MCLC: warning about State Dept pdf (1,2,3)

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Sean Macdonald <smacdon2005 at gmail.com>
Subject: warning about State Depart pdf (1)
***********************************************************

I had no such problem. Also, the nasfa.org <http://nasfa.org/> site seems
fine and the same pdf may be downloaded here. The "security " of a site
(or lack thereof) often has to do with individual settings (on a computer
or a server).

http://www.nafsa.org/resourcelibrary/default.aspx?id=32794

All the best,

Sean

===========================================================

From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: warning about State Dept pdf (2)


Here's something from the Chronicle of Higher Education on the State
Department directive. It includes a link to the same pdf.

Kirk 

Source: Chronicle of Higher Education (5/21/12):
http://chronicle.com/article/State-Department-Directive/131934/

State Department Directive Could Disrupt Teaching Activities of
Campus-Based Confucius InstitutesBy Karin Fischer
Washington

A policy directive sent by the U.S. Department of State to universities
that sponsor Confucius Institutes suggests that the language and cultural
centers that are a key piece of the Chinese government's diplomatic
outreach will have to change how they operate or fall afoul of American
visa laws.

The memorandum, 
<http://chronicle.com/items/biz/pdf/Guidance%20Directive%202012-06%20Confuc
ius%20Institutes.pdf> dated May 17, states that any academics at
university-based institutes who are teaching at the elementary- and
secondary-school levels are violating the terms of their visas and must
leave at the end of this academic year, in June. And it says that, after a
"preliminary review," the State Department has determined that the
institutes must obtain American accreditation in order to continue to
accept foreign scholars and professors as teachers.

It's unclear what prompted the State Department to issue such a policy
statement, which is signed by Robin J. Lerner, deputy assistant secretary
for private-sector exchange. After all, Confucius Institutes have been on
American campuses for nearly a decade.

About 60 universities in the United States now host the centers, which are
also in more than 60 other countries. (One state, Washington, and one
American city, Chicago, also host Confucius Institutes.) The Chinese
government typically pays to start the centers and for a portion of their
continuing costs, as a diplomacy effort.

If the teaching activities of the university-based Confucius Institutes
were to be curtailed, that could have implications for U.S.-China
relations. At the very least, it appears the institutes would have to
significantly change how they operate.
In addition to teaching Mandarin, many of the institutes offer classes and
conduct research in specific areas, like traditional Chinese medicine or
Chinese art and design. Often, they also provide language instruction and
Chinese cultural programs for the public in school settings.

Critics of the centers have called them propaganda vehicles
<http://chronicle.com/article/At-US-Colleges/124975/> for the Chinese
government. But it's far from certain what led to the current policy
directive by the State Department, particularly as the two countries have
recently emphasized the importance of academic and cultural exchange,
through efforts like the 100,000 Strong Initiative, an
Obama-administration pledge to double the number of Americans studying in
China.

For its part, the Chinese government has touted the Confucius Institutes
as a sign of China's commitment to improving cultural relations with other
countries.

The policy memo focuses on rules related to J-1 visas, which are given to
people participating in work- and study-based exchange programs. It notes
that while visitors can come as "teachers" or "professors/research
scholars," foreign professors, academics, and students at the university
level are prohibited from teaching in public or private schools at the
precollege level.

Many of the Confucius Institutes currently do just that, through their
language and cultural programs for students and the public. The
instructors typically come from partner universities in China, and, in
many school districts, have become the bedrock of Chinese-language
programs.

According to the State Department letter, any current visa holders on the
college level who are schoolteachers will be allowed to complete the
academic year, but no extensions will be granted. They will have to return
to China, where they can apply for another visa under the appropriate
category. Visiting scholars who do not have instructional duties would not
be affected by the directive.

Officials at universities with Confucius Institutes called the policy
statement "surprising" and "unusual" and said they were still sifting
through how to respond. One solution might be to refocus the work of the
centers, while another might be to shift administrative responsibility for
the institutes away from colleges. If they were hosted by school districts
or state governments, the visa prohibitions would not apply.

There is a tradition of stand-alone language and cultural centers abroad,
such as the German Goethe Institutes or the Alliance Française, although
they are not financed and managed by a foreign government to the same
degree as Confucius Institutes.

"We are still considering our options," said Jeffrey M. Riedinger, dean of
international studies and programs at Michigan State University.

Less clear is the path that the institutes will take to accreditation. The
memorandum notes that Chinese courses must be part of the curriculum at an
accredited postsecondary institution in order for a professor on a J-1
visa to teach. The letter suggests that the State Department does not
believe Confucius Institutes are covered by the institutional
accreditation of their sponsoring university.

"Confucius Institutes, therefore, must apply for U.S. accreditation in
order to offer teaching opportunities at the Institute or other
colleges/universities in which a J-1 professor could participate," it
concludes.

The memo, however, does not spell out how the centers would be accredited
or offer a time frame for accreditation. Stand-alone and university-based
language programs can be accredited through the Accrediting Council for
Continuing Education and Training or the Commission on English Language
Program Accreditation, but the process of earning such approval can take a
year or more.

=========================================

From: Terry Russell (trussel at ad.umanitoba.ca)
Subject: warning about State Dept pdf (3)

Here are a couple of safe links to English language articles on the State
Department's directive on CI visas.

http://chronicle.com/article/State-Department-Directive/131934/
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/05/24/u-s-rule-puts-confucius-schoo
ls-under-spotlight/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=chinablog

Terry Russell
trussel at ad.umanitoba.ca