In responding to the Higher Education Sprout Project’s request that every university set long-term development goals, the University decided to be a model university that prepares students to become professionals with the spirit of volunteerism, assists volunteers around the world to pursue their lifelong education, and carries out sustainable development practices.
1、Implementing TeachingInnovations to Enhance Teaching Quality
※Carried out institutional research for guiding the University to establish its policies, practices, and programs.
◎Completed eleven modules for analyzing issues faced by the University, and the results were provided to the University’s administrators to assist them in making decisions.
※Ensured students’ learning effectiveness, thus narrowing the gap between their University learning and employers’ expectations in the workplace, and helping them to pursue their desired jobs.
◎The University participated in the COVID-19 Collaboration Platform organized by the Academia Sinica, and also worked jointly with Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital and the Academia Sinica to successfully develop an IgM/IgG antibody detection kit. The kit was approved by the government for manufacturing.
A total of 130,000 kits were sent to Indonesia, Honduras, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and South Africa, free-of-charge, and 10,000 pieces will be sent to Mozambique.
This time, the protein in 35,000 reagents was processed with assistance of the University’s undergraduate students. This was a good experience for students, who put what they had learned into practice. Access https://reurl.cc/ygxaaafor details.
◎In 2020, 91.23% of the University’s students decided to continue their studies at the University.
For years, the passing rates of taking various National Licensure Examinations by the University’s graduating students have been higher than the national averages. This year, all our medical students passed Phase II of the National Licensure Examination for Physicians. Moreover, 64.86% of the social work students passed their licensure exams, which is higher than the national average of 24.76%.
At the end of 2020, 2.94% of our University graduates were still looking for jobs.
◎TCU Learning Paradise received a grant from the “Enhancement of the University’s E-Learning and Innovative application” project. A University MOOCs course won the Excellent Course Award bestowed by the Taiwan Open Education Symposium. Moreover, the University was invited to share its experience at the Open Education Global Conference 2020. The University also presented its undertakings at the 4th e-Learning International Conference & Open Education Forum.
※Empowered faculty members’ teaching and research capabilities
◎In 2020, only 0.56% of the University’s courses received 3.5 or less in course evaluation surveys, down from 0.96% in 2019.
◎Seven out of 9 (77.78%) faculty members who applied for the “MOE Teaching Practice Research Program” received grants from the Ministry of Education. The University’s faculty members plan to apply for eleven projects in 2021.
◎Professor Shiue-Ling Lee, a faculty member of the Department of Child Development and Family Studies, is the only person who won the High Distinction Award in a competition entitled the “2020 Excellence in Course Innovation and Teaching Endeavors for University’s Faculty Members”.
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2、Developing the University’s Special Features
※The University is situated in Taiwan and maintains open-mindedness to interact with others around the world.
◎The University’s Medical Simulation Center is well respected around the world for its anatomy course. In 2020, the University was invited by University Malaya, in Malaysia,to provide advice on their Silent Mentor Program. Access (https://reurl.cc/Q3GD0b) for details.
◎In academic year 2020, around 11% of the University’s students are International students
◎To attend to the educational needs of Syrian refugees, the University worked with El Menahil Syria school in Sutlangazi, Turkey to teach Syrian students Mandarin through online courses, and interacted with them in English, as well. (https://youtu.be/-cvdnsu3EAw)
◎The University was named the “Life Education Featured School” by the Ministry of Education in 2019 and in 2020.
※The University’s special features won international recognition.
◎The University attained 124th in the 2020 Green Metric World University Ranking, up from 146th in 2019, 155th in 2018, and 200th in 2017.
◎The University was ranked 45th in Good Health and Well-Being of SDG 3 and 69th in Partnerships for the Goals of SDG 17 in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings in 2020.
3、Expanding Public Services
※Welcomed underprivileged students and attended to their needs
◎For the past three years, percentages of students deciding to continue their studies in the University have been increasing, and the percentage of students taking leaves of absence or discontinuing their studies has been decreasing.
◎The University attended to the needs of underprivileged students, as well as indigenous students, by inspiring them to set learning goals, and inviting volunteers with extensive work experience to accompany and assist them to seek employment.
※Enhanced University governance, so that all departments, institutes, and other academic units passed the various evaluations conducted by evaluation and accreditation institutions.
◎The University’s financial condition is very good, and in 2020, the amount of its assets was ranked 4th among higher education institutions in Taiwan.
◎The Accounting Office has complied with the Ministry of Education’s requirements to disclose relevantinformation on the University’s website. Information disclosed by the Accounting Office contains the University’s general information, audited financial statements, total amount of tuitions & fees, financial aid and assistance, internal audits, and other relevant information. Access http://finance.tcu.edu.tw//for details.
◎The University has carried out a university-wide self-evaluation mechanism for years. In 2019, all departments and institutes passed the phase I & II evaluations conducted by the Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan. Moreover, the Center for General Education passed the General Education Evaluation and the Center for Teacher Education passed the Teacher Education Evaluation.
◎The School of Medicine passed the Taiwan Medical Accreditation Council’s evaluation with the highest level, which is valid for six years.
※The University attended to the lifelong learning needs of volunteers around the world and prepared students to become professionals with the spirit of volunteerism.
◎To serve the public, the Continuing Education Center has offered courses in fifteen domestic locations and six overseas. The Center has provided 3,300 courses every year and the total number of students reached 49,993 people.
◎Beginning in 2019, the University decided to take a big step to attend to volunteers’ needs around the world, by providing various programs, such as training in carrying out emergency relief work, grief counseling, skills for helping others, language learning, etc.
4、Fulfilling Social Responsibilities
◎Incorrect COVID-19 information was spread in Taiwan at the beginning of 2020, so the University decided to share correct information by producing numerous short videos entitled “Daily Q&A About COVID-19”. These videos were made by faculty members who shared their expertise with the public through various social media. (https://www.tcu.edu.tw/?cat=92)
※Carried out altruistic deeds and participated in the anti-drug abuse campaign
◎The University was recognized as an Excellent University in Carrying Out Anti-drug Abuse Campaigns in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
◎The Award of Distinct Volunteer Service in Education is bestowed by the Ministry of Education’s Youth Development Administration. In 2020, fifteen University students and three teams were awarded for their volunteer endeavors.
◎Twenty-five TCU student volunteers, who took part in numerous University sponsored anti-drug abuse campaigns, were certified by the Hualien County Government as “Seed Teachers for Teaching Anti-drug Abuse”, after they received training. They may visit elementary schools, junior high schools and senior high schools in Hualien County to address anti-drug abuse issues.
◎A total of 5,534 faculty members, staff and students participated in service-learning activities, a total of 39,254 hours. Altogether 22,381 people benefited from their services.
※Fulfill University Social Responsibility (USR)
◎In 2020, 54 faculty members and 4,504 students regularly took part in USR programs.
◎To supplement the current agricultural product certification system to be more in line with sustainable development goals, the University worked with Tzu Chi Foundation to promote TCUPGS (Tzu Chi University Participatory Grantee System) step-by-step, by building numerous participatory evaluations, such as peer evaluation, consumer evaluation, etc.
◎The University’s faculty members and students worked with local farmers to set up the “Green Life Alliance”. This brand was selected by the Hualien County Government’s Agricultural Packaging and Brand Counseling Project as one of the five best product brands in 2020.
Access http://hesp.tcu.edu.tw/?page_id=2445 for more information.