Early Establishment      

• Founding Period: The university established the Committee for General Education, which oversaw the Common Core and the Physical Education Office to manage related educational activities.
• 2002 Academic Year: Under the Ministry of Education's initiative for enhancing university education, the university launched the Second Phase University Foundation Education Plan – Towards the 21st Century Dong Hwa University General Education Plan, which included establishing the Arts Center, formally inaugurated in the 2004 Academic Year.
• 2005 Academic Year: The Common Core was renamed the General Education Center. The Language Center, originally under the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was incorporated into the Committee for General Education.

Campus Integration and Structural Changes

• 2008 Academic Year: The university integrated the two campuses and consolidated general education faculty to strengthen interaction and consensus on general education concepts. The General Education Unit and Physical Education Office of the Meilun Campus were merged into the Committee for General Education, with both campuses maintaining separate missions.
• 2009 Academic Year: The General Education Unit of Meilun Campus was incorporated into the General Education Center, and the Physical Education Offices of both campuses were merged into the Physical Education Center.
• 2013 Academic Year: To address the increasing number of international students, the university established the Chinese Language Center as a dedicated unit for Chinese language education.

Transition to University Core Curriculum

• 2013 Academic Year: General Education transitioned into the University Core Curriculum, which was divided into two components:
  1. Mandatory Core Courses:
     • Language Competency: "Chinese" (3 credits) and "English" (6 credits).
     • Physical Education (4 credits) and Service Learning (2 credits).
  2. Elective Courses:
     • Totaling 28 credits, including eight categories of mandatory elective core courses:
       1. Group Life and Humanistic Care
       2. Basic Science and Modern Technology
       3. Management Literacy and Business Thinking
       4. Educational Practices and Lifelong Learning
       5. Artistic Enrichment
       6. Multiculturalism and Ethnic Diversity
       7. Natural Resources and Environment
       8. Holistic Education
          Students were required to take courses from at least four categories, with remaining credits earned from "recognized elective core courses" such as courses coded GC or foundational and professional courses outside their major.

Revised Curriculum and Focus Areas

• 2016 Academic Year (Second Semester): The university revised literacy and core competency indicators, consolidating the eight categories of mandatory elective courses into three domains based on the goals of knowledge, emotion, and intention:
  1. Rational Thinking (Knowledge)
  2. Cultural Literacy (Emotion)
  3. Local Commitment (Intention)
     Additionally, a 2-credit Information Technology course was introduced to enhance students' logical reasoning and programming skills, aligning with future trends to boost employability.

Further Organizational Refinement

• 2022 Academic Year: The Committee for General Education was renamed Huilan College.
• 2024 Academic Year: To improve curriculum planning and review, the responsibilities for certain courses were reassigned:
  • Language Center: English courses (mandatory and elective).
  • Chinese Language Center: Mandatory Chinese courses.
  • Physical Education Center: Physical education courses.
    The General Education Center retained responsibility for planning University Core General Education Courses, Service Learning Courses, and the Information Technology Course.

General Education Philosophy and Directions

Building on its educational philosophy and objectives, the university’s general education program emphasizes the values of diversity, autonomy, interdisciplinarity, and local engagement, realized through various forms of formal, informal, and hidden curricula.

Core Curriculum Design

• Mandatory Core Courses: Aim to cultivate students' foundational language skills, physical fitness, and a spirit of service.
  • Includes courses in Chinese, English (or other foreign languages), physical education, and service learning.
• Elective Core Courses: Focus on integrating humanities, arts, social sciences, mathematics, and technology to broaden academic perspectives and encourage interdisciplinarity.

Student-Centered Flexibility

Students are encouraged to plan their coursework based on personal interests, without field restrictions. They may take foundational courses outside their major, which can count towards general education credits. This approach helps students:

1. Explore interests and discover potential academic and professional pathways.
2. Gain interdisciplinary expertise by studying outside their major field.
3. Plan for a secondary specialty, enhancing their prospects for further education and career advancement.

By fostering autonomy and interdisciplinarity, the university aims to enrich students' academic and personal development, aligning education with the demands of the 21st-century global and local contexts.