Four well-known American university student misconceptions

                    

entrance do not loose the smoke, the heat is already off to study abroad.

the many study abroad options, American universities are often parents are US focus.

not only because the U.S. has many world-class universities, but also because higher education in the United States does have much to learn from.

and separated by vast oceans, the "US perspective" view of American universities, they would inevitably be taken for granted as well as all sorts of misunderstandings, which are quite different, thought-provoking.

which is the "liberation weekend" has an exclusive interview with Columbia University in Beijing, Professor Liu Hes the reason.

one on College of Arts and Vocational Education

School of Law, Medicine, Business School, which may very well known, but the United States into the campus, you will find that they are in school "marginal position"

Liberation Weekend: US higher education and higher education in the United States are very different. You get in 1990, doctorate in comparative literature from Harvard, then taught at many universities in the United States to become life-long humanities at Columbia University, chair professor, you feel the biggest difference?

Liu He: Speaking of different, I think the most noteworthy, is the "liberal arts college" concept and the establishment, colleges and universities in the United States has an extremely important position. It is no exaggeration to say that liberal arts colleges in the United States education is the most proud of the essence.

example, we went into any of a U.S. research university, one into the door, first to see the important buildings, often liberal arts colleges. University of California, Berkeley, for example, go in the door, is on the floor, is a subsidiary of the English Department College of Arts, diagonally opposite the building is history, comparative literature, as well as other Department of Arts and Sciences. Whether it is at Harvard or other Ivy League universities in the, most liberal arts colleges have occupied the campus center, the most striking position.

Liberation Weekend: in peoples minds, Harvard Law School, Business School, one of the best in the world rankings, Harvard should also be proud of them.

Liu He: Harvard Law School, Medical School, Business School and School of Government, are well known, but when you walk into Harvard Universitys main campus, it will find that these colleges are in addition to the main campus or the "edge of the position." Rarely see what the American research university, one of the main entrance into the main campus building is the School of Law, School of Journalism, School of Business, Education, vocational colleges, also never occupy the center of campus space.

Liberation Weekend: This is our current number of colleges and universities, law, business administration, finance and other departments of the building is very popular highlight contrasts. American University of spatial pattern is how did this happen?

Liu He: There is no provision, which is invariably in the transmission of history, a natural formation. College of Arts in English is a liberal arts college. Heres arts education refers to the tradition of medieval Europe, "Seven Arts" concept --- that is, grammar, argumentation technique, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music. American universities inherited the tradition of European universities, emphasis on broad HYUNDAI version of "Seven Arts" that is, liberal arts and spiritual development, but also including HYUNDAI sense of the social sciences.

fact, translated into the liberal arts college, "College of Arts" or less than ideal. Personally, I prefer to translate it into "enlightened liberal arts college", liberal here with "enlightened" and "open intellectual" means. In Hong Kong, it is translated as "liberal education", literally means if the main aspects of the liberal arts education.

Liberation Weekend: The US mainland, often referred to as "general education", Taiwan is also known as the "whole person education."

Liu He: whether to be translated as "liberal education" or "general education" or other, liberal arts education to emphasize that through education the "personality" set up, create a complete, capital of the "people." This educational philosophy, the goal is not to allow students to master specific skills, not to provide vocational training, but in many ways to educate students so that he / she became a wide range of cultural backgrounds, a high level of education , moral, cultural level and the ability to judge people.

Liberation Weekend: College of Arts and is the means by which to achieve the training objectives?

Liu He: enlightened liberal arts college has three large content of undergraduate education: natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, are normally not "professional" nature of the professional . Students in three main areas to choose some of the credits to complete undergraduate study. University for four years, starting with no knowledge of the boundaries of the study, after a stage to narrow the scope of interest, is beginning to have some professional knowledge. In other words, open-minded liberal arts education mean the addition to add another point in the vocational education and cultural and historical knowledge, but does not mean to do some music, chat point art, is full of people.

Second, on the size of school

in the United States, many small liberal arts colleges reputation as much as Harvard, Yale and other elite schools

Liberation Weekend: American University of spatial layout, silently reflects its educational philosophy. The idea is that the system design.

Liu He: Yes. Another importance of the liberal Arts and Sciences, is the idea of ​​it throughout the university establishment. American universities, teaching and research institutions from the point of view, basically the following categories. University (four years university education, granting bachelor, master and doctorate), liberal Arts and Sciences (four years university education, granting bachelors degree only), and public community colleges (two-year, grant a certificate or associate degree transfer .) Among them, there is also a four-year university research universities and teaching university of points.

-class research university, in addition to undergraduate liberal Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences usually have, School of Law, Medicine, administered by the College Graduate School. Liberal Arts and Sciences took the task of training undergraduates, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is responsible for training doctoral students, so the size of the two graduate students to train than those who dominated the professional colleges are huge. Needs to be emphasized is that doctoral training and academic study by a professor at Graduate School of Arts and commitment. Nobel laureate in economics are taught at the College of Arts and the majority of the economic system, not in the business school or the college.

Liberation Weekend: Graduate School of Arts and other college-trained people and culture different?

