College Introduction
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
~ College Mission ~
To cultivate expertise in humanities,
To pursue educational excellence,
To adopt innovative teaching,
To enhance learning outcomes,
To combine theory with practice,
To strengthen students’ employability,
To recruit renowned scholars,
To nurture bonding between teachers and students,
To create success stories,
To build competitive edges,
To promote international exchange,
To develop students’ global vision.
I. A Brief History
The university established its “College of Liberal Arts” in 2005 when it was granted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to change its name as Asia University, thereby obtaining a comprehensive university status as a result of its excellence in both pedagogy and research. The college then consisted of three departments: the Department of Applied Foreign Languages, the Department of Early Childhood Education, and the Psychology Department. In 2007, the university started its restructuring and the college was renamed “the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.” While the college emphasized its new focus, “the Department of Applied Foreign Languages” was renamed “the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature,” with a new concentration on literature and humanities in general. Meanwhile the Department of Social Work joined the college, making the new college a full-fledged college, covering both humanities and social sciences. In February, 2014, the university again restructured its academic units in the wake of globalization in higher education around the world, and the Psychology Department was incorporated into the new “College of Medical and Health Sciences.” “The College of Humanities and Social Sciences” is currently composed of three departments: the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, the Department of Early Childhood Education, and the Department of Social Work.
The college’s first Dean (from August 1, 2005 to July 31, 2010) was Dr. Cheng-Chen Chien, Chair Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. The succeeding Dean (from August 1, 2010 to January 31, 2014) was Dr. Huei-Chen Ko, Chair Professor of the Psychology Department and the current Vice President of the university. The current Dean (February 1, 2014-) is Dr. Ying-Huei Chen, Chair Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature.
II. Founding Objectives
The college was established to promote academic development in humanities and social sciences and to cultivate in students such core competencies as humanities, social care, professional knowledge, global perspective, cross-cultural awareness, and critical and innovative thinking.
III. Vision
To cultivate quality talents in both humanities and social sciences who are endowed with good personalities, social awareness and global perspective, thereby enabling them to exert social influences.
IV. Educational Goals
The College aims to cultivate our faculty and students the ability to learn how to learn, unlearn and relearn, to develop professional skills and competencies as well as international mobility, and to become one of the top colleges in its kind.
V. Core Skills and Competencies
The College aims to cultivate in our students the following core skills and competencies.
1. Global Mobility
2. Self-directed Learning
3. Transdisciplinary Ability
4. Social Services
5. Innovation and Humanities
6. Team Spirit and Communication Skills
VI. Departments and Programs
The Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
The university, established in 2001, was formerly known as “Taichung Healthcare and Management College,” and the department was then named “the Department of Applied Foreign Languages” with a focus on language learning and language application. The department recruited high school graduates for its daytime programs which consist of two separate tracks: four-year university students and two-year college students. It also offered an extension program for high school graduates who could not afford to study in the daytime. In 2005, the school was granted a comprehensive university status by the Ministry of Education (MOE) as a result of its excellence in both pedagogy and research and was renamed “Asia University”. To accord with the guidelines of higher education for a comprehensive university and to further enrich students’ intellectual, spiritual and cultural understanding and knowledge, the school strengthened its academic units to meet the new needs of a full-fledged university. In 2007, the department changed its focus by renaming itself “the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature” and started an MA program, while the College was also undergoing some academic restructuring. The department, as it stands, is now the only humanities discipline of the university and is playing an increasingly important role in creating a humanities-friendly campus, especially when the university is entering a new era of being a world “top 100 universities.”
Vision
The Department plays a key role in creating an international and humanities campus, in cultivating quality global talents to meet the needs of industries.
Educational Goals
The development of the Department considers the two dimensions of language studies: as a discipline and as a vehicle. The Department thus aims to cultivate in our students the ability of lifelong learning, cross-cultural communication skills, English presentation skills, oral interpretation and written translation, escorting English, trans-disciplinary knowledge as well as cultural literacy-- the types of skills, competences, and knowledge that help foster quality global talents .
“The Department of Social Work” was established in 2001 when the school was founded. In 2004 the Department expanded its programs to include a master’s program and an extension program. In 2005, the school was granted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) a comprehensive university status and renamed "Asia University" as a result of its excellence in pedagogy and research excellence. The Department then belonged to “the College of Health Science.” In 2007, the university restructured its academic units, incorporating the Department into “the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.” In accordance with the university’s educational goals to foster students in “health”, “caring”, “innovation”, and “excellence”, the four core competences that the university requires its students to develop, the Department re-designs its curriculum to nurture quality and professional social workers. In addition to some core courses, the curriculum mainly consists of the following 3 tracks: “the Health Care and Social Care Track”, “the Social Work Track”, and “the Minority Empowerment and Judicial Protection Track”.
Vision
To become top 10 departments in the field and to develop social workers and professionals who are preferred for employment by institutes and industries.
Educational Goals for Undergraduate Students
To cultivate warm-hearted, compassionate, innovative, practical, and dynamic social workers and professionals who are able to exercise their knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of the times in the age of social mobility.
Educational Goals for Graduate Students
To cultivate middle and high levels of social workers and professionals who care for the disadvantaged and the minority, and who are creative and innovative as well as practical in management.
The Department of Early Childhood Education
“The Department of Early Childhood Education” was established under “the College of Liberal Arts” in 2002. It was mainly designed to foster early childhood educators, and started to recruit undergraduate students in 2004. In 2005 the school was granted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) a comprehensive university status and renamed "Asia University" as a result of its excellence in pedagogy and research. The Department concentrates on cultivating students to become early childhood educators and caretakers. In addition to offering courses that nurture core competences, the Department also designs two professional tracks: “Early Childhood Cultural Creativity Program” and “Early Childhood Special Care Program” to cultivate students’ multi-dimensional expertise and to enhance their employability. In 2007, “the College of Liberal Arts” was renamed “the College of Humanities and Social Sciences,” with a new emphasis on humanities and social sciences and the Department has stayed within the college ever since.
Vision
To cultivate humanity, caring, and vision, the three virtues that help build a solid foundation for the Department.
Educational Goals: Humanities, Caring and Vision
1. To cultivate students to become professional educators or caretakers.
2. To foster the spirit of humanities and the ability to take initiative.
3. To develop professional and innovative competences and knowledge for early childhood educators and medical caretakers.
4. To develop innovative skills, competences and knowledge for cultural creativity professionals.
5. To nurture students' awareness of local culture and society as well as global issues and events.
