Vocabulary for Intensive English Program Administrators

Vocabulary forIntensive English Program AdministrationERIN N. O’REILLY, PHD

JUNE 2017

INTENSIVE ENGLISH INSTITUTE | UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

Key IEP program administration terms for those new to the industry or transitioning into intensive language program administration

Concise overview of essential terms and their significance

Facilitate learning and enhance effectiveness in administrative roles

IEP

Intensive English Program – A language program geared towards English language learners who have completed high school (at a minimum), IEPs provide intensive English instruction for a variety of purposes – academic, professional, personal enrichment.

Not to be confused with an ESL course offered to international Undergrads/Grads who are fully enrolled in an academic program and who are taking supplementary ESL as a condition of their enrollment or in lieu of a mainstream English composition course.

Some IEPs will house both the IEP and the ESL courses.

Some IEPs are private businesses independent of an academic host.

Some IEPs are run as non-profits attached to other organizations (e.g., religious, refugee, military, etc.)

IMMIGRATION

ICE (Not INS)

Did you know that INS is no longer a 'thing'?

Even though it still plays a leading role in CSI, the INS was replaced by ICE –Immigration and Customs Enforcement. SEVIS falls under the purview of ICE.

An ICE officer could come to your program and request to see your non-immigrant student records – never happened on my watch, but hypothetically possible.

SEVIS

A government agency operated under ICE, SEVIS is the organization that tracks international students in the U.S.

Note: SEVIS website also has one of the most ridiculous password security protocols on the planet.

PDSO

Principal Designated School Official – The employee in the school/department with added responsibilities of maintaining the school's I-17, or eligibility requirements for issuing the I-20, and who tells me very nicely when I've made a mistake or when one of my ideas is illegal.

DSO

Designated School Official – One of the employees within a school/department with the ability to issue the I-20, or official form needed for a student to apply for an F-1 student visa.

I-17

THIS IS THE LEGAL FORM THAT ALLOWS THE SCHOOL TO ISSUE THE I-20 THROUGH SEVIS.

PROGRAMS MUST BE ACCREDITED TO HAVE AN I-17.

I-20

This is a legal document issued by the school to a prospective student that entitles him/her to apply for an F1 visa, a non-immigrant student visa.

Emphasis on non-immigrant.

Students on an F-1 visa must be enrolled in a full course of study. For IEPs, this means 18 or more contact hours of class per week.

IEPs must be accredited to be able to issue an I-20.

F1/F2 Visa

Non-immigrant student visas for language and academic programs – emphasis on non-immigrant. These are students who intend to come the U.S. for a specific period of time and then return to their home countries.

In order to be granted and F1/F2 visa, the student must demonstrate that s/he intends to return (e.g., home or business interests, family ties, etc.).

The F1 is for the student. F2 is the dependent (spouse or child).

The vast majority of US-based IEPs rely on international students coming into the country on F1 visas.

DS-2019

THIS IS THE LEGAL DOCUMENT THAT THE SCHOOL ISSUES TO "EXCHANGE VISITORS", ALLOWING THEM TO APPLY FOR A J1 VISA.

J1 VISAS ARE USED FOR VISITING SCHOLARS.

B1/B2

B1 = business visa; B2 = tourist visa.

B1s can come into the country for 'professional training'. If an IEP offers a short-term, professional program, then the student could come in on a B1 instead and F1.

What's the difference? Program focus, visa processing time, and money.

Program participants on a tourist visa should be taking significantly fewer than 18 hours per week. They should have come into the country for a primary purpose other than language classes. In essence, their language program should be incidental to their visit.

Port of Entry

THE PHYSICAL LOCATION WHERE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT (OR OTHER INTERNATIONAL INDIVIDUAL) ENTERS THE U.S.

HEAVEN HELP YOU IF YOU HAVE A MINOR DETAINED AT A PORT OF ENTRY…

TRANSFER

A STUDENT WHO WAS AT A DIFFERENT IEP AND NOW WANTS TO ENROLL IN YOUR IEP.

THERE ARE ALSO STUDENTS WHO WILL TRANSFER OUT OF YOUR IEP TO OTHER PROGRAMS.

