Letter: Degree questions

To the editor:

Thank you Journal-World for the June 21 article about Fort Hays State University’s scheme to make money by running what it calls “overseas degree programs” in China. Not surprisingly, FHSU’s assistant provost for strategic partnerships, Cindy Elliot, denied the existence of any Chinese censorship that would call FHSU’s institutional integrity or academic freedom into question. Yes, she acknowledged, faculty members are told to avoid making comments that are inappropriate for “guests” of China. However, according to her, the Chinese government has not objected “to content that could be considered sensitive in classes that FHSU requires for its political science degree, such as American Government, American Constitution and Political Philosophy.” “Never,” Elliot stated, “do we compromise the credentials that students need to complete a degree.”

Elliot’s words sound wonderful, but are they truly accurate? In 2013, the Chinese Communist Party moved to curb Western influence in China by issuing Directive 9, which banned the discussion of seven subjects in university classrooms. These “no-speak” topics include universal values, citizen rights, civil society, an independent judiciary and freedom of the press, topics that would be central to any respectable courses in American government, the American constitution or political philosophy.

So what is the real situation regarding FHSU courses in China? FHSU compliance with Directive 9 would make this Kansas Board of Regents university nothing more than a cheap diploma mill handing out compromised credentials to its graduates. I hope the Journal-World will provide its readers with more information about what FHSU is up to in China.