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CANADA
Universities
Adapt to Competition with US for Graduate Students
To remain competitive with the United States, some Canadian universities
are offering postgraduates guaranteed funding. The University
of Alberta and a handful of other Canadian universities are now paying
stipends to doctoral students in what administrators describe as an attempt
to compete with the heated environment in the United States, where colleges
offer stipends and tuition waivers to attract the best students.
Alberta Provost
Carl Amrhein said the university is losing potential doctoral recruits
to U.S. universities, a situation he had also seen at Toronto, his former
institution. Alberta estimates the stipends will cost C$1.6 million a
year ($US 1.2 million).
—
The
Times Higher Education Supplement
Dec.5, 2003
Home-Grown
English Language Test Launched in China
The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Programme (CELPIP) made
its Chinese debut in Shanghai on Jan. 18. Citizenship
and Immigration Canada (CIC), the governmental department responsible
for immigration issues, will now consider CELPIP scores for immigration
purposes. The announcement was made in Canada last June.
The exam
was developed by the University of British
Columbia (UBC) for assessing individual English listening, speaking,
reading and writing skills. Previously, the International
English Language Testing System’s (IELTS) general training module
was the only English language test available for immigration purposes.
IELTS will still be accepted and used, but according to officials, the
international scope of some test items is not considered suitable for
Canada.
CELPIP has
three sections, with two hours for reading and writing, 30 minutes for
listening and 30 minutes for speaking. The exam is computer-based. Scores
consist of 1-no proficiency, 2-minimal, 3-developing, 4-adequate, 5-effective
and 6-advanced proficiency. For immigration, the CIC requires scores of
at least 4.
Meanwhile,
UBC is promoting CELPIP use for admissions purposes. Currently, it is
the only Canadian higher education institution that considers CELPIP scores
for admission.
For more
information on test registration or test tutorials, interested readers
can go to www.lpi.ubc.ca/celpip.
—
China
Daily
Jan. 9, 2004
Drop
in Applicants Could Lead to Easier Entry Standards 
Figures released in January show that 32 percent fewer students applied
to Ontario universities for the fall 2004 term. As a result, many universities
say their minimum entry marks may drop by anywhere from 1 to 5 percentage
points. The drop in demand was expected after last year’s double
cohort surge, but most universities do not plan to shrink their first-year
enrollments a matching 30 percent, because they know the university-bound
“echo boom” age group is still growing, as is the general
tendency to attend university. Many also need those students to pay for
the expansion for the double cohort.
So, with
fewer Ontario school leavers applying, universities can either ease their
requirements to admit more high school students or keep them unchanged
but take in more international and mature students to fill the gap. Although
most universities have said they will likely ease their admissions requirements,
the University of Toronto and the
University of Guelph say they will
keep their requirements the same, and Carlton
University may actually raise the requirements.
—
The
Toronto Star
Jan. 22, 2004
COLOMBIA
Private
School Officially Recognized as University
In recognition of research development and quality, the Ministry of Education
awarded the title of university to La
Tecnológica de Bolívar, a decision made official in
December, 2003. The school can now offer specializations, master’s
degrees, doctorates and post-doctorates. La Tecnológica de Bolívar
will to continue development in research and technology. This is the first
private institution of higher education to obtain recognition as a university
in the city of Cartagena.
—
La
Tecnológica de Bolívar news release
Dec. 2, 2003
HONDURAS
New Nine-Year
Elementary Cycle
Faced with a 58 percent dropout rate by grade three, the ministry of education
has instituted a new basic educational structure that extends primary
schooling form six years to nine, accompanied by a new national basic
curriculum. The new curriculum is designed to aid the nations’ transition
into the global economy by promoting English-language and technological
education.
Six-year
elementary education will be replaced by a more constructive and integral
system consisting of nine grades divided into three cycles. The new national
basic curriculum, which has already begun to be implemented, establishes
a first cycle of first through third grades, a second of fourth through
sixth grades, and a third of seventh through ninth. With the aid of outside
donors, learning centers have been built in rural areas to promote literacy
and alternative forms of primary education for out-of-school youths, adults,
and young learners.
—
El
Heraldo
Jan. 23, 2004
UNITED STATES of AMERICA
States’
Attack on Diploma Mills an Uphill Battle
Unable to snuff out the proliferation of illegal diploma mills, many states
have changed their strategy: If you can’t catch the dealers, go
after the consumers. Illinois, Indiana and New Jersey have recently criminalized
the use of fake degrees, and legislators in a few other states are trying
to do the same. A recent proposal from the South
Carolina Commission on Higher Education would punish people who use
fake degrees with a $1,000 fine and up to one year in prison. North Dakota
passed a law in 2003 that makes manufacturing a fake degree a felony,
punishable by up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine. Using a fake
degree to get a job, promotion or admission to a college would be a misdemeanor,
punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
In Oregon,
laws against making and using fake degrees have been on the books for
almost 20 years. It is a misdemeanor to use a fake degree to get a job
or a promotion, and doing so could result in a $1,000 fine and up to a
year in prison. Cease-and-desist letters have been sent to at least 40
people, says Alan Contreras, administrator of the state’s Office
of Degree Authorization. Oregon long has been the model for such legislation,
and Contreras has emerged as a national player in the fight against diploma
mills. Still, no one has gone to jail. Oregon did not strictly enforce
the laws until a few years ago, according to Contreras. And now, because
of budget cuts, the office has lost most of its funding.
