Taiwan’s higher-education system — in following the US model — is experiencing two crises:
Some universities have shortened their semesters from 18 weeks to 16, following US colleges whose semesters are typically that length. However, many US universities operate on a three-semester system or a four-quarter system. Three years ago, National Taiwan University (NTU) — the first Taiwanese institution to propose adopting the 16-week semester — said that the change would help Taiwan keep pace with international standards, including allowing foreign faculty and students to return home for Christmas and enabling Taiwanese students to better match the academic calendars of partner schools when going abroad for exchange programs or internships.
However, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, part of the NTU system, said that shortened semesters presented challenges for practice-based programs such as architecture and design.
Meanwhile, technical universities said that the technical-vocational system fundamentally differed from academic higher education and should not be subject to the same regulations.
Reform inevitably generates disagreement. Those who believe that 18 weeks is too long say that the change has helped trim fat, while those who see 16 weeks as too short say the policy is “cutting one’s own foot to fit the shoe.” Nothing in this world is perfect — as an old saying goes: “Those with the mind to accuse will never lack a pretext.”
The 16-week semester has also resulted in a long winter break — 65 days this year. In the US, the long summer vacation allows for summer school. As Taiwan has adopted shorter semesters, it should also shorten the winter break so that summer vacation could be extended to introduce summer school programs. This would allow students to make up credits or take more classes, and those seeking internships or overseas learning experiences could better utilize their summer break.
Furthermore, higher education has been decoupled from compulsory education, including amendments to two regulations. The Enforcement Rules of the University Act (大學法施行細則) stipulate that the calculation of credits for universities “shall follow the principle that 18 teaching hours shall be equal to 1 credit.” However, current regulations on the academic year, semesters and holidays for students at all levels mandate that the first semester run from Aug. 1 to Jan. 31 the following year, and the second semester from Feb. 1 to July 31.
In the US higher-education admissions system, recommendation letters carry weight that has already produced notable side effects in Taiwan’s education system. High-school seniors might neglect regular coursework, because they are focused on preparing recommendation materials, which has resulted in a decline in grades of first-year university students.
Universities such as NTU have been forced to offer preparatory summer courses. Does this not seem contradictory to NTU’s push for shortened semesters?
Another issue is the learning portfolio — preparing it is time-consuming and stressful, often turning into an arms race that puts students from rural areas or disadvantaged backgrounds behind from the start.
With declining birthrates and the wave of artificial intelligence, education experts must urgently evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of Taiwan’s shift from a unified college entrance examination system to a diverse admissions system.
Have we truly learned from the essential aspects of the US system, or merely the superficial?
Lin Ji-shing is a university professor.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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