Private colleges and universities were established in various states. The first state university was the University of Virginia, founded in 1819. Some state universities have large endowment funds which provide a substantial portion of their support. Other sources of income are student fees, gifts and endowments.
In general, higher education in the USA may be divided into two broad fields: liberal arts and professional. Each of these fields may be further subdivided into undergraduate and graduate levels. The liberal arts program, on the undergraduate level, may be a two-year junior college course, or a four-year course leading to a degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. The four-year course is usually subdivided into a lower division (which may be called the junior college), consisting of the two first years, and the upper division, which is the last two years. The first two years continue the general education and specialization begins in the third year.
(Adapted from the Internet sites)
6.2 Read the text to know more about higher educational institutions in the USA.
Higher Educational Institutions
It has become common for the college programme to be divided into broad fields, such as languages and literature, the social sciences, the sciences and mathematics, and the fine arts. Many colleges require all freshmen and sophomores to take one or two full-year courses in each of three fields. Certain courses, such as English or history, may be required for all, with some election permitted in the other fields.
The executive head of a college or a university is usually called the president. The various colleges or schools which make up a university are headed by deans. Within a school or college there may be departments according to subject matter fields, each of which may be headed by a professor who is designated as department head or chairman. Other members of the faculty hold academic ranks, such as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Graduate students who give some part-time service may be designated as graduate assistants or fellows.
Professional education in fields such as agriculture, dentistry, law, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, teaching, etc. is pursued in professional schools which may be part of a university or may be separated institutions which confine their instruction to a single profession. Often two, three, or four years of pre-professional liberal arts education are required before admission to a professional school. Three to five years of specialized training lead to professional degrees such as Doctor of Medicine, Bachelor of Law, etc.
(Adapted from the Internet sites)
6.3 Read the text to know more about the honor code.
The Honor Code
Most colleges and universities in the United States have established “honor codes”, that is, statements of certain rules students are expected to follow in their academic work. These rules relate primarily to academic honesty and originality, as they are defined by U.S. educational institutions. As such, many foreign students have discovered that U.S. academic rules are more different than the ones they followed at home.
U.S. educational institutions take these rules very seriously, and ignorance of the rules is not usually accepted as an excuse. Nor is the fact that a particular academic practice that is accepted in your country, or that is part of your culture, will be an acceptable explanation for violating the rules at a U.S. college or university.
Cheating is a failure of honesty. In U.S. colleges and universities, cheating means getting unauthorized help on an assignment, quiz or examination. You must not receive from any other student – nor give to any other student any information, answers or help during an examination or any other kind of test. You must not use unauthorized sources for answers during an examination. You must not take notes or books to the examination if this is forbidden, and you must not refer to any book or notes while you are taking the test. You also must not obtain test questions before a test.
Generally, there are no elaborate systems - such as monitors - to prevent cheating during examinations. However, professors and fellow students are very sensitive to indications that a person may be cheating. Sometimes students who speak a foreign language are perceived by others to be cheating, even though they may simply be asking a fellow student in their native language, for a piece of paper or an eraser. You should be aware of this and try to avoid suspicion.
Another form of cheating is “plagiarism”. Plagiarism is a failure to do your own original work in written assignments. Instead, you use someone else’s words or ideas as though they were your own. Plagiarism is considered literary “theft” and is not tolerated in academic work.
Following the honor code is the responsibility of each student. Students found guilty of violating the honor code by cheating on exams or plagiarizing other writers are subject to severe penalties.
Important note: If you are found to be plagiarizing or cheating on an exam, even for the first time:
You will almost certainly receive an “F” (failing grade) for the assignment;
You will probably receive an “F” for the entire course; and
You may be expelled from your school.
