Past Milestones and Major Events
1. Delayed Recruitment Of Faculty In Early Stage Of Establishment
Previous dean of Columbia University School of Journalism, Professor Te Chi Yu , who, under the request of NTU principal Mr. Jhen Sun, returned to Taiwan to set up and act as the first dean of the Institute of Journalism, he singlehandedly established the foundational yardstick for practical training NTU Institute of Journalism so boasted. The first year entrance exam, only 12 graduates were admitted, but applications were over 600 people, which raised quite a stir。
That year, the institute hired the once U.S.A UPI (United Press International) special correspondent and adjunct associate professor Mr. Neal Robins to come and teach in Taiwan. China Times chief editor, Mr. Chao Sung Huang , United Evening News president, Mr. Tso Jin Chang , Central News Agency president, Mr. Chien Chao Hung , famous photographer Mr. Chao Tang Chang and D. H. Shapiro (Times magazine correspondent in Taiwan), were all appointed as teachers for reporting and writing, news editing, media practices, photojournalism and featured in-depth composition, it was indeed a leading team of teachers.
2. New Institute of Journalism Building Completed
Although at the beginning, the institute was established under Law School, its campus on Hsu Chou Rd. had no more space, and so NTU allocated the 5th floor of Guo Ching Building on 30 Hsin Hai Rd. 3rd Rd. (which was the dorm NTU lent to China Youth Corp for international youths that came to Taiwan, the 5th floor was remodeled for the institute to use as the office and classrooms) for the faculty of the institute to use. Despite the space to be minimal, but the distance between students and teachers was closer.
The dean of Law School at that time was pf. Tung Hsiung Tai, he planned on moving Law School back to NTU main campus, he proposed that the just-established Institute of Journalism have its own quiet space, his suggestion was favored by other head-of-departments of Law School, and so the Institute of Journalism was first department of the school to move to its own location.
The newly assigned building includes a news studio around 260 square meters, 6 editing and post-production rooms, a sub-control room, a darkroom and other media-wise specialized classrooms. Apart from the aforementioned facilities, there is a library with over 4000 books, computer classrooms, a conference room and an audio-visual classroom etc. With fully equipped facilities, the institute has an ideal teaching environment.
3. Adding More Theoretical and Research Methodology Courses
Former professor of NCCU Broadcasting and Television Department Jin Hwa Chang
was appointed as the second term head of the institute in 1992. During her term, aside from practical courses, she added communication theory and research method courses and set academic thesis writing as a must. The Institute of Journalism in Columbia University provides fundamental practical training for a year, whereas this institute offers a 2-year curriculum, which includes academic courses, therefore an apparent difference in comparison with the former. As for the teachers, Ms. He Ling Lin, Mr. Wen Cheng Peng and Ms. Ling Ling Gu were recruited.
4. Increased enrollments
When the institute was established, there were only 12 enrollments each year, but applicants were more than 300 people on average annually, the successful admission rate was less than 5%, making it the department with the lowest admission rate out of all the other majors in NTU. Of course this is due to the emancipation of martial laws, and with it the opening of media market and substantial increase of press media. Meanwhile, in recent years, such communication technologies as computer, satellite, network transmission and so on have seen rapid developments, and in turn, establishing the significant role media plays during the process of globalization.
To meet up with this demand, in 1997, the Institute of Journalism increased its enrollment numbers to 24 students, at the same time complying with the Ministry of Education to draft up diverse entrance program, adopting miscellaneous methods of putting normal students and part-time students through exams and screening interviews and admitting international students, this is how student characteristics were diversified.
5. Teaching in Groups
During the course of increasing enrollments, in order to respond to media professionalism and different demands of writing in-depth reports and academic papers, the institute organized group teachings.
In August 1997, students were officially separated into two different subgroups: the “research study group” and “professional practices group”. Professional practices group was also divided into “T.V media practices” and “network media practices”. Moreover the institute offered a series of related courses; students could pick any one advanced practical media course of their choice. However, this form of distinction limited the flexibility of taking classes, and is now cancelled.
6. Diverse Courses and Equipment Upgrades
NTU Institute of Journalism is dedicated to the diversifying of courses and upgrading computer and network equipment, so as to improve the environment for research and education.
In addition, to strengthen the thesis quality of in-depth reports, cross-school and cross-department pooled together teaching resources to start courses and promote various professional courses and lectures and issues workshops and so on, pushing forth the development of interdisciplinary collaborations.