by Dr. Robert S. P. Yien, President of MCUMI
After successful accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in 2010, Ming Chuan University received approval from the State of Michigan on April 18, 2012 to launch two graduate programs at its Michigan location (MCUMI). Located in a prime spot on the Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) campus, MCUMI established a joint venture with SVSU, one of its long-time sister universities. MCUMI student recruitment was kicked off in the following year. Located in central Michigan near Saginaw City, with state-of-the-art facilities and full state support, SVSU academic programs in nursing, business administration, criminal justice and more are highly rated in the state.
The MCUMI facilities comprise an independently accessed complex that features a multi-functional classroom, meeting room, faculty offices, Chinese corner, self-learning section and reception area. Moreover, the joint venture allows MCUMI students to enjoy use of the fine quality SVSU dormitories – ranked #1 among public universities in the United States – football field, sports center, Olympic-standard swimming pool, and library. The two graduate programs of MCUMI, Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language and New Media and Communication Administration, are completely instructed in English by faculty from the two institutions, and feature inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural curriculum design. Those who meet graduation requirements earn two Masters’ diplomas, one each from MCUMI and SVSU.
MCUMI strives to promote Taiwan-U.S. exchanges between the two institutions. Annually, MCU in Taiwan hosts outstanding students from SVSU’s Roberts Fellowship Program for interaction with local students. In addition, SVSU sends exchange students and graduate students to MCU for advanced study. During summers, MCUMI collaborates with MCU staff in Taiwan to host Learning away from Home delegations, Mandarin Camps, and Study Abroad Programs through which Taiwanese students experience American cultural immersion to broaden their global views. These activities also help raise local community awareness of MCUMI in the Saginaw area.
