The recently-concluded 60th Tamkang University meeting on administrative affairs has passed an amendment to the Tamakng University Teacher Evaluation Act. The amendment has changed the rating percentage of how to evaluate a teacher in TKU to better assess a teacher’s performance. Those teachers that fail to pass the evaluation should be assisted by his or her department or college in order to improve their teaching performances, according to an article added to the amendment. The amendment also stipulates that the university will not renew the contracts of those TKU teachers that have failed two consecutive evaluations. The amendment will be put into practice and the second semester 2008-2009.

According to the amendment, all the teachers hired by Tamkang University, except those who are members of Academic Sinica or winners of the national awards, are obliged to be included into the evaluation every two years.

According to the latest amendment each percentage of evaluation ratio for a teacher’s teaching, research, and student counseling performance, which used to be count only around 10 %, has been amended into teaching--40%-60%, research—20%-40%, student counseling—15-35%.

Following the passing of the amendment, both College of Liberal Arts and Office of Physical Education have raised the rating percentage of a teacher’s teaching performance to 60 % of overall rating. While another four colleges, College of Education, College of Engineering, College of Business, and College of International Studies put their focus on a teacher’s ability to do research by setting a teacher’s research performance to count 35 % of overall rating.

Three colleges in Lanyang campus, College of Entrepreneurial Development, College of Global Research and Development and College of Community Development, all put their emphasis on a teacher’s ability on helping students by setting a teacher’s counseling performance to count to 30% of overall rating.

Dr. Yaly Chao, Dean of College of Liberal Arts said that it is a teacher’s most important obligation to teach students. Therefore, her college has raised the percentage of teacher’s teaching performance to count 60 % of a teacher’s overall evaluation. Hsieh Shing-chu, Director of the Office of Physical Education said that the function of the office is to provide quality physical education to all Tamkang students. Dr. Liou Ay-hwa, Dean of the College of Entrepreneurial Development and College of Global Research and Development said that the main goal of TKU’s Lanyang campus is to facilitate a "whole person" education. “Students and teachers in Lanyang campus pretty much stay with each other 24-7,” said Liou, adding that which is why the three colleges in Lanyang would put their focuses on evaluating a teacher’s ability based on how good they are at student counseling and service. ( ~Yeh Yun-kai )