As the controversy surrounding Fu Ping's story developed in March, Lanlan Wang, a netter active on Amazon, wrote an email to Suzhou University, Fu Ping's alma mater, seeking clarifications. Suzhou University, aka Soochow University, produced an official response on March 14, 2013, after an internal investigation. They emailed the resonse to Lanlan on March 16, 2013. While Lanlan has already disclosed main contents of the letter on Amazon, the letter itself has not been made public until now.
Below is the letter in its entirety (the original is in a Word document.). An abridged English version follows. Besides the letter itself, Lanlan has also provided evidences authenticating the letter. The university instructed Lanlan not to disclose the name of the direct contact. Further information should be obtained by contacting the school directly.
Thank you Lanlan!
关于傅苹事件的答复
王老师：
您好！
感谢您对我校的关注和关心，您在来函中表达了对我国及我校名誉的珍视，让我们十分感动！
收到来信后，我校立即成立了由相关学院、部门、老师组成的调查小组，对傅苹在校读书期间的学籍档案等进行了认真核查，向傅苹的老师和同班同学进行了了解和访问，得出的基本结论如下：
一．关于傅苹在我校的学习经历。
傅苹，女，1958年生，南京籍高考生，于1978年9月进入江苏师范学院（苏州大学前身），专业是中国语言文学。1982年3月16日办理退学手续，未获毕业证书和学位证书。在读期间，多次无故旷课，违反学校学籍管理规定，影响恶劣，学校曾于1981年10月给予其行政记过处分。
二．关于傅苹在1978年到1982年四年本科期间修学英语的问题。
我们核查后的结果是：1978年10月—1979年7月，其英语成绩为“优”，1979年9月—1980年7月，其英语成绩为“88”分，两次考试成绩在班内均属中上等水平。英语是学生的必修课。
三． 关于傅苹毕业论文的问题。
傅苹于1982年3月从江苏师范学院退学，所以在毕业生名单中未见其名字，在档案中也未见其毕业论文，也没有她的毕业证书和学位证书。
此外，江苏师范学院中文系毕业论文都是以文学和语言学为研究对象，而不会涉及“杀害女婴”这一涉及社会学的内容。
在其就读期间，78级同学没有任何人涉及刑事事件，其被投入监狱之事更是子虚乌有！其组织社团被逮捕之事也是一派谎言！
四． 关于“手指检验”计划生育的问题。
根据苏州大学多位教师（这些教师包括她的同班同学和班主任，中文系领导）证实，学校从未用这种手段对女生进行相关检验，当然更谈不上得到党委领导的支持。傅苹如此编造谎言，是对78级所有同学的侮辱！
根据上述调查结果，我校认为傅苹在书中所写内容严重失实，不仅损害了苏州大学的名誉，也使我们国家形象受到损害，我们将保留追究的权利！
同时，我们也再一次感谢您以及社会各界关心、维护国家形象和苏州大学名誉的有识之士。苏州大学办学113年以来，坚持以人为本，服务社会，30多万毕业生为新中国的建设做出了应有的贡献，其中不乏各行各业的骨干和杰出人才，也有许多毕业生离校后心系母校，感念师恩，以捐资助学、校企合作、联合培养人才等多种形式回报母校培育之恩。苏州大学也不乏留学海外的赤子，他们在异国他乡努力奋斗、成绩斐然，不仅赢得良好的社会地位，也为母校增光添彩。他们异域拼搏之时能常念母校深恩，各尽所能，为母校在学科建设、人才培养、科研创新等方面提供帮助，开拓渠道，诚心切切，不求回报，使母校深感安慰和骄傲。这些事实又岂是个别别有用心之人能妄言抹杀的？
再次感谢您的关注和关心！
此致
敬礼
苏州大学
2013年3月14日
Official Statement on the Deceptive Behavior of Ping Fu, a Former Student of Soochow University
Recently, many of our alumni at home and abroad have contacted us regarding the validity of the book, Bend, Not Break: A Life in Two Worlds. They claim that some stories in the book are outright falsehoods. These falsehoods have given both our school and country a poor reputation and caused our alumni and friends to feel deeply incensed.
Upon notification of the inquiries from many of our alumni, an investigation team consisting of professors in relevant departments was formed. After careful examination on Ping Fu's student record in this University's archive and many visits to Ping Fu’s teachers and classmates, the following statement is being released for clarification.
1. Ping Fu was a student at this University with no degree earned
Ping Fu, female, born in 1958, a native from Nanjing, was admitted as a student in Chinese Literature in September 1978 into Jiangsu Teachers' College (predecessor of Soochow University, or Suzhou University in pinyin, 苏州大学). During her undergraduate years, a demerit entry was made in her record in October 1981 due to several infractions. She formally withdrew from school on March 16, 1982 and earned no diploma or degree from this University.
2. Ping Fu took English as mandated by the curriculum
In her book, Ping Fu claimed that she went to the U.S. knowing only three English words – “hello, thank you, and help.” However, our curriculum included mandatory college-level English courses for the first two years. ?The record from the University Registrar’s Office indicates that Ping Fu received an "Excellent" (equivalent to an A) and an 88% (equivalent to a B+) in English as a freshman (1978 to 1979) and as a sophomore (1979 to 1980), respectively. ?
3. No record of Ping Fu's alleged graduation thesis exists
Ping Fu withdrew from the University a few months before graduation. There are no records of her graduation thesis, or any related work and materials in the University Registrar’s Office.
As an additional note of clarification, student thesis topics in the Department of Chinese Literature at this University have always been focused on literature and linguistic studies, which do not involve infanticide, a study subject more in the realm of Sociology than in Literature and Linguistics.
4. No student admitted in 1978 was arrested between 1978 and 1982
During 1978-1982, no student admitted in 1978 at this University was arrested for criminal conduct or other reasons, let alone for organizing a literary society. Ping Fu’s claim of her arrest and imprisonment is entirely unfounded and contrary to facts.
5. There was no enforcement of birth control measures on undergraduate students
The University hereby states unequivocally that this reputable institution of higher learning has never enforced any birth control measures on undergraduate students. Ping Fu’s allegation of “finger checking” for female students’ menstrual periods for birth control purposes is resoundingly false and has unfairly sullied the reputation of female students at this University. To further confirm the absurdity of such allegation, the University additionally contacted a number of individuals in and out of the University who experienced and are knowledgeable of the time period in question. These individuals, including Ping Fu’s former classmates, faculty advisors and the leadership of the Department of Chinese Literature of this University, have all confirmed without any question that such a practice never occurred at Soochow University.
Based on the above findings, this University ultimately concludes that Ping Fu’s relevant narrative in her memoir is factually inaccurate and has damaged the image of Soochow University. Soochow University reserves the right to take further action.
At the same time, we would like to thank all alumni and friends for their support and concern for Soochow University. Over the past 113 years, Soochow University has nurtured more than 300,000 graduates who have gone on to make significant contributions for our country. These talented alumni remain loyal and attached to their alma mater, expressing their gratitude for their education through regular reunions and donations, and maintaining old friendships from their time at this school. Not only have these alumni made contributions in our country, but many have also gone abroad, spreading the good name of Soochow University through their hard work and successes. Many alumni overseas have quietly given back to the university in the areas of discipline construction, talent training, and scientific research, making their mother university proud. It is not fair for Ping Fu and her thunderous falsehoods to write off the many good deeds and pride that all the other alumni have done and shared for Soochow University.
We appreciate all the concern and support that the alumni and friends have shown for our university!
Soochow University
June 11, 2013
What are Lanlan's evidences authenticating the letter?
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