To help the newly-hired faculty members to adapt themselves to the new teaching environment and the TKU culture, the Teacher Professional Development Section, Center for Learning and Teaching, has promoted the Mentor and Mentee System for two years now. The System has helped 24 newly-hired faculty members so far. These green hands have been guided by their experienced mentors in teaching, research and student counseling.

In the Mentor and Mentee System, the experienced mentors lead the new mentees through face-to-face exchanges of teaching, research and counseling experiences, group and class activities and interactions. It helps establish useful channels for exchanging professional experiences. Being a mentor for two consecutive years, the Department of Information and Communication Chair Hui-chuan Liu said the System was very good and useful for new comers who could quickly understand teaching requirement and TKU administrative systems through it. Chair Liu’s mentee Hui-ju Lai remarked that she had quickly learned the unique characteristics of TKU through the System. “Prof. Liu has provided me with useful suggestions in academic research and student counseling. She has also helped me understand the unique characteristic of the students here, and her advice is really helpful for my teaching!”

In addition, to strengthen teachers’ academic knowledge and skills, TKU has run Teaching and Academic Development Workshops since 2008. 8 units such as the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Science, Engineering and the Office of Physical Education participated last year, and the Colleges of Education and College of International Studies have joined the Workshop this year. The Workshop will invite scholars and experts to give special talks and organize multiple activities such as discussions and forums, etc. ( ~Dean X. Wang )