(Adapted from the Internet sites)
6.4 Read the text to know more about adult and continuing education.
Adult and Continuing Education
The concept of continuing (or lifelong) education is of great importance to Americans. Every year, over 20 million Americans (that is, about ten percent of all adults) further their education through participation in part-time instruction. Some estimates that as many as 45 million adult Americans are currently taking courses in universities, colleges, professional associations, government organizations or even churches and synagogues. Most participants in continuing or adult education have a practical goal: they want to update and upgrade their job skills. As a result of economic changes and the rapid advance of the “information age”, the necessity to acquire new occupation skills has increased. Adult education thus fills a need of many Americans who want to improve their chances in a changing job market. This is one explanation for the continuing growth of adult education classes over the past several years. Of course, not all people who take courses in adult education do this for job-related purposes. Many simply want to broaden their knowledge or learn something they would enjoy doing, such as print-making, dancing, or photography.
Continuing education courses are provided mainly by community or junior colleges and mostly take place in the evening. The types of courses range from hobby and recreational activities to highly specialized technical skills. Courses in business, health care and health science, engineering, and education are most popular. While some 50 per cent of all people in adult education were enrolled in programs sponsored by educational institutions, about 15 per cent were sponsored by business and industry. Over 80 per cent of all companies today conduct their own training programs. Many large corporations offer complete degree programs, and some even support their own technical and business colleges and universities. Recently close to 6 million students were enrolled in industry-sponsored degree programs. It is estimated that some 8 million Americans are involved in corporate education of some kind.
7. Discussion Points
7.1 What new information have you learnt about higher education in the USA? American colleges and universities?
7.2 In groups of three discuss the difference between the educational systems in Russia and the USA:
· How do American universities differ from universities in your country?
· What is the admission process in American university and in this country?
· The general pattern of learning at American university has its peculiarities. What do you like and dislike? How does it differ from that in your country?
· What degrees are conferred by universities in Russia and the USA?
· Do you like the idea of “the honor code” at American universities? Why/Why not?
7.3 Comment on the statements:
1. American universities really provide good education.
2. American universities are unique because they follow two traditions.
3. The process of admission is complex.
4. Some American universities have long and interesting history.
5. The Honor Code is an important factor of education process.
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UK
1. Before you start
1.1 Answer the following questions:
1. What do you know about higher education in Great Britain?
2. What British universities do you know?
3. Have you ever been to any university in Great Britain?
4. What are the oldest universities in Great Britain?
5. Do you know any peculiarities of studying at British universities?
2. Pronunciation
2.1 Read and practise the pronunciation of the following words:
| polytechnic | [plI @teknIk] |
| specialized | [ @speS«laIzd] |
| requirements | [rI @kwaI«m«nts] |
| measure | [ @meZ«] |
| thesis | [ @Ti:sIs] |
| variety | [v« @rai«tI] |
| focus | [ @f«Vk«s] |
| campus | [ @kQmp«s] |
| accommodation | [«km« @deIS(«)n] |
3. Reading
3.1 Read the text to know more about higher education in the UK
Higher Education in the United Kingdom
There are many academic institutions in the U.K. that make up the system of higher education.
The universities have traditionally been regarded as centres of academic learning, in contrast to polytechnics, which have focused on vocational (work-related) education. However, this distinction has gradually disappeared. Nowadays both types of institutions run similar courses to equally high academic standards.
You can also study at degree level at colleges of higher education. These institutions are generally smaller than universities, and tend to concentrate on more specialized fields of study, such as education, art and design, music and drama.
Each UK university and college has its own identity and traditions. There may be campus and non-campus universities. In a campus university the accommodation, libraries, lecture theaters and seminar rooms are concentrated in one area of the town or city. At a non-campus university or college, the departments and facilities are spread out across a wider area.
Entry to the institutions of higher education is by selection, usually based on examination grades, and is competitive in most subjects. The most common requirements for entry into establishments of higher education are General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and A-levels.
The general pattern of teaching and learning on full-time courses of higher education is a mixture of lectures, seminars and tutorials, essays, exercises and tests.
