Why is it hard to manually register a GE course for the senior students? Can it be improved? Not many GE courses are offered each semester.

A: First, according to the registration news announced by the Academic Office, all GE courses can be registered online. However, if you intend to graduate this semester but encounter some difficulties in taking any GE courses, please inform us. Center for GE is sure to try our best to assist you completing GE credits for graduation. Second, Center for GE has developed a new learning program and course registration policies. They are listed in the document of “Essentials of Taking GE Courses”.

Why most students can possibly register only one GE course each semester? Referred to the reports made by Center for GE in one of University Administration Evaluation documents, much more students are required to take GE courses each semester. However, the current numbers of GE courses are not enough because the students have different class schedules. Since much more students are required to take GE courses each semester, Center for GE should consider the students' diverse learning interests and respect their learning rights of taking GE courses to offer more courses.

A: First, NCKU encourages GE teachers offering courses in large-size classrooms to increase the numbers of available seats in most GE courses. Center for GE also encourages other teachers from different Departments offer GE courses to increase the numbers. Then, the students can take more than one GE course in one semester as long as there is no time conflict to them. To learn more about other registration options, the students need to pay more attention to the registration news announced by the Academic Office. Second, GE committees have decided to revise “Essentials of Developing GE Course Program at the Center for General Education of the National Cheng Kung University ” in their first meeting in the academic year of 93. The revised version regulates each department's obligations of offering GE courses. However, out of our expectations, in the second half of the academic year of 94, seven departments still not offered any GE courses. They were the Department of Mathematics, Department of Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering, Department of Geomatics, Department of Industrial Design, Department of Business Administration, Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, and Department of Physical Therapy. Besides, some GE courses offered by some departments only allow several available seats to the students. The numbers of available seats are much less than the numbers of the students who really need to take GE courses in one semester. For example, 655 students need to take a GE course offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering; however, there are only 85 available seats in that course. In addition, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering only offered 100 and 60 available seats separately in one GE course (actual needs: 376 and 401 seats separately). Therefore, the Center for GE has informed every department of offering more GE courses for holding the principles of balancing students' learning rights and educators' teaching obligations. Finally, GE committees have approved to offer “GE Life Practices” courses in the second half of the academic year of 95. The students can obtain GE credits by self study, work study or travel study. The students can find flexibility in taking GE courses as “GE Life Practices” are well carried out. They can even choose an appropriate learning method based on their interests. Detailed information can refer to “National Cheng Kung University GE Life Practice Accreditation Regulations”.

Some GE teachers are intended to mention his/her religion and political stand. Please notice this situation and give them some advises.

A: GE syllabi provided by GE teachers can be approved as GE course development teams and GE committees have completely reviewed them. This might be a momentary event just occurred in a few GE courses. Center for GE has informed some GE teachers they must abide by the principles of teaching in higher education and avoid the same event occurred again as what is described above.

Why registering a GE course has become a severe competition to the students each semester? Some students cannot successfully register a GE course, and some register one which is not so interesting to them, but only for taking a seat. This does influence other students' right in registering GE courses.

A: NCKU encourages GE teachers offering courses in large-size classrooms to increase the numbers of available seats in most GE courses. Center for GE also encourages other teachers from different Departments offer GE courses to increase the numbers. Then, the students can take more than one GE course in one semester as long as there is no time conflict to them. To learn more about other registration options, the students need to pay more attention to the registration news announced by the Academic Office.

About GE Forum, why are there so many topics only related to social science? As a student in the Department of Law of the College of Social Science , I would like to know if my department can approve this kind of GE credits, since I attend the forums in the same academic domain as mine and then even write a report afterward for the credits. Or, there are some limitations to the students studying in the social science. Also, where should I submit the report to, so that I could obtain the credits?

A: Any academic workshops or seminars held by NCKU Departments or Colleges can be recognized as GE Forum as long as they are related to GE. Then, those workshops and seminars will be approved by GE as well as posted on the Web site of Center for GE. It was just happened that most GE Forums are in the academic domain of social science. According to the Department of Law, the students are only restricted to the GE Forums which focus on the issues about laws. If you are still not sure if the GE Forums are OK to take, you may ask the academic officer at your department. In addition, you need to turn in a hand-writing report (at least one thousand words) to Center for GE. Once your report is completely reviewed, you can receive the credits from GE.

Why is it so difficult to successfully register a GE course? As I know most GE courses have fixed amount of seats available to the students, so some students decide to star at their computer screens all the times to see if someone drops a GE course. As a result, they waste their time and mostly have to wait for the next stage of course registration time, also called the period of implementing by-election measures. At that stage, we have been fallen behind those students who successfully register the GE course at the initial stage of course registration time.

