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Chinese education officials visit Metro
Delegation takes two-week tour of U.S. institutions
By David Pollan
dpollan@mscd.edu

Photo by Jessica Oleksy/oleksy@mscd.edu Several of the Chinese Delegates are greeted outside the Tivoli by Metro faculty.

Twelve Chinese education officials and university administrators visited Metro on June 13 as part of a two-week tour of the United States.

Their visit was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and coordinated by the National Committee on United States-China Relations, or NCUSCR—a nonprofit educational organization that promotes a greater understanding of both countries by their citizens. Betsy Zeller, director of the Office of Sponsored Programs, coordinated the delegation’s visit.

According to the NCUSCR, the purpose of the visit was to provide the members of the delegation—who are from the western provinces in the People’s Republic of China—with a greater understanding of the higher education system in America, mainly the federal and states governments’ roles in higher education. The delegates are interested in issues ranging from the role of the federal government in financing higher education to the state’s role in hiring and firing personnel.

“The United States is currently leading the world in higher education,” said Zheng Zhen, leader of the Chinese delegation and vice chairman of the Working Committee in the Department of Education in the Ningxia Autonomous Region of China. “That is why we are glad to come here and learn from you (the U.S.).”

Metro President Stephen Jordan opened the visit by welcoming and introducing all the members of the Chinese delegation. Jordan then presented an overview of higher educatiosn in the United States versus that of China.

Photo by Jessica Olekey/olekey@mscd.edu Zhang Changbao, director of student affairs in the Shaanxi Province, exchanges business cards with Metro president Stephen Jordan June 13 outside of the Tivoli.

@Metro reported that according to Margot Landman, NCUSCR’S senior director of educational programs, achieving a higher education in China is a rather difficult task. Students only have one opportunity to gain admission to either a college or university in China. Only those who obtain a high score on a national academic examination attend college. The delegation was especially interested in Metro’s modified enrollment policy.

“Let me take a moment to explain this relative to what I understand to be the Chinese practice,” Jordan said. “Where you (China) have a very rigorous set of examinations for admission to university, we in the United States have a series of national standardized tests that are used for determining admissions. The very highest qualifiers on the exams typically go to the research universities.”

“As you move down the regional comprehensive universities and state colleges, the score does not have to be as high on the test. This is one of the characteristics I think that makes American higher education unique and provides broader opportunity for admission.”

Jordan described the hierarchy of higher education in Colorado and Metro’s position within that hierarchy. He focused mainly on Metro’s mission and its modified open enrollment policy. Metro is required to admit any student 20 years of age or older that has a high school diploma or GED and is a Colorado resident. Any student in this category is able to attend Metro regardless of test scores or previous college experience.

“This characteristic, we say, makes Metro State the institution of opportunity,” he said.

Jordan assured the delegates the lack of high academic credentials necessary for admittance does not necessarily mean these students will do poorly. According to Jordan, these students are so committed to getting an education and changing their economic status, they place a significant amount of effort into their academic program.

“So, we believe that what is important is not what the credentials are coming into the college, it’s what we do to transform the student while they are at the college,” Jordan said.

Provost and vice president of academic affairs Rodolfo Rocha followed and discussed Metro’s economic impact in the Denver area. According to Rocha, a number of students at Metro are first generation college students who come from Denver’s working class. He said urban institutions such as Metro have the responsibility of transforming the lives of the students enrolled, and more importantly the lives of their offspring. This, in turn, changes a minimum wage earner to one who makes a salary and gives something back to the community.

“We now have produced a newer class that will return resources to the family of Denver,” Rocha said. “This transformation that takes place enhances the lives not just of this first-generation citizenry, but of all the people in Denver.”

In the next session, Ken Keller, associate dean of the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, gave a brief history of Metro and the Auraria campus. Sandra Haynes, dean of the School of Professional Studies, spoke about faculty involvement on campus, requirements for employment, as well as the hiring process. She also discussed the recruitment process for bringing in new faculty members. Dean of the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences Joan Foster discussed the process in which tenure is granted to Metro professors. Erick Erickson, professor of economics, summarized the salaries of Metro professors compared to the national average, and also compared faculty salaries in the United States to salaries in other professions.

Auraria Executive Vice President for Administration Dean Wolf led the delegation on a half-hour golf cart tour of the Auraria campus. A lunch session followed directly after.

After some small technical difficulties the final session began. The session covered various issues about student life on campus as well as the many student services that are available on campus. Some of the issues discussed were retention services, and Metro’s goal to try and retain as many students as possible and provide them with everything they need to succeed.

“We believe it takes an entire college working together to teach a student,” said Zav Dadabhoy, assistant vice president of student services.

Douglas Samuels, vice president of student services; Judi Diaz-Bonacquisti, associate vice president of enrollment services; Johanna Maes, associate dean of student life; and Dadabhoy were among the speakers for the final session.

The delegation left immediately after the final session and headed to Denver International Airport to catch a flight to Los Angeles, the final stop on their two-week tour of the U.S. Their tour began in Washington D.C., and they traveled to Minneapolis before coming to Denver. They visited an array of colleges and universities, and also visited federal governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations involved in forming policy for higher education.

According to Zeller, Larry Dax, the representative from the NCUSCR who accompanied the delegation on their tour, said the delegates were impressed by the sessions offered and by Metro itself.

Metropolitan reporter Joe Nguyen contributed to this report.