Academic Standards

Academic Dishonesty & Plagiarism

Academic dishonesty includes cheating and plagiarism. Cheating and plagiarism are the two most serious academic offenses. They should be scrupulously avoided, as the penalties are severe. Plagiarism is the use of another person’s words or ideas misrepresented as one’s own original work. Downloading papers from the internet, or using direct quotes from the work of another, constitutes plagiarism unless these sources are clearly accompanied by appropriate references and citations. Usually this takes the form of footnotes and a complete bibliography. Cheating is the use or attempted use on a quiz, test, or other formal examination of sources of information not specifically permitted by the instructor, or the assistance of another student in such unauthorized use of information. The student should assume that the only source of information he or she may make use of in any examination is her or his own mind, unless the instructor specifically allows the use of notes, books, calculators, etc. While Friends World students do not take tests to receive their credits, they may at times face challenge exams (CLEP) or an examination required if a student takes an outside class during the course of Friends World enrollment. Relying on the work of others in the preparation of the Portfolio of Learning would fall under the category of cheating and/or plagiarism.  Read more...

Citation Style

The preferred citation style at the China Center required for all area study courses and the writing workshop is the "Chicago style," with footnotes and bibliography in the "humanities style" documentation system set by the University of Chicago Press, perhaps the most definitive style reference for writers and publishers in the English language.  Read more...

Participation and Attendance

All students are expected to be physically in Hangzhou and an active member of the China Center learning community between the dates of operation listed under Important Dates. Exceptions to this rule will be made only for Advising Semester students, and second semester students who have made arrangements with their Faculty Adviser to conduct research elsewhere in China. Students who have completed all their courses, submitted a quality portfolio of learning reviewed and assigned full credit, and have made arrangements to deliver an oral presentation to the learning community may, with the permission of the Faculty Adviser and Academic Director, petition to leave the country prior to the end of the term.  Read more...

Assessment Criteria

Students are asked to evaluate their learning at both mid-semester and at semester’s end. The purpose is to allow students a chance to step back and reflect on their own progress, both academic and personal. Self-evaluations are divided into two categories: A course-based evaluation and a more general and personal evaluation. The sole purpose of both of these evaluations is to give the student the opportunity to reflect upon and trace her or his progress during the semester. For the course-based evaluation, the student should comment on her or his performance according to both personal learning objectives and course objectives. The following questions may be used to stimulate thinking in each area, but comments should not be limited to them:

• Personal learning objectives. What has/have been the most significant learning experience(s) for you in this course? Explain. Did you develop, change, and progress? Why or why not? Were there any surprises?

• Course objectives and Goals. Look at your learning plan and goal statement and think about the objectives you had for each course at the beginning of the semester. Comment on your view of your personal achievement in relation to those goals.

The general self-evaluation should be broader than the course evaluations and should include experiences students had during the semester besides those that are academically based. The following questions should be used to stimulate reflection, but should not limit responses:

• Personal. What has/have been the most significant learning experience(s) for you during your stay here? How did it/they affect you? What have you learned from this/them?

• Cultural. What have you learned about your own culture by being here? What have you learned about the Chinese culture that is different from what you expected?

All mid-semester evaluations should be submitted to the student’s advisor. Semester end evaluations are to be included in the student’s Portfolio of Learning. Course-based evaluations should follow the appropriate course section in the Portfolio of Learning. The general self-evaluation should be at the end of the Portfolio.

At the culmination of each semester, students submit the final draft of the Portfolios of Learning to their academic advisors, who will evaluate the learning document and assign full, partial or no credit accordingly. Grades are not awarded to visiting students unless specifically requested for application toward credit at the visiting student’s home university; instead, students receive a detailed narrative evaluation and one of the following grading options for credits attempted: P (Pass), INC (Incomplete), U (Unsatisfactory), and UW (Unauthorized Withdrawal). Students who submit incomplete or poor work may receive an INC or U at the discretion of the Faculty Adviser. Students who receive an INC are given up to one semester to complete satisfactory work, after which the INC grade would then change to an INCP and credit would be awarded. Students receiving the grade of U may also complete work within one semester, but the course would show twice on the transcript, once with the grade of U and once with the grade of P. Students who do not attend a required course and do not submit all of the required assignments may receive zero credit and the grade of UW, which would remain on the student’s permanent record.

Portfolio of Learning

It is important for students to understand how the China Center faculty structure and evaluate experiential learning and how students are expected to document this type of learning. Our approach to experiential learning is given form and content in five major ways:

• through a Learning Plan formulated jointly by the student and her or his Faculty Adviser;

• through regular advising sessions, in which a student's ongoing work is reviewed and suggestions are made for proceeding;

• through presentations given before the learning community in which students reflect on, organize and orally present their study as a means of clarifying their learning and giving others the opportunity to benefit from what each student has learned;

• through writing a Portfolio of Learning in which learning is documented, analyzed, presented and reflected upon;

• through faculty evaluation of the Portfolio of Learning, the basis upon which students receive feedback on their work and upon which credit is granted.

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Advising

The educational approach of Friends World is empowering to students. It allows them a great deal of latitude in planning their own educational agendas. It provides access to far richer learning experiences than in institutions that rely solely on classroom-based lectures. And it offers far more resources around the world than almost any other college or university. But in other fundamental ways our educational goals remain similar to that of other schools. Our faculty have a responsibility to guide student learning and to teach, even if our form of teaching is expressed more through advisement or in tutorials than in more formal institutions. We must also try to help students identify and insist on their own and others' high academic standards, whether in a research, artistic or action-oriented project.  Read more...

Oral Presentation

In addition to formal writing, oral presentation is an important component of the educational experience at the China Center, and faculty teaching Area Studies courses will require each student to lead a formal class discussion or to prepare and present an organized lecture on a particular subject at least once during each semester.

Students are also encouraged to perform an oral presentation at the conclusion of each semester in front of the learning community during our final out-gathering. This presentation should be a discussion of the student's learning process and accomplishments during the course of the semester and an in-depth presentation of one section in the Portfolio of Learning about which the student has learned the most or is most proud. These presentations need not be formal, and there is much room for creativity. Students who have completed an independent study project or internship are particularly encouraged to participate. This is also the time to show your peers and faculty what you have learned in the elective courses, such as Taiji and Chinese Arts, since these subjects require performative or visual presentation of skills learned. Students should allow at least two to three full days to prepare the oral presentation, and are encouraged to invite friends to attend. We want this to be an opportunity for students to present what they have learned to the entire community and to provide an opportunity to practice oral presentation skills at the same time. Presentations are optional, but all students are expected to attend the final out-gathering and provide feedback to those who do present.  Read more...