A: First, Center for GE has suggested NCKU posting teaching job vacancy announcement for hiring more teaching faculty members to satisfy student needs, such as offering more GE courses. Second, Center for GE will ask NCKU to reschedule the course registration time for implementing by-election measures, so that the students can ensure what GE courses are successfully registered before the semester starts. Finally, the students entering NCKU in the academic year of 96 can take the foundation of professional courses outside of your Department/College as your interdisciplinary GE courses. This increases opportunities to take GE courses for the students. In another word, they have more options to take GE courses than before.

Why is the student restricted to some GE courses in my College? For example, students studying in the Department of History rarely have a chance to hear about arts or music. However, they cannot take some GE courses about arts and music which are listed in the academic domain of Literacy-History-Philosophy-Art.

A: According to “Essentials of Taking GE Courses”, the student studying in the College of Liberal Arts can still take GE courses categorized in Literacy-History-Philosophy-Art domain. However, he/she cannot obtain any credit from them. That is his/her total graduation credits will be deducted and recalculated at the end of four-year studying in the College of Liberal Arts . Since this regulation has been discussed and established in a meeting held by the College of Liberal Arts and then approved by GE committees, you need to propose a convincing document to the College of Liberal Arts to explain how different the content provided in GE's four academic domain courses from what your department can offer in any core/selective courses. You also need to explain why it is necessary to take some GE courses listed in four academic domains. Then, the College of Liberal Arts may consider revising the regulation and then submit it to GE committees for possible action to revise “Essentials of Taking GE Courses”.

Why the student cannot take some GE courses which are closely related to my major studying area but not offered in my department? I realize that GE has its good intention to categorize courses into four content areas, also called four academic domains, such as Literacy-History-Philosophy-Art, Social science, Natural science, and Life science. However, I find lacking diverse learning opportunities underneath this regulation and even spending more than one year to learn a subject in my academic domain.

A: According to “Essentials of Taking GE Courses”, the student studying in the College of Liberal Arts can still take GE courses categorized in Literacy-History-Philosophy-Art domain. However, he/she cannot obtain any credit from them. That is his/her total graduation credits will be deducted and recalculated at the end of four-year studying in the College of Liberal Arts . Since this regulation has been discussed and established in a meeting held by the College of Liberal Arts and then approved by GE committees, you need to propose a convincing document to the College of Liberal Arts to explain how different the content provided in GE's four academic domain courses from what your department can offer in any core/selective courses. You also need to explain why it is necessary to take some GE courses listed in four academic domains. Then, the College of Liberal Arts may consider revising the regulation and then submit it to GE committees for possible action to revise “Essentials of Taking GE Courses”.

When a course is up for review, what materials are to be submitted to the Council?

A:The course syllabus

The completed Course Embedded Assessment (CEA) Reporting Form T

he completed General Education student questionnaires

How will CEA data be compiled, evaluated and used?

A:The General Education program is subject to program review just as is any department or other academic program, and the Council’s main purpose in collecting CEA data is to be able to use it in that context. The GEC Area Committees, which are made up of faculty representing the relevant departments and programs, will also look at CEA data during their review of particular general education courses to help them in determining whether or not those courses as taught continue to meet the goals of general education. Individual departments and programs may be interested in using the data for their own program reviews.

Do I have to do Course Embedded Assessment (CEA) every time I teach this course?

A: No, not so far as the General Education Council is concerned, but your department may want you to do it more frequently than will the Council. The Council requires only that in any semester in which a new General Education course you teach is up for review, you do CEA in each section of the course you are teaching that semester.

Can General Education courses be taken pass/fail?

A: General Education courses must be taken for a numerical grade and a course is pass by scoring 60 or above.

Aren't General Education courses the same as electives?

A: No, not at all. In fact, some majors don't even have electives. When a major does have electives, students may take almost any courses that NCKU offers and count them as electives. So, for example, a student majoring in law could take elective courses in engineering, biological sciences, education, communication sciences and disorders, etc., and none of them would have to be courses from the Gen Ed list (although they could be). And courses that you use to meet your Gen Ed requirements cannot “double count” with electives—these are two completely different requirements.

What should I take my first year?

A: Your schedule will vary by major and by the availability of courses. Consult with your academic advisor to determine the best choice of courses for you. Be sure to consult with your advisor when choosing the particular courses to take. Your second semester will have much the same structure, but should include at least 16 units. Schedules will diverge substantially in later years depending on your major.

What courses are approved for General Education credit?

A: The list of approved courses is available in two different forms. One list is organized by GE area. The courses that have been approved or are pending approval are listed in alphabetical order by course designation under each GE area heading. The second list is organized by department. Each course in a department that has been approved for GE credit is listed in alphabetical order with accompanying checked boxes indicating the area(s) for which the course has been approved.

What courses are approved for General Education credit?

A: The list of approved courses is available in two different forms. One list is organized by GE area. The courses that have been approved or are pending approval are listed in alphabetical order by course designation under each GE area heading. The second list is organized by department. Each course in a department that has been approved for GE credit is listed in alphabetical order with accompanying checked boxes indicating the area(s) for which the course has been approved.