The State Council Deliberated and Approved Partial Amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act (February 13, 2024)
[The Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act]
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has amended the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act (hereinafter referred to as the Enforcement Decree), which governs higher education in general, in order to provide an institutional framework aimed at fostering creative innovation in universities. The main aspects of the amendments are as follows.
1. Elimination of Barriers in Universities
| Objectives |
|
Before revision |
⇒ |
After revision |
| Eliminating the organizational frame of schools and departments |
Schools and departments organized by principle |
Schools, departments and other units permitted to be organized autonomously |
| Expanding students’ choices of majors |
First-year students restricted from changing majors |
Students of all academic years permitted to change majors |
| Guaranteeing autonomy in teaching hours for full-time faculty |
Faculty teaching hours obliged to at least nine hours per week |
Faculty teaching hours permitted to determine autonomously in line with the university’s strategic plan |
| Offering flexible course durations in medical schools, etc. |
Degree courses consisting of a two-year premedical course and a four-year medical course |
Courses permitted to operate autonomously up to six years in line with university’s academic regulations |
The aforementioned amendments abolished the principle of organizing schools and departments within universities, and granted autonomy to establish schools, departments and equivalent units in accordance with university’s academic regulations, with an aim to enhance the flexibility of academic organization within universities. Universities will have the autonomy to organize and operate their university organizations in various ways, including the establishment of convergence departments (convergence majors) and implementing collective student selection processes.
The limitations on changing majors will also be eased. Former restrictions that permitted only second-year or higher students to switch majors will be lifted, thereby broadening students’ options for their academic pursuits.
Furthermore, universities will be granted the discretion to determine faculty teaching hours, while the term of school years at medical schools will also be decided by individual universities. To enable full-time faculty members to play key roles aligned with the development and specialization strategies of universities, including research, industry-academia collaborations, and external partnerships, the principle of a nine-hour teaching per week for full-time faculty has been eliminated, granting universities the autonomy to determine teaching hours.
In addition, the amendments specify that medical schools, etc. now have the discretion to determine and manage the term of school years up to six years, deviating from the previous degree program consisting of a two-year premedical course and a four-year medical course.
2. Reinforcement of Exchanges and Cooperation with Domestic and International Universities
| Objectives |
|
Before revision |
⇒ |
After revision |
| Joint curricula between universities |
Permitted at the individual university level |
Also permitted to form university alliance bn(consortiums) exchanges |
| Exporting curricula to foreign universities |
Pre-approval required from the MOE |
Permitted to operate according to university academic regulations |
| Joint curricula with domestic universities |
Limited to no more than 1/2 of the credits required for graduation |
Decision made by agreements between universities |
| Joint curricula with foreign universities |
Limited to no more than 3/4 of the credits required for graduation |
| Classes outside school |
Pre-approval required from the MOE for mobile classes |
Pre-approval requirement removed for mobile classes and cooperative classes established |
The amendments also provide the basis for joint curricula between domestic and foreign universities to allow for the participation of multiple universities (consortiums). Whereas it was only permitted at the individual university level, In addition, the relevant provisions were revised to enable domestic universities to export their curricula to foreign universities and administer them based on each university’s academic regulations without taking discrete procedures such as attending prior approval from the Ministry of Education.
Furthermore, the amendments broadened the scope of credits recognized for joint curricula with foreign universities (from 3/4 of the credits required for graduation to the mutually agreed scope between universities) and joint curricula between domestic universities (from 1/2 of the credits required for graduation to the mutually agreed scope between universities), thereby enhancing the autonomy of curricula operation for universities and self-directed curricula design by students.