Authorized Early Withdraw

A STUDENT WHO LEAVES THE IEP BEFORE THE END OF THE COURSE OF STUDY. THIS HAPPENS FOR VARIOUS REASONS (FAMILY, MEDICAL, ETC.), AND DOESN'T AFFECT THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS.

GOOD STANDING

In order for an F1 visa holder to be eligible to continue his/her stay in the U.S., s/he must stay in good standing. This includes making normal progress in a course of study (in this case learning language) and going to class.

Believe it or not, IEPs take attendance and monitor the hours of class missed. If students miss a certain percentage over the course of their stay, they are no longer in good standing and this can jeopardize their visa status.

INDUSTRY TERMINOLOGY

UCIEP

The University and College Intensive English Program consortium. A professional membership group comprised of some 70 IEPs housed under 4-year academic institutions. The group is heavily involved in advocacy and pushes for the professionalization and recognition of IEPs within the university context.

CEA

The Commission on English Language Accreditation is a specialized accreditor under the Dept. of Education that accredits IEPs. Accreditation is not limited to university-based IEPs, but includes non-profits, for-profits, overseas institutions, etc.

An IEP must be accredited to be eligible for an I-17. Those programs not under the regional accreditation of a 2- or 4- year program seek accreditation with CEA in order to enroll students on F1 visas.

PROPRIETARY

A PRIVATELY OPERATED IEP NOT UNDER THE FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OF A COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OR SIMILAR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.

SHORELIGHT

An innovative LLC started in 2013, Shorelight is a for-profit company that partners with university programs to facilitate international student recruitment. Students come into a hybrid English/academic program and transition to full academic study as their English proficiency improves.

Learn More Here: https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/people.asp?privcapId=270443402

INTOSIMILAR TO SHORELIGHT, INTO OPERATES AS THE PRIVATELY HELD IEP ON 4-YEAR CAMPUSES.

PIE

Professionals in International Education: This is the industry magazine for those involved with international education.

The focus is truly global, which gives a good perspective of industry trends.

Learn More Here: https://thepienews.com/

NAFSA

NAFSA is the 'world's largest non-profit association dedicated to international education'. NAFSA, as an acronym, doesn't actually stand for anything – which is slightly confusing to the initiate.

The annual international conference for NAFSA makes the TESOL convention pale in comparison. This is the convention to go to if you are an international education professional. The convention attracts government types, embassy representatives, and every major (and minor) player in international education. The professional development opportunities make it worth each costly penny. This is where those involved in international education make it rain.

Learn More Here: http://www.nafsa.org/

HEIS

THE TESOL INTERNATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION INTEREST SECTION (IS). THIS INTEREST SECTION HAS A WIDE RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS FOCUSED ON VARIOUS ISSUES OF ESL IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION TEXT. THE I.S. ENJOYS A VIBRANT MEMBERSHIP – A LARGE PORTION OF WHOM WORK IN IEPS.

PAIS

Program Administration Interest Section. The PAIS interest section is focused on language program administration issues. Highly recommend joining this if you are a language program administrator.

Paradoxically, this interest section is not as vibrant as HEIS – probably because all of the program administrators are over-worked and putting out administrative fires. No rest for the weary!

EnglishUSA

This non-profit provides support, standards, and advocacy for intensive English programs in the USA. They engage in lobbying in D.C., host an annual IEP professional development conference, and run an active membership list serve for Q&A mainly focused on program administration and curriculum issues.

Learn More Here: http://www.englishusa.org/

OPEN DOORS

Open Doors®, supported by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, is a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the United States, and U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit at their home colleges or universities.

They publish an annual report on international student mobility trends.

Learn More Here: https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors

CIEE

A nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, CIEE is the oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization in the US. CIEE administers several grant opportunities, including Fulbright pre-academic intensive English programming for international scholars

Learn More Here: https://www.ciee.org/

PROGRAMMING & INSTRUCTION

PATHWAY

An IEP program that offers courses that will lead to entry into an academic program (undergraduate/graduate). Typically, a student will be conditionally admitted into the academic program contingent upon successfully completing the highest level of the IEP. The incoming student can bypass standardized English tests and go on to get a degree.

