The academic program has evolved over time. The Center originally provided English language courses for Chinese students and Chinese language courses for international students. The English language courses were suspended during the 1997–1998 school year, as the Chinese administrators of the Center concluded that the language skills of entering Chinese students were already sufficient for the program. This decision was opposed by the American faculty. The Chinese language courses were suspended several years later. These changes reflected a controversy over whether the Center represented a substantive graduate program or a language school; for many years, Johns Hopkins SAIS only awarded half-credit for participation in the program on these grounds.