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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

The United States

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.