recitation program by offering scholarship to doctoral students

19. CLTD: Curricula and Courseware R&D To consult students about double-majors/minors or to apply for inter-disciplinary programs. To coordinate among different institutes for more inter-disciplinary programs across departments and colleges To re-design the course-selection regulations To improve the equipments at lecture halls (radio-frequency and multi-media classroom) Digitalization of teaching materials (NCTU Digital Content Production Center) To visit domestic/overseas schools and draw from their experiences in promoting academic affairs.

20. CLTD: Evaluation and Feedbacks ●Course Evaluation：Aside from distributing the Course Evaluation Form, each department/institute is also encouraged to develop dual or multiple evaluation index that mirrors the specific nature of its institutions. ＊the establishment of pertinent regulations (including methods of evaluation and post-evaluation reviews/counseling). ＊The design of Course Evaluation Form and analysis of its results. ＊fair evaluation that includes both quantitative and qualitative index ＊increase winners of the Excellent Teaching Award ● Midterm Course Evaluation：to make prompt strategic changes to improve the quality of both teaching and learning. ● Post-Evaluation Assessment：follow-up assessment on the benefits and improvements after the Course Evaluation results. ● Graduation Evaluation：Evaluation on quality of teaching, goals of teaching, and curriculum designs. Such questionnaires are distributed to students graduating from their BA programs.

21. CLTD：Performance Index • The utility rate and operation status of e3 system (including case details). • The implementation and status of Doctoral TA-ships in Student Counseling and Elite Education (including case details). • The utility rate and status of Teaching and Pre-warning System (including case details). • The implementation and regulations of Course Evaluation in departments/institutes; the response rate of award/counseling lists. • The implementation and regulations of Faculty Member Evaluation in departments/institutes; the response rate of award/counseling lists. • The implementation and participation/assistance in teachers’ professional counseling and advancement. • The participation rate of internships for students.

22. CLTD：Performance Index • The counseling status and implementation of assistance that helps students change their majors or programs if these curricula prove to be against their propensity (including case details). • The implementation of trainings for new faculty members (including case details). • The implementation and number of inter-disciplinary core curriculum (including case details). • The implementation of enhanced in-depth study of compulsory courses and decrease of the total number of compulsory courses in the BA program (including case details). • Number of courses taken and learning achievements in Liberal Education. • Number of professional teachers and performances in teaching. • Number (and growth) of Pre-admitted M.A. and Ph.D. students. • Procedures undertaken by departments/institutes to foster creative teachings and subsequent benefits .

23. Flexible Faculty Evaluation/Faculty Promotion Evaluation ● Faculty Evaluation(implemented in 1999 and 2000 but suspended ever since) ＊Criteria: (1)teaching、(2)research、(3)service、(4)internationalization、(5)trainings on quality teaching. The evaluating ratio is subject to the consensus of assessors (15%-40%) ＊The Office of Academic Affairs will establish its Guidelines on Faculty Evaluation, while its details are to be proposed and executed by each college in accordance to its academic propensity. ＊To require faculty members to submit their “Annual Report on Teaching and Research”「年度教研績效表」to the department/college head by the end of each year. This report will advise the award/assistance deemed necessary to each instructor. ＊To increase the quota of Distinguished Teachers in accordance to the University’s conditions on distributing incentive payments. ● Faculty Promotion Evaluation ＊ Criteria: (1)teaching、(2)research、(3)service、(4)internationalization. The evaluating ratio is subject to the consensus of assessors (15%-40%)

24. To strengthen the College-Specific Development of Academic Affairs A B C D Establishment of Policies (Office of Academic Affairs) Proposal of Pertinent Details and their Execution (Colleges) Evaluation （OAC, Colleges） Awards/Assistance （Office of Academic Affairs） 24

25. To strengthen the College-Specific Development of Academic Affairs • Grants allocated to Plans on Quality Teaching (from MOE’s ATU): each college will receive its grant following the proportional formula of faculty members/students (ax+b). One to three Projects on Quality Teaching may be proposed, evaluated and executed according to the specific features and existing plans of the college. • The Office of Academic Affairs will establish its Guidelines on Faculty Evaluation, whose details are to be proposed and executed by each college in accordance to its academic propensity. A list of instructors to be assisted by the Office of Academic Affairs should be rendered by each college. • To work out complementary plans for the Center of Learning and Teaching Development; to establish guidelines, provide assistant resources and conduct evaluations by the Office of Academic Affairs.

