USTC Alumni Foundation -- Awards

Most of those who want to set up his or her own award ended up to be a goodwill scholarship sponsor -- which requires (since 2007) to make donations to cover 4 years of study of one USTC student for $400 a year. Of course, one can be a sponsor of several students.

Three emails by ZHANG Shangyou (771) on the subject (setting up a new type of award).

An email by ZHANG Shangyou on 11/8/2005:

This is my personal observation/opinion.  A decision
would be made by the board of USTC Alumni Foundation.
                                                                                
1. AF is independent of USTC, though AF needs USTC's help to
   make sure all awards are issued according to the criteria.
   AF has to make sure no fraud, and no potential complaints.
                                                                                
2. In case of no clear criteria which can easily separate
   awardees from the rest candidates,  AF requires USTC to
   provide more candidates and AF would make final selection.
   In this case, even random picks are more reliable than
   human selection if the selection is not done in public.
                                                                                
3. In general, AF (and USTC too) would hope AF's fund can be
   used on the places where the government fund is not allowed
   in USTC.  For example, 10 years ago,  USTC could not issue
   awards to attract best highschool students coming to study.
   So Af can issue the awards to do so.  After a few year,
   all universities in China started to do the same.  So
   USTC can use the Government fund to do so as well.  In this
   sense,  AF continuously reduce the percentage of its
   portion of fund in issuing Outstanding New Students Awards.
                                                                                
4. It is under a great pressure currently in USTC that the rate
   of retention (Liu2 Ji3) and withdraw (Tui4 Xue3) is so high.
   I am not sure if AF should encourage work-study as students
   are complaining no time to study.  I mean, some AF Goodwill
   awardees (receiving AF scholarship based on financial need).
                                                                                
5. I was told that the rate is higher and the workload is lower
   than the contract workers, for USTC work-study students.
   But the work-study positions could not be filled up in USTC.
   It is considered as a humiliation in Chinese culture to be
   financially poor.
                                                                                
6. Concerning the 9300 proposal,  I would suggest that the
   award name can be still 9300.  It would be awarded some
   students among the work-study students.  I mean, 9300
   award should not create another work-study pay-rate which
   would damage the current USTC work-study program.
                                                                                
7. If USTC is willing to give 9300 work-study award (not
   work-study wage!),  AF would negotiate with USTC so that
   the AF fund (9300 subfund portion) will be used toward
   other purposes while USTC would use the government
   fund to cover 9300 awards.
                                                                                
   There are two reasons for this suggestion.  One is the
   point 3 above.  The other one is due to points 1 and 2
   above.
                                                                                
   A) AF does trust USTC in selecting 9300 awardees.
      But there is no need to use the trust here.
   B) AF does not have enough info and manpower to
      select 9300 awardees from recommended candidates.
                                                                                
8. Please go ahead to call your classmates to make donations.
   It is a long way between collecting donations and issuing
   an award for a subfund.  Don't worry about award types
   and methods at the moment.  It is guaranteed all donations
   will be used by USTC. Your specific award, if it is
   reasonable,  would be covered by your donations,
   directly (AF paycheck) or indirectly (USTC paycheck).
                                                                                
9. Usually, AF requires a subfund, such as 9300 fund, has
   enough fund to issue 5 years of award before the subfund
   starts a new award.   AF needs to work with USTC to produce
   a formal resolution on the award first.  Also AF does not
   want a new award disappear after a year or two.
                                                                                
Zhang, Shangyou 771

An email by ZHANG Shangyou on 10/17/2005:
About 906 award, I think what I said earlier about a formal resolution is not practical neither. I think GB can tell 906 people some general principles of AF first. We can discuss more once 906 people have a formal document or when we start to issue 906 award. 1. 906 must have enough funds to give 5 years of award before start a new award. 2. At least 2 candidates are needed to issue an award, preferably 3 or 4 candidates. 3. Professors' evaluation and department/college recommendation are required. 4. The award and awardees must be approved by USTC, not violating any government or USTC regulations. 5. GB approves or denies an awardee. All awardees carry AF certificates.

An email by ZHANG Shangyou on 10/17/2005:
When I talked about a person in charge of an award, I mean 1. This person serves as a communication channel, for example, asks USTC, or specific award candidate go provide more info, if GB thinks so. 2. This person usually is a former GB member. I think hardly a non GB can serve such a position as she/he would not know basic operations of GB. 3. This person can decide nothing except reporting to GB and making recommendations to GB. In some cases, collect GB's vote, or draw a conclusion based on GB's vote, or GB's opinion. 4. Of course, this person knows more about the specific award, its history, selection criteria, etc, at least, more than a new GB member. So he/she needs to give some info and explanation when asking GB's opinion each time. I do not think we need to put another resolution on this. It may have exceptions.

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