Facing deep
budget cuts, many states cannot afford to spend money on fighting fake
degrees. So, while these new laws allow politicians to take on an industry
with few allies, implementation is a different matter. No legislation
has been introduced at the federal level, but the Education Department
has taken note. In October, Secretary of Education Roderick R. Paige said
state and federal officials will meet to discuss ways of dealing with
government employees who use fake degrees. However, members of Congress
say it is unlikely that national legislation will appear anytime soon.
Legislators feel there are much more pressing issues, such as the war
in Iraq and budget concerns.
Instead of
urging jail time, some higher-education groups and state agencies have
created online postings or Web sites to help consumers recognize diploma
mills. They include the Council
for Higher Education Accreditation’s diploma-mill fact sheet,
Oregon’s Office of Degree Authorization and discussion forums such
as Degreeinfo.com, where consumers
and education professionals can share experiences and offer advice.
—
The
Chronicle of Higher Education
Dec. 19, 2003
Study:
U.S. Attracts, Keeps Foreign Doctoral Students
Foreign students who graduate from U.S. universities with doctoral degrees
are staying in the United States more than ever, a new study by the Oak
Ridge Institute for Science and Education has found. According to
the study, two-thirds of foreign students who received U.S. science and
engineering doctorates in 1999 were still living in the country two years
later. In 2001, there were 3,600 more graduates who stayed in the United
States for at least two years than 12 years earlier, according to the
report.
The trend
has particular ramifications on the U.S. economy, which depends on the
pool of foreigners in some areas of science and engineering. Seventy percent
to 80 percent of graduates of doctoral programs in the physical sciences,
math and computer science, life sciences and multiple fields of engineering
stay here for at least two years. But only half of those graduating with
doctorates in agricultural science, economics and social sciences do the
same.
Students
from China, India and Taiwan are the top sources of foreign students earning
advanced degrees in science and engineering. These graduates usually end
up taking jobs with businesses, such as computer chip makers, in which
the United States prides itself in holding technological superiority.
For example, 96 percent of the Chinese citizens who graduated with doctoral
degrees in 1996 were still living in the United States five years later.
Similarly, 86 percent of those from India receiving doctorates in 1996
were still in the country five years later. Countries with low stay rates
include South Korea (21 percent), Indonesia (18 percent), Japan (24 percent)
and Brazil (25 percent).
—
Associated
Press
Dec. 22, 2003
China
to Prepare Advanced Placement Tests for U.S. High Schools
Chinese officials announced in December that they will help create a US$1.37
million Advanced Placement
(AP) program in Chinese language and culture for U.S. high schools. The
course and test are the second, and most expensive, AP program to be financed
by a foreign government. A similar Italian program was announced in September.
The cost of developing the equivalent of a college-level, third-year course
and exam in Chinese for high school students will be split equally between
the Chinese government and private foundations.
The Chinese
and Italian programs will be added to the 34 courses and exams in 19 subject
areas covered by AP, which gives high school students the chance to prepare
for college academic work and, if they score high enough, earn college
credit. The College Board said
500 high schools have so far indicated a desire to participate in the
first AP Italian course, which is scheduled for fall 2005, with the first
exams in May 2006. The Chinese course will not be ready until fall 2006,
with the first tests in May 2007, the College Board said.
The majority
of students in China study English, but only 50,000 American students
study Chinese, a language spoken by 1.5 billion people, according to a
statement from the College Board.
In contrast, 1 million American students study French, which is spoken
by 70 million people, the statement noted.
—
Washington
Post
Dec. 5, 2003
Education
Department Ponders Online ‘Diploma Mill’ List
In January, Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins,
R-Maine, urged Education Secretary Roderick R. Paige to develop a list
of accredited degree-granting institutions on the Internet as part of
the fight against “diploma mills” and to aid employers in
hiring and promotion decisions.
The Department
of Education hosted a summit comprised of staff from the Senate Governmental
Affairs Committee and representatives of state and federal agencies to
coordinate efforts to crack down on the use of fake degrees. In a follow-up
letter to Paige, Sen. Collins wrote: “I urge you to implement a
Web-based list of accredited schools as soon as practicable. The single
list should consolidate the lists maintained by the various accrediting
agencies recognized by your department ... Currently, an individual who
wants to check on the validity of an institution must navigate a confusing
and circuitous route in order to verify a school’s accreditation
status.”
The diploma
mill controversy and a General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation was
sparked in 2003 when Department of Homeland Security administrators placed
a senior technology official on administrative leave and investigated
her educational credentials. The GAO had planned to release its findings
in February but widened its probe amid concerns the problem is more prevalent
than investigators originally thought. The degrees audit team now expects
to complete its investigation sometime this month and congressional officials
expect to hold hearings on the issue shortly thereafter. Several states
have already passed laws in the battle against diploma mills, including
Oregon, New Jersey, North Dakota and Illinois.
—
U.S.
Department of Education news release
Jan. 27, 2004
High
School Diploma a ‘Broken Promise’
“For too many graduates, the American high school diploma signifies
only a broken promise,” concludes a recent report from the American
Diploma Project. The study found that more than 50 percent of high
school graduates need remedial classes in college, and most who go onto
tertiary education never get a four-year degree. Meanwhile, employers
rated high school graduates as “fair” or “poor”
on basic abilities.
The coalition
of education-reform groups who conducted the two-year review in five states
said the diploma’s value can be restored if graduates come away
with a deeper understanding of English and mathematics. The report, titled
“Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma that Counts,”
said all students should be able to show strong written and oral communications
skills, analytic and reasoning ability at the honors-course level and
learn statistics, data analysis, advanced algebra and geometry. In a damning
conclusion, the report says the diploma “often serves as little
more than a certificate of attendance.”
The full,
128-page report can be found at: www.achieve.org/achieve.nsf/AmericanDiplomaProject?OpenForm.
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