China’s Ministry of Education has asked the education section of its embassy in the United States to “probe” the situation of Chinese students who had enrolled in dual-degree programs at Dickinson State University, according to news reports from China.

Ten days ago, Dickinson State announced the results of an audit that found hundreds of foreign students, primarily from China, had been awarded degrees even though they had failed to complete the necessary requirements on the American campus, as outlined in agreements with overseas university partners.

Dickinson is being presented by some Chinese news reports as a diploma mill, with observers wondering if China needs to do more to regulate its international university partners. “The embassy will fight for the welfare of Chinese students,” an official with the embassy told the Xinhua news agency.