The Executive Yuan today approved an amendment to the University Act drafted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), which aims to give universities greater autonomy in a global realm that is increasingly competitive as well as a domestic environment that is seeing fewer students from a declining birth rate.
The draft amendment will be sent to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation, Executive Yuan officials said.
A summary for the draft amendment is as follows:
1.In line with Article 10 in the Act Governing the Appointment of Educators, which allows university presidents to be hired from a variety of backgrounds, the University Act should be amended to expand eligibility requirements for other educators as well.
That is, eligibility for dean of a college under a university should be expanded from only professors to candidates with prior teaching and academic research experience equivalent to that required of a professor. Similarly, eligibility for directors, deans of institutes, and degree and course directors should include candidates with teaching and research experience equivalent to that of an associate professor. And as with academic supervisors, the position of deputy academic supervisor should be open to foreign teachers or researchers as a concurrent post. (Article 13)
2.To give national universities more flexibility in hiring professional managers who can improve administrative efficiency, the university should also be allowed to use accountability contracts to hire executive supervisors for various fields (but not for basic departments such as human resources, accounting, general affairs, student affairs and academic affairs). Furthermore, foreign teachers or researchers should be permitted to concurrently serve as directors of departments of international exchange and collaboration, international student affairs, and related research and development. (Article 14)
3.Universities may set their own eligibility requirements for hiring specialized or distinguished teachers, without being subject to the initial contracts as openly published. (Article 18)
4.To give universities flexibility in selecting incoming students, students in their last year of undergraduate studies with excellent grades should be entitled to apply to study for a master's degree directly. (Article 23)
5.In order to cultivate science talent, senior high school students in science programs should be added to the list of students given preferential admission to university degree programs. (Article 25)
6.To raise academic standards in Taiwan, the MOE may organize national lectures and academic awards, and set up procedures for such activities. (Article 40-1)