When do I need to arrive on the BJTU campus, and will there be an orientation?
On September 3, BJTU Weihai campus will provide a campus bus for pick-up services at Weihai Airport and Weihai Train Station. The bus departs every hour from 8:00 to 22:00 on September 3.
BJTU and Illinois will prepare an orientation on Sunday, September 6 and Monday, September 7. September 7 is a holiday in the U.S., so Illinois students will not have any Illinois classes on this day. The orientation schedule will be provided at a later date. Illinois students can also participate in the BJTU freshmen welcome ceremony. BJTU freshmen arrive on September 14 and will have a week of orientation activities. BJTU will choose the related sessions that Illinois students can join. The dates of BJTU freshmen welcome ceremony will be announced at a later date.
If you are not able to arrive on the designated date, please notify both BJTU Weihai and UIUC program contacts.
What about additional fees like the library and information technology fee, health service fee, and health insurance fee?
The program details resource we sent to you early on gave information about tuition and fees. At the time we thought that the only fee that would be charged to international students was the “General Fee”. We have since learned that there is a new fee that cannot be waived called the “Library and Information Technology Fee.” This fee will be used to support online courses. Per the following website, the “Health Service Fee” will be credited to your student account by mid-September. Students will need to opt out of the “Health Insurance Fee.” More information can be found here about opting out: https://si.illinois.edu/opting-out. If you believe that you qualify for any other waivers or exemptions, please consult the staff at the Office for Student Financial Aid: https://registrar.illinois.edu/tuition-fees/waivers-exemptions/.
How will credit from BJTU courses count towards my degree at Illinois?
Illinois students are not expected or required to take any BJTU courses, since they are already required to take a minimum of 12 Illinois credits online. Courses taken at BJTU would be treated as transfer credits and Illinois students would need to follow Illinois procedures in place for submitting transcripts and requesting articulations. These procedures vary by college. We would consider this outside the parameters of the Academic Bridge initiative since Illinois students are already enrolled in a full semester course load of Illinois courses.
Who do I contact with questions about my Illinois courses?
For questions about a specific Illinois course that you are already enrolled in, you should contact the professor or teaching assistant.
For questions about enrollment (including adding or dropping a course, etc.) you should contact your academic advisor. If you are unsure who your academic advisor is, please contact your Illinois department, and they can direct you to the correct advisor.
What if I have trouble logging in to the VPN?
Technology Services at the University of Illinois has instructions on downloading and setting up the VPN client, as well as a VPN Essentials webpage and some VPN FAQs. Please note that some of the information about when the VPN may be necessary to use may not be completely accurate for students residing outside of the United States.
I am having issues with my internet connection.
Both Information Technology units at Illinois and at BJTU are working together to explore internet speed and connection.
Many of the Illinois learning resources on campus do not require the campus VPN. Here is information about when the VPN is required and when it is not needed:
https://techservices.illinois.edu/vpn-essentials
Students should also try the “Split Tunnel” setting for the VPN as explained in the link above. Students should also work directly with course staff about specific resources they are having trouble accessing. It is possible the course staff can make the resources available in other ways.
Campus networking also suggestes that students review this information about the VPN profiles to choose which one best fits their situation:
https://answers.uillinois.edu/illinois/47638
What if I need to withdraw from the BJTU Weihai program after I have already committed?
If you wish to withdraw from the program, you will need to notify both BJTU Weihai and your UIUC program contacts. Please see the table below for important dates and fees related to withdrawing from the program.
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Sep 3- Sep 12
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Management Fee and Housing Fee can all be refunded.
480 RMB for beddings cannot be refunded.
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Sep 13-Oct 2
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3/4 Management Fee and 3/4 Housing Fee can be refunded.
480 RMB for beddings cannot be refunded.
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Oct 3-Nov 2
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1/2 Management Fee and 1/2 Housing Fee can be refunded.
480 RMB for beddings cannot be refunded.
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After Nov 3
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No refund.
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Where can I find information about the University of Illinois library resources?
The University Libraries contains a lot of useful information, including a search function to find digital resources available to UIUC students and staff. Other useful links include:
Where can I get a copy of my acceptance letter to UIUC?
In order to obtain a copy of your admission letter, you will need to contact our office of International Admissions at international-admissions@illinois.edu. Please let them know that are participating in Academic Bridge program at BJTU Weihai and they will be able email you a digital copy.
The My Study Abroad application is asking for a return date to the U.S., but I do not know when I will be able to return. What should I do?
You do not have to complete this questionnaire on your application. You will not be penalized and you should not receive any incomplete application reminder emails for not submitting this questionnaire. If you would like to input a return date, you may do so, but this information will not be used for anything on our end.
