Since 2008 academic year, there are important innovations in student recruitment. College of Liberal Arts adds a new recommendation channel to select new students for their originality. To make students “learn what you like, and like what you learn,” College of Science proposes to postpones freshmen’s specialty decision—they do not choose their department when they enter the college in the first year.

In 2006, College of Liberal Arts had been evaluated by MOE as the model of “Ingenious College.” Department of Mass Communication and Department of History have initiated the project of creativity recruitment, in which the creativity and originality of the student’s personality is emphasized as the crucial criteria for recommendation evaluation.

Dr. Chao Ya-ly, Dean of College of Liberal Arts, indicates that the potential of some students could not be recognized through the traditional writing test. For example, a student’s sensitivity in picture and photography can not be test through his or her writing. Hence, in the second stage of evaluation, Dept. of Mass Communication will examine applicant’s personal works, of any format or form. Abandoning the emphasis on knowledge of historical dates and facts, Dept. of History will stress on applicant’s ability in telling story according to historical knowledge.

In addition, the curriculum design is modified accordingly. For example, Dept. of History adds “Applied History”, a course which informs students how to practice their professional knowledge. Dean Chao expresses that the new measures are expected to confront challenges as every department has its diverse characteristics, so every department’s innovative ideas have to be integrated. The guideline of the integration is cooperation between enterprise and education, i.e., theoretical subjects will be incorporated with practical experiences from the enterprises and innovative cultural ideas will be realized in real life.

Starting from 2008 academic year, College of Science launches the project of “postponing professional division.” Presently the college recruits 60 students to the “College Of Science Class.” The freshmen of this class can wait until they are sophomore to choose their major subjects and departments. Dr. Tzeng Wen-Jer, Chair of Dept. of Physics, describe the characteristics of the curriculum of such a class that an introductory course “Discourses on Science” is added to illustrate the subjects and characteristics of diverse departments of College of Science, and that the teaching of basic science courses (Calculus, General Physics, and General Chemistry) are directed through unified textbooks and joint examinations. Dr. Tzeng remarks that the practice of “postponing professional division” is rare in Taiwan higher education. The method of professional division for most universities which try this system is to designate the students’ major according to their academic grades. Such a way is only to postpone the announcement of the joint entrance exam. TKU’s system is characterized by students’ “free choice” according to their individual interests. However, he expects the students of this class to understand the spirit of this system when it comes to choose the major, and not do it for utilitarian consideration.

Lin Chen-hua, a freshman of “College Of Science Class,” indicates that it is hard for a high school student to wisely choose one’s major among so many subjects, and he thinks such a system can afford students enough time and experience to make the decision. Tao Yi-ju, a freshman of Dept. of Mass Communication, who joins in TKU through the newly practiced system, expresses that she has been interested in creative writing and wishes to have comprehensive development of her artistic expression through the trainings in university. ( ~Chen Chi-szu )