CHINESE HIGHER EDUCATION AND CURRENT HOT TOPICS

Yung-Hwa Anna Chow

Washington State University

What We will Cover Today:

4 things you should know about Chinese higher ed.

Current hot topics: Use of paid agents Plagiarism Community college enrollment Best practices from international programs

around the nation “Tiger mom” and our perception of Chinese

international students

4 Things You Should Know about Chinese Higher Ed.

Chinese Higher Ed: Cultural Values Major differences between Chinese and

U.S. higher ed. Why are students coming to the U.S.? Facts and figures about Chinese

international students in the U.S.

Chinese Higher Ed: Cultural Values

Confucian influence = great emphasis on education

Meritocracy Harmony and group mentality vs.

individualism Population with degrees = 9 %

(Chronicle of Higher Education) Class inequalities and education

attainment

Major Differences Between Chinese and U.S. Higher Ed.

College entrance—gao kao Majors Cohorts Mentoring/advising

Why Are Students Coming to the U.S.?

Prestige—Institute of International Education survey (2009)

Growing middle class in China Marketability Flexibility of U.S. education system Recruitment

Facts and Figures about Chinese International Students in the U.S.

1 in 5 international student is Chinese 2010 – 2011: 157,558 students came

from China (up 23% from previous year) 67% with personal funding = major

contribution to U.S. economy Top majors: 1) BUS/MGMT; 2) ENG/MATH;

3) PHYS/Life Sciences/Social Sciences Data from Open Door (opendoor.iie.org)

Hot topic # 1: Use of paid agents

Define types of education agents Commissioned Hired by university vs. students

Data from 2010 National Association for College Admissions Counseling 421 member institutions surveyed about

the use of agents for international recruitment

Agents—cont’d

Pros Saves institutions money Essential for small universities and

community colleges in the U.S. Local agents are helpful to families with

little English = local access

Agents—cont’d

Cons Paid based on numbers = leads to abuse Uncertified, lack of training, not regulated Unfair to students that can’t pay Conflict of interest = transcript and test

score integrity (Zinch China 2011 survey)

Discussion

Do you agree with the use of agents? Implications for advisors? How does your institution recruit

international students?

Hot topic # 2: Plagiarism

Define plagiarism Statistics of plagiarism Plagiarism and Chinese international

students

Discussion

Have you dealt with students who were confronted about plagiarism?

How do your institutions educate international students about plagiarism?

As advisors, how can we curtail plagiarism?

Hot topic # 3: Community College Enrollment

Data from Open Door—leading inst. by type

AA

B.A/B.S

M.A

PhD

0 5000 10000

# of Students

# of Students

Community college, cont’d

Perceptions Different student population Visa process Green River Community College, WA

Discussion

What are the advantages of starting at a community college?

Hot topic # 4: Best Practices Good transfer agreements International outreach Cross-cultural training for advisors Bilingual counselors Living and learning communities that

foster exchange between Chinese and domestic students

From Karen Doss Bowman, International Educator, Mar. + Apr. 2012

Discussion

What are exemplary practices on your campuses?

How do you envision a “good” international program?

Hot topic # 5: Tiger moms and our Perception of the Chinese International Student

What is a tiger mom? Quote from Amy Chua attend a sleepover have a playdate be in a school play complain about not being in a school play watch TV or play computer games choose their own extracurricular activities get any grade less than an A not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama play any instrument other than the piano or violin not play the piano or violin.

Tiger moms, cont’d PISA: Programm for International Student

Assessment (65 countries)

Countries Reading (493)

Science (501)

Math (496)

Shanghai-China

556 575 600

Korea 539 538 546

Finland 536 554 541

Hong Kong-China

533 549 555

Singapore 526 542 562

Tiger moms, cont’d

Tiger moms in China?

What the "Chinese mom" debate swirling around Amy Chua's book fails to adequately consider is the fact that American classrooms—and society in general—are more conducive to individual expression and innovation. The rote learning that she stresses might work when her daughters, outside the home, are encouraged to think independently. But in China, where authoritarian parenting is coupled with an ossified higher education system, creativity is stifled. The father-knows-best Confucian approach is applied to a repressive degree. (Indeed, Chinese men dominate academia, and the "Chinese dad" phenomenon would be considered more relevant than that of the "Chinese mom" to begin with.)

Quote from thedailybeast.com

Discussion

How does the “tiger mom” phenomenon influence our perception of Chinese (international) students?

References and Resources

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/nov/13/chinese-students-bring-money-work-ethics/

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=401564 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/education/edlife/the-china-conundrum.html?

pagewanted=all http://www.washcouncil.org/documents/pdf/WIEC2011_Fraud-in-China.pdf http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?

sectioncode=26&storycode=417650&c=1 http://online.wsj.com/article/

SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/01/18/the-chinese-mom-backlash.html http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data http://www.nafsa.org/ http://chronicle.com/article/Community-College-Draws/128927/ http://chronicle.com/article/International-Student/127931/ http://www.nacacnet.org/research/briefing/international/Pages/

InternationalResources.aspx

Questions/Comments?

Yung-Hwa Anna ChowAcademic Advisor

General Studies, Critical Culture, Gender, and Race Studies

Washington State Universityychow@wsu.edu