3. Expansion of the Access to Higher Education for Working Professionals and Local Residents
| Objectives |
|
Before revision |
⇒ |
After revision |
| Expanding industry -commissioned education |
Industrial colleges and distance learning colleges permitted to operate commissioned education courses for bachelor’s degrees. |
Industrial colleges and distance learning colleges permitted to operate commissioned education courses for master’s and doctoral degrees. |
| Facilitating part-time enrollment |
10% of the admission quota of non-capital area universities |
30% of the admission quota of non-capital area universities |
| Credit limit (12 credits per semester, 24 credits per year) |
Credit limit (24 credits per semester, 42 credits per year) |
| Extending lifelong vocational education at junior colleges |
Within 5% of admission in excess of quotas for adult learners at junior colleges in non-capital area. |
Abolished restrictions on admission in excess of quotas for adult learners at junior colleges in non-capital area. |
| Expanding participation of working professionals in advanced degree courses at junior colleges |
Work experience requirement: One year or more |
Work experience requirement: Nine months or more |
The amendments aim to respond to industry demand for high-quality labor force by expanding industry-commissioned training to master’s and doctoral programs; increasing the number of credits available for part-time enrollment; and expanding the number of part-time enrollments at junior college at non-capital areas equip with quality human resources and infrastructure to absorb the demand for lifelong vocational education.
The amendments have abolished restrictions on admission in excess of quotas for adult learners at junior colleges in non-capital areas and eased the work experience requirement for admission, into junior colleges and advanced degree courses from more than one year to more than nine months in order to expand educational opportunities for adult learners seeking vocational education.
4. Expected Effect of the Amendment of the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act
First, the alleviation of restrictions on changes of majors will facilitate students to choose or change their major through career exploration even after their university admission.
Second, the facilitation of joint curricula programs will allow them to create their own portfolios while taking various courses from domestic and foreign universities.
Universities are expected to implement autonomous innovation strategies on a broader basis in response to social changes under a more flexible system enabled by the abolishment of previous regulations, such as requiring to set schools and departments, and requiring a minimum teaching hours to full-time faculty.
[Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of Universities and Colleges]
In accordance with the amendment of the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act (Articles 3 and 6, paragraphs 2-3 of Article 22, etc.), the State Council partially reorganized the related provisions in the Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of Universities and Colleges into allowing universities to establish departments, schools, and other equivalent units.
| Attachment 1 |
Summary of the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act |
|
| Elimination of barriers in universities |
Eliminating organizational frame of schools and departments |
|
Schools and departments organized by principle → Autonomous organization of schools, departments and other units. |
| Expanding students’ choices of majors |
First-year students restricted from changing majors → Students of all academic years permitted to change majors |
| Guaranteeing autonomy in teaching hours for full-time faculty |
Faculty teaching hours obliged to at least nine hours per week → Autonomous determination according to university strategies |
| Offering flexible course durations in medical schools, etc. |
A two-year premedical course and a four-year medical course → Autonomous operation up to six years in accordance with school regulations |
| Reinforcement of cooperation between universities and industrial enterprises |
Joint curricula between universities |
Allowed at the individual university level → University alliance (consortiums) exchanges also allowed |
| Exporting curricula to foreign universities |
Pre-approval from the MOE → Operation according to school regulations |
| Joint curricula with domestic universities |
Limited to no more than 1/2 of the credits required for graduation
→ Decision made by agreement between universities |
| Joint curricula with foreign universities |
Limited to no more than 3/4 of the credits required for graduation → Decision made by agreement between universities |
| Classes outside school |
Pre-approval from the MOE for mobile classes → Pre-approval requirement removed for mobile classes and cooperative classes established |
| Expansion of access to higher education |
Expanding industry-commissioned education |
Commissioned education courses by industrial colleges and distance learning colleges: Bachelor’s degrees → Master’s and doctoral degrees |
| Facilitating part-time enrollment |
Expansion of the admission quota of non-capital area universities (10% → 30%)
Increase in credit limit (12 credits per semester, 24 credits per year → 24 credits per semester, 42 credits per year) |
| Extending lifelong vocational education at junior colleges |
Expansion of the admission in excess of quotas for adult learners at non-capital area junior colleges abolished (5%→ Abolition of restrictions) |
| Expanding participation of working professionals in advanced degree courses at junior colleges |
Work experience requirement: One year → Nine months |
|