Dear Monica: (an exchange partner in U.S.A.)

I try to answer your questions as following in a more precise way, although some parts of them was already mentioned in my last mail dated September 24:

Chinese Language Classes

1. I looked at the website for the Chinese language classes, and it looks as though a student could take only one of these classes per semester since each class lasts 11 weeks. Is that correct?
----------------------------------------------
***I beleive that you have read the web-site of what I mentioned as Chinese Language Center. This program was offered by the originally so called Public Service Center, which was combined last summer with Extension Education Center, and became the newly founded College of Continueing Education, which is still located at Taipei campus. This program offers 9 different levels. Every term last for 11 weeks--from Monday to friday, 2 hours a day. One year ago, our exchange students had to spend a lot of time (3 hours on the transportation every day, not incuding 2 hours of the class), money (for transportation) and vigor for travelling to Taipei to take that course. Last academic year, we tried to invite professors from that program and held 3 levels--advanced, middle and basic-- at Tamsui (main) campus to save exchange students' time and money. Every exchange student is allowed, means free of charge--TKU International Exchange Commeettee will pay for them, to take 3 terms of the program which will almost cover his/her stay of the year. By the way, students get certificate, not credit, from this language program.

2. Do exchange students choose between a regularly paced Chinese language class and an intensive Chineses language class? Is a student able to take an intensive Chinese language class while taking other classes at the Tamsui campus in English?
----------------------------------------------
***I try to explain it in this way:

*There are some ways for Chinese language learning, especially designed for foreign students:
A. Chinese Language Program (as mentioned above, offered by Chinese Language Center)--Exchange students may take one of the 3 levels, and 3 terms around the year--the three terms will almost cover the 2 semesters. But they get certificate, not credit.
B. The three basic courses designed for exchange students--Chinese Mandarin Conversation (2 credits in both 1st & 2nd semester), Chinese Reading and Writing (2 credits in 2nd semester)--Exchange students may take any of them when it is offerd.
C. The classes (program) especially designed for Japanese students from Reitaku University, including Chinese Writing, Chinese Classics, English Conversation, News Reading, Chinese Conversation, Landscaping Painting, Calligraphy, Television Instruction, Chinese Linguistics, and Chinese Computer Processing--2 credits for each course except the English Conversation, which is 4 credits. These are also open to all exchange students. They may also take any course of these. The professors of these courses may explain in Japanese sometimes when it is necessary. We suggest exchange students go to attend the first class to see whether it fits their demand and level before they make up their mind.

* Then, except the above language programs, exchange students from sister Universities are allowed to take any normal course, either in Chinese or in English, including courses in graduate institutes, at Tamsui campus, and get the credits--except EMBA courses which are designed and charged for different purposes.

3. Is it feasible for students to take classes at the main campus of Tamkang University and also language classes at the Public Service Center at the same time from the perspective of physical distance? From the perspective of timetable?
----------------------------------------------
***To save exchange students' time and money, now it is not necessary to go so far to Taipei campus--as explained in Q1. Actually, our Tamsui campus, not Taipei campus, is the main campus of the university, and with all the best facilities of the university (or also recognized as the best of the Taiwanese universities) in it, i.e. the library, the 24 hours free use of the computer rooms, the new natatorium...etc. Our Taipei campus is only a small building with 2 colleges in it--College of Technology and College of Continuing Education, which surrounded by streets and buildings, and no play ground, no view at all, and of course, the library and computer rooms are small. Sometimes, we found some exchange students prefer to go to Taipei campus just for the more flexible and effective 9 levels of the Chinese language program. But to consider about the most benefits for all the exchange students, we decided to invite professors of that program come to Tamsui and offer 3 levels--because we don't have so many exchange students for so many levels, while international students can attend that program at Taipei only. We do beleive that Tamsui campus will be more helpful for all exchange students' study, and they will enjoy more at this beautiful Tamsui campus--especilly when they don't have to travel to Taipei everyday.

4. Can exchange students take the language courses for credit and grades at the Tamsui campus? At the Taipei Public Service Center?
----------------------------------------------
***As answered in Q2, exchange students from sister Universities are allowed to take any normal course, either in Chinese or in English, at Tamsui campus and get the credits & grades. But they get certificate, not credit from Chinese Language Program (offered by Chinese Language Center, renamed from originally so called Public Service Center).

5. At the Tamsui campus, are there three LEVELS of Chinese language courses or are there three Chinese language courses?
----------------------------------------------
***Also as answered in Q2, there are 3 LEVELS of Chinese Language Program offered by Chinese Language Center, but at Tamsui campus; and meanwhile three basic Chinese language courses are designed for exchange students.

