July 2, 2015—A recent publication titled “White Paper on Dismissal Issues of Chinese Students in the United States 2015” contains factually inaccurate data regarding the dismissal of Chinese students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University said today in an effort to provide a more accurate version. Based on its own detailed data, the University’s information shows Chinese students’ success at Illinois is well above national averages on several fronts.
The White Paper originally stated that 12.1% of Chinese students are dismissed from Illinois annually. However, that number was calculated through a limited survey and does not accurately represent the entire population of Chinese students on the Illinois campus. In fact, the University’s records show a much more positive context, one that shows Chinese dismissal rates as far below the national average for American universities, among other facts.
The University’s dismissal and graduate rates for its Chinese students are as follows:
- Approximately 0.05% of international students are dismissed each year due to issues of academic integrity violations (e.g., cheating). That’s five out of approximately ten thousand international students. This is a lower rate than the dismissals of US students.
- Less than 1% of Chinese undergraduate students and an even smaller number of graduate students are dismissed for academic reasons (low grades).
- Our Chinese students graduate at a rate of 87%. This is exceptionally high compared to the average for all college students in the US (59%) and is slightly higher than the average rate for all students on our campus, which is 84%.
At the University of Illinois, we value our Chinese students and have instituted many new programs and services over the past several years to support successful integration onto our campus, including:
- The hiring of new staff to improve orientation of our Chinese students to the campus and the community;
- The hiring of new staff to assist with challenges that may arise;
- Increasing the number of social activities available;
- Introducing a bus service from O’Hare airport to bring students directly to campus;
- In-country orientations in three cities in China over the summer.
We continue to work towards strengthening our relationships with Chinese alumni, as well as improve communications with the parents of our Chinese students. Illinois has a long history of welcoming Chinese students to Urbana-Champaign. We are proud of that history and want to continue offering a world-class education to Chinese citizens. They enhance our University and the education that all students receive here.
For more information, contact:
Veerle Opgenhaffen
Associate Director of Advancement
Illinois International Programs
veerle@illinois.edu