26. Creative Recruitment To promote the Disciplinary Joint Recruitment for Students of Master’s Degree organized by the University System of Taiwan(first recruitment was held in the field of Physics in 2007, similar recruitments have been proposed in other areas, such as Electronic-Engineering) To establish Medical Engineering Interdisciplinary Institute (Department) with National Yang Ming University and promote MD Ph.D. Program. To promote NCTU-NYMU Undergraduate Program, providing interdisciplinary curriculum and intercollegiate BA program. To establish Joint M.A./Ph.D. Program with strong R&D institutes or competitive industries (ex: the ITRT College of NCTU, the Academia Sinica College of NCTU or the MediaTek College of NCTU), providing packages of assistance and scholarship sponsored by the cooperating partners. The admission quota should be determined through negotiations between colleges and departments.

27. Creative Recruitment • To promote NCTU Voluntary Services for Senior High Schools. • To establish workshops (in specific areas) for senior high school students and encourage them to undertake laboratory internships. • To establish honorary awards with the industries. • To promote “The Third Year Project for Senior High School Students” (高三計畫) (ex: College of Computer Science, College of Science) • To promote (the College of) NCTU Cyber-Based Programs, combining the resources from Extension Education Center and Digital Content Production Center. Such programs may eventually confer degrees. • To adopt the function and organization of Admission Office in overseas institute.

28. International Services • To promote the establishment of inter-collegiate or inter-departmental international programs (ex:EECS International Institute and UndergraduateHonors Program). Such programs can foreground the strength of NCTU and provide international students with a complete English curriculum, contributing to the eventual establishment NCTU International College. • To promote each college (including the Center of Liberal Education) to design first and second-year obligatory courses that include at least one class instructed in English. • To promote English as a medium of instruction in the third or fourth-year core courses required by each department. • To strengthen trainings in Mandarin Chinese for first and second-year international students so they can better assimilate into the campus life. • To promote fundamental subjects as part of theNCTU Open-Courseware (MIT) • To provide lectures and discussions conducted by established scholars worldwide. • To clarify the division of labor, authorities and responsibilities between the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of International Affairs.

29. Core Courses ：Fundamental Disciplines ：Humanities、Social Science、 Physical Science、Life Science Liberal Education Core Courses+Obligatory Courses+Elective Courses Elective Obligatory (Courtesy of Dr. C. I. Weng from FCU) Core

30. Liberal Education • The fifth curriculum revision, commenced in 2002, took Harvard University four years to complete. The critical changes include: (1)decrease the number of obligatory courses and offer more elective courses, adding to the opportunity of cross-discipline learning；(2) to increase obligatory international programs, which allow its students to become global citizens instead of narrowly Americans. • Core and Quality Designs in Liberal Education: based on holistic education, the University should reconsider and redesign the core-curriculum to increase credits of a single subject instead of offering a number of fragmented and shallow courses. • Module and In-depth Design of Liberal Education：Drawing from the design of liberal education in other renowned universities, NCTU should redesign its curriculum and promote in-depth learning in the following disciplines: basic competence, humanities and arts, social science, science and technology, world civilizations and cultures.

31. To promote the readjustment of the contents and time slots of obligatory courses in each college, allowing for a more flexible schedule that permits students to sigh up for more elective courses. To encourage faculty members or to invite established scholars to edit teaching materials that suit the features NCTU’s liberal education. To cooperate with other universities in Taiwan and develop in-depth teaching materials for all schools to share. Liberal Education 31

32. Language Education • To build a learning environment friendly to language learners. • To implement small-group education. • To recruit teachers specializing in language teaching. • To organize workshops on English teaching, inviting international lecturers to provide trainings and course designs in English writing. • To offer all-English TOFEL/GRE preparatory courses.

33. To Define Indicators and Expected Values of Academic Affairs • Number, growth and nationality of international students (based on the last five years) • Majors of international students (are they strictly electronic-engineering majors? • The student-teacher ratio and its distribution amongst different colleges (based on the last five years) • Distribution of results from the Course Evaluation (based on the last five years) • Number of students under different categories and their distribution amongst different colleges. • Number of total faculty members, their distribution in amongst colleges and age groups. • Number of courses offered in English; their ratio and distribution amongst different colleges.Number of Liberal Education courses and seminars dedicated to the Humanities and Arts. • Lecture hours (in average) and their distribution amongst different colleges.

34. To Define Indicators and Expected Values of Academic Affairs • Number of Part-time programs and their distribution amongst different colleges • Number of students with double majors or minors. • Results from different channels of recruitment (examination/application) • Distribution of passing/failing grades earned by international students(in graduate or undergraduate programs)。 • Course Evaluation results from seminars offered in English. • Density of curriculum (each grade)

35. We Appreciate Your Comments 35