6. How many contact hours are there per Chinese language class and what is the content of each class? We are trying to figure out how many units of credit we would grant our students for a Chinese language class taken there. We can grant credit only if the student receives a grade for the class.
----------------------------------------------
***Please see Q2 for the credits of each Chinese course, but temporarily I failed to find the course description of them. We are going to raise a suggestion, to put all the courses description or syllabus on the university website, to the authority in a meeting for the university globalization this week. However, to promote a program to Waseda University in Japan, we have completed the English instructed courses description in the part of College of Business, Management, and Foreign Languages--please see attached file, especially for that student from your College of Business.

Other Classes

7. What is considered a full-time courseload at your university per semester?
----------------------------------------------
***Our full-time students need to take 15-25 credits per semester (1 credit = 1 contact hour in class per week for 18 weeks, including registration, mid-term exam and final exam weeks.) We ask exchange students to take at least 1 course with credits so as to register as formal students as ours.

8. May our students who are undergraduates take the Asian culture classes even if they are offered by a graduate school at Tamkang?
----------------------------------------------
***Yes, as answered in Q2. Exchange students from sister Universities are allowed to take any normal course, either in Chinese or in English, including courses in graduate institutes. But please note that some courses related to S.E. Asia and instructed by Prof. Chang were no more listed this year because Prof. Chang returned to Indonesia this summer. Please see the attached files to see the renewed TKU Courses Instructed in English of 2003-4 Academic Year.

Insurance

9. I saw in your materials that students must purchase "safety" insurance at your university. Should our students studying at Tamkang also purchase health insurance before they leave here if they are studying there for only one semester? If they are studying at Tamkang for a year? (I saw that year-long students can be covered by the National Insurance in Taiwan, but I am assuming that those studying there for one semester cannot be covered by the National Insurance.)
----------------------------------------------
***Your students will be free to buy more insurance abroad for their own good or safety reason. When in TKU, every student, of course including exchange and international student, must buy a very basic safety insurance--112NT/semester, and student would be able to get most of the money back (receipt needed) in case of an accident or illness and student spent some money in the hospital. When they stay here for more than 4 months and get the resident student card, they will be asked to buy National Health Insurance from the 5th month of their stay here and may enjoy the same health care like Taiwanese people. They will have to pay NT$604 per month--NT$3624 (604*6) for half year of each new semester. In this case, student may go to the doctor and get care or medicine, either in a small clinic or a famous hospital, and pay 50NT in the daytime or 100NT only in the evening, unless very special item needed. You are right that the exchange student who stays here for one semester, which lasting for about 4 months only, will not be covered by the National Health Insurance, but still by basic student safety insurance.

10. What is covered in the insurance exchange students purchase there? Are there limits on what is covered?
----------------------------------------------
***Answered as the above.

Other Issues

11. It sounds as though exchange students usually attend the Tamsui campus and not the Taipei campus. Is that correct?
----------------------------------------------
***Correct, see Q3.

12. It sounds as though exchange students can apply for scholarships only after they arrive in Taipei (date for application is noted as the first 3 weeks of each semester). Is that correct? When are scholarship applicants notified that they will or will not receive a scholarship?
----------------------------------------------
***Yes, you are right that they may apply only after they arrive. We have just put the new information in the handbook--The qualified students will have be granted on November, January, April, & June, NT$7000 per month, 5 months per semester. It will be announced on October and March. Therefore, students still have to get some money in hand for the first few months.

13. Would exchange students with one semester of Mandarin have sufficient language skills for the program if they are attending only classes offered in English or should we be sending you students that have one year of Mandarin completed?
----------------------------------------------
***It will be easier for your students to get involved in the classes and life here when they got better language skill. I suggest that you send those have one year of Mandarin completed. But this does not mean you could not send students with only one semester of Mandarin. Anyway, I do believe that a strong motivation of coming and learning here may help them overcome any problem they encounter.

November 19, 2003
Dear John:
I have one additional request. Could you please send me information concerning the grading system used at Tamkang University. Thank you for your assistance!
----------------------------------------------
***We use a numerical grading system instead of letter grade--100-80:A (GPA:4), 79-70:B (GPA:3), 60-69:C(GPA:2), 50-59:D(GPA:1.) The undergraduate passing grade is 60, while the graduate is 70.

November 25,2003
My only additional question is about the safety insurance. We require that our students studying abroad have insurance to cover repatriation of remains and evacuation (to home country in cases where necessary). Does the safety insurance at your university cover those items?
----------------------------------------------
***Our insurance won't cover those items¡Xrepatriation of remains and vacuation --you mentioned. Our insurance will be a local type of care only, therefore, your students will have to buy that from your country.

These are the replies for your recent 2 mails. Thank you so much for your patience on reading and working so hard on all the information about TKU exchange program in detail. In my opinion, you are going to become the expert of TKU exchange program, and hope someday you may come to have a look and know TKU in person. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely yours,
John Hsu
============================================
John Hsu
Assistant Coordinator
Office of International Exchanges and International Education
Tamkang University
Tel: +886-2-2629-6579
Fax: + 886-2-2629-6582
E-mail: joannes@mail.tku.edu.tw
http://www2.tku.edu.tw/~oieie/english.htm
============================================