About AU
一、本校的籌劃與誕生
（一）專校時期
本校為北部臺灣基督長老教會所創辦。 1959年2月14日，北部臺灣基督長老教會召開第十二屆通常年會，為慶祝馬偕博士在台設教百週年紀念，謀設高等教育事業以對社會提供更積極之貢獻，並期於日後興辦綜合大學為目標。決議擇在馬偕博士最初傳教、行醫、授業的教學聖地：牛津學堂起，總面積七公頃的砲台埔上，進行籌劃建校事宜。推舉蔡培火先生為召集人，定校名為「靈光理學院」。
I. Planning and Birth of the University
(I) College period
Founded by the Northern Taiwan Presbyterian Church, the Northern Taiwan Presbyterian Church in its Twelfth Ordinary Annual Assembly to celebrate the centennial of Rev. Dr. Mackay’s devotion to Taiwan, discussed the plan of achieving a higher education cause to provide contribution to the society and that a comprehensive university might be established to realize such a cause. Then, a resolution was made about planning and establishing such a school by choosing the sacred place on top of a fortress, with a total area of 7 hectares where Dr. Mackay first arrived and started his mission of teaching, practicing medicine and preaching, i.e. the site where current Oxford College sits. In the assembly, Mr. Cai Peihuo was elected as the convener and the school was named "Lingguang College of Science".
1964年6月1日，正式向教育部提出設校籌備申請，同年12月10日教育部以台(53)高字第一七○六七號令特准籌備女子文理學院，因此改名為：私立純德女子文理學院。
On June 1, 1964, an application was officially submitted to the Ministry of Education for the establishment of the school. On December 10 of the same year, the Ministry of Education approved the establishment of Women's College of Arts and Sciences by Order Tai (53) Gaozi No. 1707. The school was named “Private Chun-de Women's College of Arts and Sciences.”
1965年，教育部以台 (54)高字第八四九○號令，特准創辦三年制男女兼收之專科學校兼辦五年制專科學校，定校名為：私立淡水工商管理專科學校。同年八月二十六日接奉教育部 台 (54)高字第一三二四二號令准予立案。同年十一月完成三、五年制招生、正式開課。
In 1965 by Order Tai (54) Gao-zi No. 8490, the Ministry of Education authorized the establishment of a three-year junior college for men and women along with a five-year junior college. The school was named “Private Tamsui College of Business Administration.” On August 26 of the same year, the school completed registration with the Ministry of Education by Tai (54) Gao-zi No. 1322. In November of the same year, the three- and five-year colleges started enrollment and the course began.
北部臺灣基督長老教會派蔡培火先生為本校首任董事長，聘彭淑媛女士為校長，任期自1965年至1971年。為篳路藍縷之草創時期，彭校長以其誠懇、踏實、慈藹的教育家精神，得以奠定本校基礎。
In managing the school affairs Cai Peihuo was elected as the first chairman of the school by Northern Taiwan Presbyterian Church and Ms. Peng Shuyuan was appointed as the president for a term from 1965 to 1971. For the pioneering era, President Peng proved her success in laying the foundation of the school with her sincere, down-to-earth, and kind-hearted spirit of an educator.
1971年四月葉能哲接任第二任校長，全心全力投入經營，無論在軟、硬體的建設上，都有長足的進步。諸如：淳樸校風的保持，傳統與現代的兼顧，土地與建物的擴增，師資與學術的提昇，圖書與設備的更新…等，再再表現出其以學校發展為終身事業的奉獻職志，葉校長於2008年7月底終程退休。
In April 1971, Dr. Yeh Neng-Che took over as the second president and devoted himself to management of the school. He made great progress in both software and hardware construction, such as: maintaining the school in a simple style, running school with a balance between tradition and modernity, expanding the school land and buildings, improving teachers’ quality and academics, updating the library collection and equipment, etc., All shows his dedication to school development as a lifelong career. President Yeh retired at the end of July 2008.
本校創校迄今在校地方面的增加：創校之初，北部大會實際撥予本校土地5.5637公頃，本校租用1.5674公頃；即前所指創校時自牛津學堂起的7公頃土地。本校認為：要真正達到日後興辦綜合大學的創校目標，必需自即時起積極增購校地。淡水校區方面，由於左鄰淡江中學，右毗紅毛城，後接淡水高爾夫球場，雖景色極為優美，但增購校地實在不易。然依然克服萬難，先後增購與本校校地緊鄰的二‧一○七九公頃土地。1991年六月更購得位於臺南縣麻豆鎮的一八‧七七三八公頃土地，全校師生咸感歡欣
The expansion of our school lot so far: Initially the school has an area of 7 hectares, i.e. of the lot where current Oxford College sits, with 5.5637 hectares allocated by the General Assembly of Northern Taiwan Presbyterian Church and 1.5674 hectares rented. However, in order to truly achieve the goal of establishing a comprehensive university, the school was in a desperate need of purchasing additional campuses. In terms of the Tamsui campus, it is adjacent to Tamkang Middle School, right next to Fort Santo Domingo, with Tamsui Golf Course in the back. Although the scenery is extremely beautiful, it is not easy to purchase additional lot in the neighborhood. Nonetheless, the school still overcame all difficulties, and managed to purchase an additional 2.1079 hectares of land adjacent to the school's campus. In June 1991, another purchase of 18.7738 hectares of land was made in Madou Town, Tainan County. Having expanded the school lot so earnestly, there grows more awareness on the school’s side that restructuring the school into a university was within the reach since the school's land has been quadrupled.