Liu He: School of Law, Medicine, administered by the College of Journalism, College of Education and other training master key is to provide a specific industry is need of vocational and professional training. College of Arts graduate students, if interested in access to banks and other financial institutions may apply to the college or business school to pursue masters in the future if you want to universities or research institutes specializing in research, so often choose to study Economics, College of Arts and Ph.D. degree.

Liberation Weekend: that is, Graduate School of Arts and Culture is to study personnel. The School of Law, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Business School and other scientists are not training, not training thinkers, but directly oriented to society positions.

Liu He: Yes. Different levels, division of labor.

Liberation Weekend: a large number of graduate students with professional skills, whether it will generally result in pressure on employment of graduates?

Liu He: This is not true. College of Arts and Education, have the students lay a solid foundation to meet the needs of most jobs, is a real "liberal" education. Many school graduates, because of excellent overall quality, great potential, are highly sought after upon graduation.

now studying in the undergraduate phase of the US students think the United States increasing, many US parents want their children into elite universities. I mentioned earlier, the second type of school that four years of university education, only enlightened liberal arts college granting bachelors degree, due to small scale, it is often ignored by the majority of the US parents.

Liberation Weekend: many parents in the USs view, the "college" than the "University", is always worse. Education seem to have this attitude, so in recent years, many "colleges" are efforts to increase the hardware, upgraded to a university. In particular, the university is all the rage a few years ago a large merger, almost all of the "College" are gone.

Liu He: At this point, the United States has a very different philosophy of education. In the minds of most Americans, independent of the liberal Arts and Sciences, although small, but often represent the most classic of the highest quality undergraduate education. In the United States, independent undergraduate college, not to mention the California Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Engineering Academy HYUNDAI such traditional liberal liberal arts colleges such as Amn Manchester College, Williams College, Wellesley College are first-class reputation and tuition is often less than Harvard, Yale, Columbia and other elite undergraduate liberal arts college, and thus become the first choice for many sectors of the U.S. ECS.

Liberation Weekend: There is a Western proverb is: small is often good.

Liu He: Yes. Usually this is only more than two thousand college students, because of the small, the teachers can concentrate on teaching, do not have to spend a lot of energy and papers published in scientific experiments. Meanwhile, small-scale, close interaction between teachers and students, which students communication skills and leadership, are very helpful.

Liberation Weekend: You can say, "small" does not mean weak, contrary, the rush to find "big", but will result in a false prosperity .

Liu He: Columbia University, where I once discussed the question whether or not enrollment. Columbia University College of Arts and enlightened more than 4,000 undergraduate students, enrollment of 50-100 students if you want, you must be careful consideration, because once the lower entrance requirements, reputation could be reduced. Therefore, we and Harvard, Yale, Princeton and other universities in several liberal arts colleges are open-minded mutual competition, are not easy to enrollment.

Third, on the teachers assessment criteria

universities in the United States, we do not express the standard paper publication as a standard, but in their eyes as the only academic standards

Liberation Weekend: In recent years, US university management caused a lot of discussion. For example, some scholars have called for: continued for many years of university teachers choose to stay and upgrade the system shortcomings have become increasingly serious, need to reflect. In this regard, the United States can learn from what college?

Liu He: At this point, the U.S. tenured professor system must be mentioned.

American university professor appointment is basically based on years of teaching and academic achievement standards for the evaluation. Professor of every two or three years should be a higher level in academic areas, if provided to a number of years, often teaching post within six or seven years, has not yet reached the requirements to obtain tenure, this person will be dismissed. This system, on the one hand to ensure the mobility of personnel, while there are some stability can retain truly outstanding researchers and professors.

Liberation Weekend: "tenured professor" means very stable "iron rice bowl", where the benefits of it?

Liu He: tenure and academic freedom in the United States, the basic conditions for independence of thought, if there is no tenure system, those released from the social point of view welcome Professor, it is very likely to be dismissed; and some professors will to keep their jobs, away to please their superiors or the public. Therefore, the system can ensure the academic tenured professor spirit of independent thinking intellectuals, university liberal critics of the space, play the University of criticism of society as a whole functions.

Liberation Weekend: but the "iron rice bowl" may also lead to tenured teachers have received nourishment inert, lazy.

Liu He: can not say that no such person. But my observation, very few such people. The vast majority of tenured professor, the work itself is an incentive for him. On the whole, the system is more good than harm tenured professor, of course, can be further improved.

Liberation Weekend: specific evaluation of teachers like? In recent years, US colleges and universities also carried out some reforms, for example, allow students to teachers scoring and so on.

Liu He: U.S. universities allow students to professors teaching scoring, but this is a small part of the assessment. U.S. first-class research university of academic assessment, mainly peer assessment. Typically, the Head of the appointment committee composed of three tenured professor, a scholar on all submitted academic achievements, one by one carefully read, draw independent judgments, to discuss, but also to invite outside experts to assess the professors academic achievements. Subsequently, the Academic Committee to submit a detailed report, which must be a senior professor in the department were all discussed and voted on, and then Head of the independent report and summary of the evaluation committee submitted a hospital, the hospital-level adjudicators are usually three-member, will conduct a new round of reading and debate, and then re-appointment of the parties, whether promoted to the post of professor of lifelong recommendations. This is one of the key is to review the list of members of the Committee are confidential, to ensure expert, independent and impartial judge.