A lecture is given to a large group of students. It is a talk on a certain topic of study which lasts about an hour. The titles of lectures are usually available at the beginning of each term, so that students have a chance to find out about the subject before the lecture. Seminars usually consist of a group discussion of ideas and opinions about a particular field of study. Once or twice a term, students will have a tutorial. This means that they see a tutor alone to discuss their work and their progress.
Each university and department has its own method of assessment. Most universities and colleges still use some form of written examinations. These can last up to three hours. Students have to answer three or four questions in an essay form. In general, progress is measured through a combination of course work, dissertation and final examinations.
When they first arrive at college, first year university students are called “freshers”. Often freshers live in a Hall of Residence or near the college campus. They may move out into a rented room in their second or third year, or share a house with friends.
Traditionally, the academic year is split into three terms – autumn (late September/early October to mid December), spring (January to late March/early April) and summer (April to mid July). The year begins with Freshers’ Week – a week of music, entertainment and activities designed to introduce new students to student life.
The first degree titles are Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS). First degree courses are called undergraduate courses. Many students wish to enhance their first degree with further study in a particular vocational or professional area. In Britain there are thousands of postgraduate courses.
A great number of courses are taught at Master degree level. The title of the degree may change depending on the subject studied. The most common are MA (Master of Arts), MS (Master of Science), MBA (Master of Business Administration) and others. These courses normally last for a full calendar year and include coursework (lectures, seminars, tutorials). The postgraduate student may be asked to complete a project or carry out research work in order to produce thesis or dissertation. If you wish to study for a doctorate, the master’s degree will be an entry requirement in most universities and colleges. Doctoral degrees are awarded for original research, followed by a presentation and defense of a thesis. People can take PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degree in both arts and science subjects. A doctorate can take four years or more to complete.
For seven hundred years Oxford and Cambridge Universities dominated the British education. Oxford has 38 ordinary colleges for men, 1 for women. Each college has a dining-hall, a chapel and residential rooms. At the beginning of each term (there are three terms in the Oxford academic year) a list is published showing all the lectures being given during the term within each faculty. Every student can choose which lectures he will attend. Attendance at lectures is not compulsory.
Cambridge University has more than 30 colleges today. The oldest of them is Peterhouse which was founded in 1284, and the most recent is Robinson College which was opened in 1977. The University was exclusively for men until 1871 when the first woman’s college was opened. Almost all colleges are mixed now, they open their doors to both men and women.
Scotland had four universities, all founded before AD 1600 (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and St. Andrews). Wales only acquired a university in the twentieth century. The first English university after Oxford and Cambridge (sometimes referred to as Oxbridge) was Durham, founded in 1832. The University of London was founded a few years later in 1836. During the nineteenth century institutions of higher education were founded in most of the biggest industrial towns, like Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield (sometimes called the Redbrick Universities).
In 1967 the Open University was set up. As the university is truly “open”, there are no formal entry requirements. Students are accepted on a “first come, first served” basis. Most of the students work at home or in full-time jobs and can study only in their free time. The students are of all ages and come from very different backgrounds. Some, such as teachers, want to improve their qualifications. Others, like retired people or mothers whose families have grown up, are at the Open University because they now have time to do something they have always wanted to do.
So, the variety of educational opportunities in the UK is enormous.
(Adapted from the Internet sites)
3.2 What new facts have you learnt from the text?
4. Comprehension check
4.1 Answer the following questions:
1. What used to be the difference between universities and polytechnics?
2. What differences can be seen between universities and colleges of higher education?
3. How can you define a campus/non-campus university?
4. What are the most common requirements to higher education?
5. What is a tutorial?
6. What are the forms and methods of assessment in most universities?
7. What parts is the academic year traditionally divided into?
8. What is the traditional beginning of the academic year?
9. How are the first degree courses called?
10. How can students enhance their first degree?
11. What kinds of study work do the courses for master's degree include?