Establishment and Development

Between 1996 and 2003, the University formally established the holistic goal of general education as cultivating students who are capable of critical and discerning thinking, and who possess sound values and worldviews, and who become well-versed in both Eastern and Western knowledge, familiar with both ancient and modern learning, broad-minded and physically well-developed, mature and steady, and equipped to pursue their ideals.”
During this period, the curriculum also began to evolve toward greater flexibility, diversity, dynamism, and professionalism. However, the model of “balanced elective model across colleges” remained the primary course selection framework.

In the first half of 2003, a new round of general education reform was launched. Among the most historically significant aspects in higher education was the reform of the undergraduate course credit system. Specifically, a new credit distribution ratio of “2:1:1” was introduced—referring to major courses : general education : cross-disciplinary courses—within the total credits required for graduation. This measure not only significantly alleviated the structural pressures previously hindering the implementation of general education, but also reflected the University’s emerging approach of viewing general education within the broader framework of undergraduate education. Implicit in this reform was the philosophy that “general education is the core of undergraduate education and the foundation of professional training,” a vision that aligns with the University’s ongoing development toward becoming a liberal arts institution.

On April 17, during the 127th University Council Meeting, a resolution was passed to establish the Center for General Education and to form the General Education Committee. The committee began making partial adjustments to the general education curriculum. At the time, general education courses were still offered by the individual colleges, and the “balanced elective model” as well as the guiding principle of “broad and integrated knowledge” continued to serve as the course offering the framework and core philosophy of general education.

Beginning in 2006, the University actively promoted the Residential College Program. Furthermore, from 2008 to 2010, during the first phase of the “Aim for the Top University Project” (hereafter referred to as the “Top University Project”), the University established the NCCU Residential College and its surrounding living-learning community. This initiative integrated liberal general education with residential learning through curriculum innovation, transformation of teaching practices, enhancement of residential learning experiences, and development of core competencies, enabling students to acquire both broad knowledge and essential skills.

Starting from the 2009 academic year, the University began developing its curriculum map. By the first semester of the 2011 academic year, the third phase of curriculum improvements was completed. Departments and institutes further defined the weightings of their respective core competencies and revised the indicators of students’ fundamental abilities, prompting renewed reflection on talent cultivation positioning and curriculum planning. The formulation of “core competencies” served as preparatory groundwork for constructing the general education curriculum map and embodying the liberal arts spirit. A research team within the Center for General Education consulted the core competency frameworks of leading universities in Taiwan and abroad, and after thorough deliberation by the General Education Committee and the Academic Affairs Council, eight University-Level Liberal Core Competencies were established. Additionally, the content and operational definitions of these competencies were articulated, enabling the design of liberal general education courses and teaching activities to more closely align with the University’s liberal arts philosophy and goals for talent cultivation.

To this day, the University continues to enhance its campus-wide curriculum mapping system. Through the development and expansion of the curriculum map’s functions, core competencies have been gradually embedded into curriculum planning. On the instructor side, the course syllabus serves as a medium to guide instructors in incorporating the cultivation of relevant core competencies into course content and activities. On the student side, the curriculum map enables students to systematically and comprehensively plan their learning journey throughout their four years of study, fostering the development of all key competencies. At the departmental level, curriculum maps help review whether competency cultivation is balanced and identify any essential courses that have yet to be offered.

To further strengthen general education courses that embody the University’s liberal arts spirit, the Center for General Education began, in the spring semester of the 2008 academic year, to adopt a top-down approach in planning the developmental direction of each course domain. Departments involved were invited to propose “pilot general education courses” for each domain, serving as a foundation for the future development of a core curriculum framework.

From 2011 to 2015, with support from the “Second Phase of the Aiming for the Top University Project” and the “Civic Literacy Cultivation Project,” the University continued to implement reforms and developments in general education, particularly in curriculum structure and institutional systems. In terms of curriculum structure, the Center for General Education re-evaluated and planned the implementation of a Core General Education Curriculum starting in the 2011 academic year. Under the category of “General Education,” a set of “Core Courses” was established and officially designated as mandatory for all incoming students. Students are required to take at least one core general education course in each of the following areas: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. The core courses are designed with the aim of cultivating students’ broad-minded thinking, self-directed learning, independent thinking, and civic awareness. These courses are delivered through a combination of large lectures and small group discussions, and are guided by the curriculum design philosophy of providing a “broad scope and solid foundation.” The implementation of core courses will effectively promote connections across different fields of knowledge, drive a campus-wide movement for innovation in general education, strengthen the systematic development of the University’s curriculum, and reduce the fragmentation of knowledge. These efforts aim to enhance students’ motivation and sense of direction in their learning. In terms of institutional development, the Office of Student Affairs and the Chengchi College have taken the lead in shaping a holistic learning environment through diverse student affairs activities and campus life initiatives. These efforts aim to create a vibrant learning community at NCCU and to enhance the University’s capacity to cultivate public intellectuals.

Starting from the 2016 academic year, in line with the University’s curriculum streamlining policy, the Center for General Education proposed two supporting measures in response to the potential annual decrease in the number of general education courses:

1. Existing two-credit general education courses would be converted to three credits, and newly developed general education courses could apply to be offered as three-credit courses.
2. Major foundation courses would be allowed to count toward general education credits.

These measures aim to broaden students’ course selection options, enhance the intellectual depth of general education courses, and promote interdisciplinary learning.

Starting in the 2017 academic year, the General Education Center officially merged with the Chengchi College and came under the administration of the Office of Academic Affairs. Moving forward, the university aims to actively explore possibilities for integrating formal and informal learning, expand the reshaping of both teaching and learning environments, and realize the goal of ubiquitous learning. This integration also seeks to optimize the use of limited university resources and collaboratively plan the future development of general education at NCCU.