The million dollar question is: Does passing the highest level of an IEP guarantee that the student is prepared linguistically for academic study? This is where ensuring a rigorous academic program becomes critical, otherwise the academic departments will balk and the students will struggle.

BRIDGE

Similar to a pathway, bridge programs offer concurrent enrollment with IEP/ESL courses and academic coursework. This is usually scaffolded depending on the student's proficiency level. Lower proficiency equals more ESL, and less academic coursework. Higher proficiency equals less ESL, and more academic content work.

ProgressionTHE TERM USED TO DESCRIBE A STUDENT'S MOVEMENT FROM ONE LEVEL TO THE NEXT IN AN INTENSIVE ENGLISH PROGRAM.

Progression Rates – Progression Tracking

The statistical calculation of how many of a program's students move from one level to the next.

Of specific interest is the question of patterns: Do certain levels cause problems with progression? Certain student profiles? What does the data tell you?

FINANCES

RECRUITMENTTHE PROCESS OF ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES TO ATTRACT NEW STUDENTS TO THE IEP.

ARMCHAIR RECRUITMENT

THE PROCESS OF ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES TO ATTRACT NEW STUDENTS WITHOUT TRAVELING INTERNATIONALLY.

AGENT

Someone who recruits students for a program in return for a percentage of the student's tuition (somewhere between 5%-35% depending on the program).

I recently recall learning that agents recruiting for the U.S. are demanding higher cuts given the climate challenges we're facing. Cheeky, but savvy.

RECRUITER

SOMEONE WORKING TO BRING IN STUDENTS. TYPICALLY, RECRUITERS ARE EMPLOYED BY THE PROGRAM/SCHOOL. BUT I'VE HEARD THIS TERM USED INTERCHANGEABLY WITH AGENT.

RECRUITMENT FAIR

AN EVENT ORGANIZED BY A PRIVATE COMPANY OR FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OVERSEAS THAT BRINGS TOGETHER DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN 1 LOCATION.

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS AND PARTNERS CAN VISIT AND TALK TO SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES –WITH THE AIM OF GETTING STUDENTS TO ENROLL.

ROI

Return on Investment – A business term. Very relevant to IEPs involved with recruitment expenses. ROI tracks the outlay of money, time, and effort, to recruit new student bodies into the program.

ROI is notoriously difficult to track.

ROIIE.com is a nifty (free) resource to help those in the international education industry look at different quantitative and qualitative metrics.

STAFFING

Contingent / Adjunct

Teachers who do not have fulltime academic year contracts – or if they do, the contracts are year-by-year (no tenure).

As an industry, ESL is much more volatile than its 2-4 year academic counterpart. This makes sense since students may enroll in 1-2 semesters of language study, but 4-6 years of academic study. As such, the IEP industry is heavily dependent on contingent/adjunct teachers. There are many hidden costs to this model, but it allows for maximum flexibility for the small IEP business.

FRINGE (a.k.a. Loaded Labor Costs)

An additional percentage of a salary on top of the base salary for which a business/organization is responsible.

Fringe typically includes: health insurance, unemployment insurance, social security, matching retirement, etc. Depending on the state, fringe can range from 20%-50% of the annual salary. These costs are usually hidden to the employee, but painfully acute for the employer.

OVERLOAD

Workload above and beyond a fulltime appointment.

Depending on the organization, overloads can be paid as a percentage of salary or lump sum.

Overloads are convenient for last-minute classes or course development assignments.

2:1 PREP

2:1 Prep (or any ratio thereof): The first number is the number of classes a teacher is teaching. The second number reflects how many different classes the teacher has. In this case, the teacher is teaching the same class two times, a very manageable workload.

A 3:3 Prep would be much more time intensive, especially if the teacher hasn't taught the classes previously.

3/3 LOAD

3/3 LOAD (OR ANY RATIO THEREOF): THIS REFERS TO THE TEACHING LOAD IN THE FA/SP SEMESTER, RESPECTIVELY. IN THIS CASE, THE TEACHER HAS 3 CLASSES IN THE FALL AND 3 CLASSES IN THE SPRING.

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.~ARISTOTLE