Liberation Weekend: US teachers in the assessment process, must have a certain amount of authority published in the journal, the core journal papers.

Liu He: I think the assessment should not simply look at statistics, there is no academic self-confidence. Colleges and universities in the United States, the reputation of publication papers, is a reference factor, but even the reputation of excellent publications, we are still not in its standard as the standard. I have a colleague, he engaged in an ancient classic work of translation and notes, works great, spent a dozen years. Although for a long time not see results, but all work colleagues are aware of this value, so even though there were not many articles published, but he still won the prestigious tenure.

Liberation Weekend: do not look at qualifications the ability to see, look do not look at diploma level, the number of look do not look at quality.

Liu He: Yes, so this kind of assessment of the workload is very large. However, the understanding of the professional counterparts in the study of what, to what level, what are the new trends in academia, which is good for its own research of

Liberation Weekend: peer review, not only to ensure that professional, but also to promote research and development of the industry. However, the same limited number of professional researchers, after all, bow to see the rise, how to avoid the humans role?

Liu He: If the list of jury members was leaked, then who leaked the list, who should bear some legal responsibility. More importantly, in the U.S. academia, we are very care of their academic reputation. Rigid law and not binding on all things word of mouth is also a great influence.

Fourth, the training of Ph.D.

doctoral working in the United States is unthinkable. Dr. During do not need to hurry to send the article, results

Liberation Weekend: academia, academic ecology is essential, which means that you think should be taken to get to the root?

Liu He: to maintain good health and academic ecology, my advice is, first, to maintain a relatively stable and free from outside interference in the academic community. Must first start from this part of doctoral education.

or the United States first-class research universities, for example, a doctoral student, their school fees by the schools Graduate School of burden. Therefore, each year the number of professional doctoral enrollment is not much need 7-8 years general liberal arts after graduation, are basically a professor or expert. If holding a Ph.D. to community employment, many agencies, companies will not want you to --- because education is too high, cost too much.

Liberation Weekend: financial crisis, the U.S. unemployment rate also rose, college enrollment will?

Liu He: more people recently applied for a number of colleges and universities, undergraduate and graduate enrollment will be, because these two types of student education fees, school limits to be considered for benefits enrollment. Doctoral student enrollment will not only, also reduced quota. Doctoral student enrollment, it will destroy the production of scholars and professors of the system, resulting in mixed culture by the people, "academic" and the concept has become obscured.

Liberation Weekend: U.S. colleges and universities in the masters, doctoral thesis is to express the pressure?

Liu He: I remember in the eighties of last century, when Harvard PhD, instructor said, you do not hurry to send articles, results, you is to take receive academic training, so we will not dare to write papers. Moreover, the course requirements are very strict, Dr., a lot of pressure.

liberation of the weekend: In the U.S., is also working to study doctoral, postdoctoral job even read?

Liu He: This is unthinkable in the United States, how can it guarantee the quality of doctoral education do? American liberal arts "postdoctoral" often is unable to find short-term formal job offer doctoral or professional training, academic exchange positions, not a formal part of education. Natural science, "postdoctoral" means to join a university or scientific research or experimental research groups work, in a special study, the same is not part of formal qualifications. Likewise, I am surprised that we have US "Ph.D." This title, which in the U.S. and elsewhere is unheard of. As long as Dr. graduate, entered the field of study, it can serve as "doctoral." Ph.D., associate professor and professor are not more advanced than that.

Liberation weekend: Finally, would like to ask, in the developed market economy of the United States, the University pursues "income"?

Liu He: This source of funding from the American University talking about. In addition to public universities are state level of government funding, the funding of private universities in the United States, except a small portion of the tuition, there are a lot of social contributions, which ensures the normal operation of the school. In addition, the United States have a wide range of different sources of research funds, researchers can apply, using the money to add doctoral students, postdoctoral position to attract talent, to complete research projects. The independent operation of these funds, to a certain extent, university professors and eliminate some interest groups directly linked.

Liberation Weekend: Will there be side as a university professor, is also chairman of the situation?

Liu He: This is called a conflict of interest in the United States or conflict of interest between public and private. University full-time work, the nature of the work is not allowed Gongsijiangu, and conflict of interest. This is the bottom line of morality and law. When the companys chairman and university professor or a companys full-time employees must leave the university post. However, the research universities of science and engineering, law school, the college and other professional colleges, professors are often hired some professional "consultants", the income must be turned over to a certain proportion of the University, but the event of a public-private between conflicts of interest, this person must make a choice. In 2008, the famous Harvard Medical School professor of child psychology right Weibideman greed, blurring the pure scientific research in a pharmaceutical company and his "consultants" as to mislead the public, was immediately seen as scandal. If this kind of thing no longer be treated as scandal, and was granted, then the credibility of academics and scientists will disappear, which is the whole society is immeasurable loss.