本校在專科教育上的貢獻，除再再受到教育部教學評鑑：年年均列優等的肯定外；所培育的校友，於社會各階層均有極傑出之表現，更受到社會普遍的歡迎。
Our school's contribution to college education is not only recognized by the Ministry of Education's teaching evaluation, but is ranked excellent every year; the alumni it has cultivated have outstanding performance at all levels of society, and are generally welcomed by the society.
（二）學院的籌劃與誕生
本校創立之初，即以興辦綜合大學為目標。 自創校以來便戮力規劃，以早日實現興辦綜合大學之創校目標為依歸。雖有專校時期辦學績效特優的雄厚基礎，迭因政府政策變動，改制學院其時需以校地十五公頃以上為審核標準之一。學校為確實遵從政府法令，乃遍訪全島，四處尋找土地。終於1991年六月克服萬難，購得臺南縣麻豆鎮校地。並於確實完成過戶手續，歸入本校財團法人所有後，方據以向教育部正式提出改制學院之申請。
Since the establishment of the school, we have made great efforts making plans to achieve the goal of establishing a comprehensive university at the earliest date. Although the school has laid a solid foundation for excellent school performance during the college period, due to changes in government policies, the school is in need of meeting the requirement of a land area of 15 hectares or more as one of the review criteria in order to convert itself into a university. To ensure compliance with government regulations, the school traveled around the island to find the land. Finally, in June 1991, the school overcame all difficulties and purchased additional school ground in Madou Town, Tainan County. After completing all formalities of transferring the ownership as required by the domestic law, the application for the restructuring of the college was formally submitted to the Ministry of Education.
1994年五月十八日本校接奉教育部（83）台高字第025456號函准予就地改制為四年制獨立學院。定校名為：私立淡水工商管理學院，英文校名：TAMSUI OXFORD UNIVERSITY COLLEGE 。參加八十三學年度大學暨獨立學院日、夜間部聯合招生，並自八十三學年度起停止招收專科部各學制新生。1996年十一月麻豆分部奉准正式成立，初設三個二年制技術系，於1997年二月第一次招生（春季班）三百人，日間部二年制一般生一五○人。
On May 18, 1994, the school received a letter from the Ministry of Education by Order (83) Tai-gao-zi No. 025456 – an approval of converting into a four-year independent college on the existing land area. The school name was “Private Tamsui College of Business and Management”, with its English School Name “TAMSUI OXFORD UNIVERSITY COLLEGE”. The school soon participated in the joint enrollment of the Universities and Independent Colleges Day and Night Divisions in the 83rd academic year, and stopped enrolling freshmen of all faculties and departments of the Junior Colleges since the 83rd academic year. In November 1996, the Madou Branch was formally approved to establish three two-year technical departments. In February 1997, the first enrollment (spring class) was 300, and the number of students for the two-year departments in the day division had 150 people.
（三）真理大學的誕生
1999年八月一日，奉教育部核定改名為「真理大學」，英文校名為Aletheia University（此為希臘語真理的意思）。本校現有兩個校區：一在新北市淡水區，一在台南市麻豆區。 本校是基督教教會所創辦的大學，校園文化優雅，校風淳樸，學術日盛，所培育之學生皆能為社會所肯定。以「追求真理、愛與服務」為學校宗旨，培育學生成為「兼具人文素養與專業知能的優質基督教大學」為願景，未來將朝向成為國內、外一流大學的目標邁進。 2018年6月1日起由陳奇銘教授接任真理大學第四任校長，依循著過去本校宗旨：追求真理、愛與服務。願景：成為兼具人文素養與專業知能的優質基督教大學。特色：1.基督精神的辦學宗旨 2.歷史悠久的現代學府3.典雅優美的校園景觀4.品德教養與人文關懷。目標：1.追求教學卓越2.建立研發特色3.推動全人教育 4.增進行政服務效能。繼續帶領本校進入另一里程碑。
(3) Birth of Aletheia University
On August 1, 1999, the school was renamed "Aletheia University" (“truth” in Greek) after approval by the Ministry of Education, The University has two campuses: one in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, and one in Madou District, Tainan City. As a school founded by the Christian Church to spread the spirit of Christians, the campus culture has been elegant and in a simple style. As days pass, the school becomes flourishing. Students are immersed in an environment dedicated to the mission of "pursuit of truth, love, and service" with the vision of "quality Christian university with both humanities and professional knowledge." The school is moving towards the goal of becoming a first-class university at home and abroad. Since June 1, 2018, Professor Chen Qiming took over as the fourth president of Truth University. He continues the ideals of the past in pursuit of truth, love and service and the vision of turning into a high-quality Christian university with both humanities and professional knowledge. Currently, the school is developed with three features which outshine the other universities, including:
1. A school dedicated to the Christian spirit
2. A modern university with long history
3. An elegant and beautiful campus landscape
4. Moral education and humanistic care. Determined to lead the school into another milestone, Professor Chen holds the aspirations of:
1. Pursuing teaching excellence,
2. Unique research and development features,
3. Promoting whole-person education,
4. Improving the effectiveness of administrative services.