Why is corruption eroding the ivory tower?

College administrators have been under the spotlight in recent corruption cases, a column in People's Daily said (excerpts below).

The 2013 graduates of the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine could be forgiven for thinking it was some form of cruel joke.

After signing their certificates, their dean was placed under investigation over allegations of corruption.

The university then had to remake the certificates, this time with the signature of the local Party chief.

However, weeks later the Party chief was also suspended for the same reason.

Corruption cases involving college and university administrators have been on the rise. When did the ivory tower become contaminated?

The past decade saw colleges in China expanding at a rapid rate, and building programs can be a breeding ground of corruption.

According to a survey of the Jiu San Society, over 70 percent of college administrators investigated in anti-corruption campaigns were bribed in campus construction programs.

Some administrators also profit through student admissions.

Most Chinese students must pass a national exam to enter college, however, the colleges reserve the right to select certain students without them meeting the requirements.

The root problem lies in a lack of supervision of administrators: nobody seems able to challenge the deans or Party chiefs. It is necessary to deepen education reform to prevent the corruption from spreading and inflicting further harm on China's higher education.