The Core Values of University Social Responsibility 

     The core values of university social responsibility refer to the ability of a university to construct and disseminate ideas and values through social engagement, that is, the process of shaping and transmitting social innovation concepts. Social innovation is not only aligned with The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations but is also about realizing global citizenship within a local context.

     From a social innovation perspective, social engagement is about pursuing positive social impact by harnessing the knowledge and resources of higher education institutions.  Universities play a unique and increasingly comprehensive role in educating students, fostering new knowledge and skills, and advancing the social and economic conditions in their communities. Social engagement, as means of communicating that internal core value to the outside world, is most effective, arguably.

     Social engagement is not service-learning, because service-learning implies the kindness of helping others, while social engagement is an innovative process that suggests social impact. Hence, participants/students are encouraged to present a set of discourse that clearly describes the ideas, processes, and reflections of their works. This iterative process of practicing and reflecting enables a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary issues: environmental, cultural, and social sustainability. In addition, it encourages students to develop a calm demeanor, confidence, and ability when facing challenges.

     To ensure your proposal fulfills the core values of social engagement,  use the following suggested five indicators: "putting Knowledge into practice"; "civic consciousness"; "university social responsibility"; "problem-solving" and "cross-disciplinary innovation and collaboration”and subsequently work as marking criteria in evaluating the overall achievement and as the effectiveness of the course. 

The Five Indicators of Social Engagement

1. Putting knowledge into social practice

Students participate in various types and levels of social interventions based on their professional knowledge and skill sets. 

2. Building civic consciousness

Respect and protect the rights of others in society.

3. Promoting university social responsibility

Shape and promote innovative ideas for social impact.

4. Engaging in problem solving

Integrate learned skills to solve real-life challenges.

5. Enhancing cross-disciplinary collaboration 

Negotiate and coordinate with people from various social backgrounds and interests, use cross-disciplinary and innovative approaches to address or solve social injustice and challenges.

About the Course

For this course, students are NOT required to select the course in the Course Selection System nor via the authorization code system.
Course Title: Social Practice
Course code: TC1010, which offers 1 credit upon completion.
You will only obtain the credit for this course one time.

If you have already obtained credits from an "off-campus internship" (including a "professional" or "overseas" internship program), you may be exempt from this course. 
However, students still can participate in social practice courses if they wish to do so.

There are no limitations to how your Social Practice is executed - You may design your project based on your professional knowledge and personal interest, tailoring it according to your expertise for the credit. 
There is no need to rush the course. You can plan and execute the social practice project at your convenience. However, please consult with your advisor regarding the scheduling of your project.

What type of activities are accepted for Social Practice?

The topic and clear implementation plans of your proposal are the most important criteria during the evaluation stage. Here are five useful indicators: 

1. Social Practice-based, internal projects provided by the school or teachers
2. Social Practice-based, external projects 
3. Social Practice-based, on-campus or off-campus social club activities
4. Social Practice-based, on-campus or off-campus public service 
5. Social Practice-based, off-campus skill-building activities

 ※ Students can refer to the Five Indicators of Social Engagement to see whether their projects correspond to the core values of social practice. 

High-Priority Projects

• Volunteers
• Public Service in Remote Areas
• Education Priority Areas Program (K12 Education), Ministry of Education
• University Social Responsibility (USR) Program, Ministry of Education
• Other projects corresponding to the core values of Social Practice

Low-priority Projects

• Service-based learning activities, including providing service at all on-campus offices, departments, the library, etc.
• Teaching assistants and companion readership in various departments
• Course or lab assistants in any department or office on campus
• Submitting proposals that are already used for off-campus internships
• Reception work for departmental orientation events and seminar
• Other projects not corresponding to the core values of Social Practice 

Process of Social Practice Project

STEP1. Proposal Submission

Please log in to the Social Practice Course System and enter your User Account/Password the same way you access the Academic Information System Portal. You can also track the progress of your proposal via this website.
If two or more applicants participate in the same project, it is recommended that one applicant submits a group proposal on behalf of the team. Once the group proposal is approved, project participants can submit their individual proposals.

STEP2. Confirmation of Supervision

Criteria of project supervisor:
Professor and Adjunct Professor of NTUST. (Please be aware that staff CAN NOT supervise students on the Social Practice project.)

Supervisor's tasks:

• Confirm Supervision: Teachers need to access the course system and make a confirmation agreeing or declining to supervise students’ social practice projects.
• Project Time Management: Supervisors should examine whether the students fulfill the minimum of 36 hours spent on project execution.
• Feedback & Reflection: Supervisors and students should schedule  meetings to go through their project, and the supervisors should provide feedback during the session.
• Evaluate closure report: The result of the Social Practice course follows a binary grading system and will only show whether one passes or not.No numerical scores will be given for this course and thus will not affect student's’ GPA.

Before writing the closure report, students are required to  invite a teacher to be their project supervisor. Students should visit the Course System and submit the teacher's name and email address; The system will automatically send out an invitation letter to the teacher. It is suggested that students  present the project proposal to the teacher in advance. Otherwise, teachers have the right to reject or ignore the unexpected invitation.
※If your supervisor will no longer teach in NTUST next semester, please remind your supervisor to complete the evaluation of the closure report by the end of the current semester.

STEP3. Project Implementation and Review

➤Project Implementation

Students are required to fulfill a minimum of 36 hours to complete project implementation. Please note that the hours spent on skill-learning and reflections are not counted towards the 36 hours. Applicants can provide proof of volunteer hours issued by official sectors on-campus or off-campus. For volunteer hours for social clubs on campus, this should be verified by the Office of Student Affairs. Remember to take THREE photos during project implementation and upload these pictures when writing your closure report in the course system.

➤Review: Feedback & Reflection 

The form of reflection and feedback between student and supervisor is not limited. It may be a face-to-face conversation, or students may be asked to submit an audio-visual record, proof of hours, give an oral presentation, prepare a written report, etc. There is no standard format. However, before confirming a mentoring relationship, it is necessary that both parties have come to an agreement on how the reflection should be conducted. Please also remember to prepare ONE photo or a record of feedback with the supervisor and upload it when submitting your closure report in the Course System.

STEP4. Closure Report Submission 

When submitting a closure report of the project implementation and reflection, students need to prepare THREE photos of individual participation in the project (If multiple people are captured in the picture, please clearly indicate where you are). Additionally, applicants are required to upload ONE record or photo taken during the feedback and reflection session with their supervisor. All the relevant photos uploaded should have detailed captions.

STEP5. Credit Obtained

When the online submission is completed, your project supervisor will receive a system notification and be able to access the website to review your project. 
If you do not receive the result after an extended period of time upon submission, please remind your supervisor to evaluate your closure report in the Course System.
※ During the final examination week, the CGE will send out a general reminder to all the project supervisors to provide the list of passing students for the current semester. Supervisors need to print out the list, sign, and send it to Office T4-832  before the end of the semester.

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