The document discusses challenges of advising Chinese international students due to differences between the Chinese and U.S. higher education systems. It summarizes key aspects of the Chinese system including the competitive Gao Kao exam determining college entrance and major, use of cohorts and mentors, philosophy of retention, and impact on student expectations. The presenter conducted research in China including interviews on these topics. The document provides suggestions for advisors to better understand Chinese students' backgrounds and challenges in adjusting to the U.S. system through cultural awareness, clear explanations, and connecting students to resources.

1. Building Bridge Across
Cultures: Learning about
China's Higher Education
System and its Impact on
Academic Advising
Yung-Hwa Anna Chow, M.A.
Washington State University

2. Make a list of challenges/obstacles
you have encountered while advising
international students from China.

3. What we will cover today…
 Why is research important in advising?
 Share personal experience in a current research
project
 Initial Data on Chinese Higher Education
 Why are students coming to the U.S?
 Suggestions for working with Chinese international
students

4. Why is Research Important?
 Research is important because:
 Creates new knowledge that helps the
advising community
 We need theories and data to help us
understand issues related to advising
 Ultimately, we need research to show that
academic advising is important

5. Data of International Students in
the U.S.
2010-2011 data for U.S. institutions--
Total international student enrollment: 723,277
Top places of origin:
China, India, South Korea, Canada, Taiwan
From China:
2009-2010: 127,628 students
2010-2011: 127,558 students

6. Research Question
What can I, as an academic advisor,
do to ease the transition of Chinese
international students moving to the
U.S. having to overcome language,
cultural, and financial barriers, all the
while, navigating their way through
college?

7. Research Design
 I want to know what the Chinese
higher education system is like and
how this information impacts
advising? (Ethnography)
 Interviewed students in China
 Interviewed university officials at a
Chinese institution

8. Data Collection
 Total  At WSU: interviewed 4
academic advisors and
interviews—23 4 students
 Students: 13  At Fudan: interviewed
5 university
 Advisors: 10 staff/faculty and 6
students
 In China: interviewed 1
student, 2 recent
graduates, and 1
former Fudan
instructor

9. Data Collection
 Fudan University
 4 yr. university
 Ranked 3rd in China
 26,000 students
 28 schools/departments
 70 undergrad. majors
 Partnership with
MIT, Dublin Uni, and various
businesses (Lucent
Tech., Cisco)
 Goal: to be world-class

10. What I learned…
 Similarities to U.S. Higher
Education System:
 Fudan College/first year
program
 Format of classes
 University structure
 Same student issues

11. What I learned…
 Differences:
 College entrance
 Major
 Cohorts and mentoring
 Education philosophy

12. Gao Kao—the Chinese SAT
“Looking at the Chinese education system, there
are still a lot of inequalities. My friend from
Henan, there were 1 million students who took
the gao kao, he placed 19th and got into Fudan.
So in Henan, only about 10% can test into college.
In Shanghai there were 68,000 students who
took the test, and 64,000 were able to test into
college. The system is not fair at all. So you asked
if most students will attend college, most
students from developed cities, yes, but students
from rural areas, most likely not. Everyone hopes
to attend college, but most of them will not”—
Fudan first year student

13. College Entrance
 Gao Kao—”It is
like a stampede
of thousands of
soldiers and tens
of thousands of
horses across a
single log
bridge”
http://www.nytimes.com/200
9/06/13/world/asia/13exam
.html

14. College Major
“Changing one’s major is a huge decision. You’re
used to being with your cohort and your friends
and the classes. Unless you really hate your major
and you really love something else, no one really
changes their major.”—Fudan 3rd year student

15. College Major
 Major Selection—
mostly through
Gao Kao score
 Change of Major—
extremely difficult

16. Cohorts
“So in China, we have this concept of
cohorts/class. And there is a class monitor/leader.
For example, if I forget about an assignment, I
can ask the class monitor or my roommates.
Everyone is together and learning and living is
more relaxed. I don’t have to be too independent
because if I forget something, I have an easy way
to retrieving that information. “—Chinese
international student at WSU

17. Mentoring/Advising System
 Cohort concept
 K - College
 Student Mentors
 Cohort Teachers

18. Education Philosophy
“We see all 4 years as an opportunity for them to
succeed. We don’t dismiss them for one
semester or two of poor grades. We encourage
them to make adjustments and changes and will
look at their progress at the end of the 4 year
process, to see if they have the overall 2.0 (GPA).
Some students might start off their first year with
really poor grades, but once they start taking
courses within their major, they perform quite
well. So their grades will even out at the end.” –
Director of Fudan College

19. Education Philosophy
 Confucian influence
 Meritocracy
 Retention and repeats
 Grades and GPA

20. Make a list of problems/obstacles
you might encounter if you went to
study in China.

21. From China to the U.S….

22. Coming to America
student #
140000
 U.S. # 1 host country 120000
100000
80000
 Recruitment 60000 student #
40000
20000
0
2010
2009
2007
2008

23. Common Problems
 Lack of understanding of U.S. Higher
Education System
 Cultural and language adjustment
 Transfer credits

24. What Advisors Can Do
 Face to face  Make connection
advising by asking about
home country or
 Use oral and learning how to
written greet in native
explanations language
 Be patient  Encourage courses
 Ask about that develop
goals/expectations critical thinking
to avoid skills
misunderstanding

25. What Advisors Can Do
 Encourage dept. to come up with transfer
agreements
 Find a student, graduate student, or faculty
from home country to help with advising or
answering questions
 Encourage participation of International
Program events/activities

26. In Conclusion…
 The Chinese higher education system is very
different from the U.S. models.
 As more international students study in the
U.S. further research is necessary.
 It’s pertinent for advisors to learn about
students’ unique backgrounds and make
connections.

27. References and Resources
International Institute of Education (Open Door data)
www.iie.org
Chronicle of Higher Education
www.chronicle.com
About the Use of Agents
http://www.washcouncil.org/documents/pdf/WIEC2011_Fraud-in-
China.pdf
About plagiarism
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=4015
64

28. Questions???
Building Bridge Across Cultures: Learning about
China's Higher Education System and its
Impact on Academic Advising
Yung-Hwa Anna Chow
ychow@wsu.edu
Washington State University