From April 23th to 26th, 2017, UIUC conducted the first teaching quality assessment at ZJUI. The assessment team members were Professor Kevin Pitts, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Professor Laura Hahn, Director of the Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education, Professor Kelly Ritter, Director of the Undergraduate Rhetoric Program, Mr. William Dick, Assistant Dean for Research and ZJUI Managing Director, and Professor Jonathan Makela, Director of Academic Affairs, UIUC-ZJU Partnership.

The team assessed five courses including “University Physics: Mechanics”, “Calculus II”, “Introduction to Electronics”,“Introduction to Computing”, Rhetoric”.The assessment was carried out mainly through classroom visits, student input, teacher interaction, and round-table discussions with all ZJUI faculty. 

According to the report from ZJU-UIUC Academic Program Assessment Visit, the assessment team concluded that the courses are taught very well. The scope and depth of the material covered in the courses is fully commensurate with courses taught at UIUC. The faculty indicated that the quality of the students is high and allows for potentially covering advanced topics.

The assessment team also put forward some suggestions to aid in improving the program and student experience at ZJUI. Exemplified by instructors making an extra effort to make the lectures active for the students; strict enforcement of English being spoken by the students at all times in class, including labs and discussion sections; the setting up of campus writing center will help  the students continue to gain communication experience in later years.

In short, the review team was impressed overall with the status and progress of the ZJUI initial cohort. The quality of education is extremely high and the material covered is at or above the level of the UIUC campus. They look forward to a continued strong relationship in the future.