Introduction

Introduction to the Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Tzu Chi University

History

The Department of Child Development and Family Studies of Tzu Chi University (hereinafter “the Department”) was launched with government approval in 2001. The Department began official student recruitment in 2002, and in the second term of the 2006 school year, faculty integration with the Early Childhood Care and Education Department of Tzu Chi College of Technology (TCCT) was completed. Currently, it has about 160 students. Headed by Professor Chang Ying-peng, the faculty includes (1) full-time staffers: Associate Professors Lee Hui-chuan , Cheng Ya-li; Assistant Professors Shih Shu-chuan, Lo Ting-ying, Lee Shiue-ling, Ho Rui-yao Annie, Jang Li-fen Anne and Hu Mei-chih; and (2) part-time staffers: including Associate Professor Chang Mei-chuan from TCCT’s Department of Nursing; Lecturers Wu Wen-ying, Bruce Liao (a.k.a. “Mr. Bull”), Chiang Chun, etc. Both the full- and part-time staffers have been increasing in number over the years.

Mission

Families are a society’s building blocks, and children the hope of mankind. As the Taiwanese social and family structures have changed so drastically in the midst of ever-intensifying commercialization, in order to rekindle fresh concerns over family and childhood education, the Department makes compassionate efforts to meet the country’s demand for vocationally competent, humanity-minded professionals in pre-school childcare, family studies, child counseling and special education.

Educational Goal

The Department aims to nurture professionals capable of providing preschool education and childcare, family studies, child counseling and special education.

Three Core Competencies Required of Students

  1. Vocational expertise regarding child development, family studies and special education;
  2. Instruction and solution architecture;
  3. Teamwork and coordination skills.

Instructional Objectives

The Department develops talents with:

  1. Knowledge of child development and early childhood care and education (ECCE);
  2. Capabilities of planning family studies events and raising awareness accordingly;
  3. Basic abilities of child development and family studies;
  4. Capabilities of child counseling and special education;
  5. Expertise in family studies;
  6. Professionalism in children and family services.