The 2006 school year The Seminar in Instructional and Administrative Reforms, entitled “Beyond Excellence: Reformulating Tamkang Educational Core Values” took place at Lanyang campus on September 30. The proceeding of the seminar consisted mainly of six reports by academic chiefs and division discussions. Founder Clement Chang participated in the whole procession of meeting, and gave encouraging closing remark to the participants. Founder Chang indicated that TKU has achieved excellent goals during the history of “four waves of development,” and wished that we can do better than before, and “deems the 60th anniversary as the beginning of the fifth wave.”
More than 200 first- and second-level administrative and educational chiefs, secretaries, and teacher representatives attended this meeting. Founder Chang addressed to the attendants in both opening and closing ceremonies. In his opening address, “The Educational Ideals and Management Model of Higher Education,” Founder Chang announced that TKU will bring in the “enterprise model” as the fourth management mode. According to his analysis, in such a model, the decision-making is orientated toward the customer’s need, and the strategies are made to suffice competitive market. He believed that incorporating the “Entrepreneurial Model” with the other three management models, i.e., Collegial, Bureaucracy, and Political, may “help to create more advantages for the university in highly global competition.”
In the closing remarks, President C. I. Chang, in response to the questions rose during the seminar, pointed out that the core curriculum should be rescheduled to find teachers for the future need, and not the other way around. The employment rate of the graduates should be assessed in every department and college, and be taken as one of the important targets for education. She appreciates the contribution of the staffs, and believes that the expected function of the “staff-shifting system,” which has been practiced since 1998, will be soon be revealed. As to the recurring question, “how to define the core value of Tamkang University,” she regarded it as an issue worthy of continuing exploration, and hence “may not have a ready correct answer.”
Six academic chiefs presented special reports at the seminar, each for 20 minutes, including Dr. Kao Hsun-fang, Dean of College of Education, Dr. Yu Gwo-hsing, Dean of College of Engineering, Dr. Chen Dun-chi, Dean of College of Management, Dr. Chen Chien-fu, Director of Institute for Future Studies, Dr. Guo Jiann-chung, Director of Institute of Mainland China Studies, and Dr. Huang Chieh-cheng, Director of Institute of American Studies. The inspiring reports refreshed the participants’ spirit during the meeting.
The division discussions were hosted respectively by Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Feng Chao-kang, and Vice President of Administrative Affairs, Dr. Kao Po-yuan. Before the closing ceremony, there was a round table discussion. (~ Chen Chi-szu)
