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Impact Statement
US IEP Industry
Prepared at the Request of
the Bureau
of Educational
and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State
Judy Judd-Price, Chair, ATESL, and
Karen Decker, Shelley Etzine, William M. Fish, Laurie Miller, Marsha Sprague,
Valerie Woolston, Deanna Wormuth.
ATESL thanks AAIEP and UCIEP
for their support and assistance.
August 2003
Introduction
The IEP industry in the US began approximately 70 years ago and
includes university-governed programs and independent institutions. The independent
institutions are often invited by colleges and universities to offer programs
on campuses. IEPs work together through associations such as NAFSA, AAIEP,
UCIEP, and TESOL. Our competitors are IEPs in other English speaking countries
including Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand who receive government
support in marketing and data collection, and benefit from visa waivers or
policies which allow short term and up to 6 months’ study with no student visa
requirement for many nationalities.
Just as US students who participate in
Study Abroad programs do so to achieve a variety of objectives, international
students who attend an IEP may do so for academic, professional, or personal
goals. Both in the US and in other countries, students attending IEPs study
in courses focusing on English for Academic Purposes, English for Special
Purposes (specialized vocabulary and content for specific fields such as business
or
banking), or in short-term general English courses, sometimes called study
vacation courses. Students enroll in courses for anywhere from 2 weeks to
an academic year, depending on their proficiency in English at the time of
arrival
at the IEP, time available before they must return to studies or jobs in
their home countries, and their goals in learning English. It is important
to bear
in mind that IEP students apply for visas every month of the year. Historically,
peak entrance dates have been in January, April, June, July, and August.
Most IEPs offer instruction year-round with frequent entry dates because students
enroll while on break from studies and jobs in their home countries as well
as prior to attending undergraduate or graduate programs.
Self Regulation in the IEP Industry
The US IEP industry promotes best practices
through voluntarily adopting the standards of professional associations such
as NAFSA, AAIEP, UCIEP, and TESOL. Both AAIEP and UCIEP require that standards
be met in order to achieve and maintain membership. All of the associations
have protocols in place to address complaints made against a member charged
with violating the Code of Ethics or membership standards. Many IEPs seek accreditation
by an accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education to award
accreditation to English Language programs or institutions. CEA (Commission
for English Language Program Accreditation) was formed by representatives from
AAEIP, UCIEP, TESOL, and NAFSA and was recognized by the Department of Education
in June of this year to grant both programmatic and institutional accreditation
to ESL and IEP programs. ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education
and Training) is recognized by the Department of Education to accredit a wide
range of institutions including IEPs. Both accrediting bodies worked with members
of the IEP industry to create the field specific standards, documentation,
and verification procedures appropriate for an IEP, including those related
to academic program, student services, and compliance with DHS.
In addition
to creating and promoting standards related to program quality and student
services, the IEP industry has been involved in actively promoting compliance
with INS/DHS regulations. IEPs have contributed to the introduction and implementation
of SEVIS by working with members of the SEVIS Team to develop procedures
that are workable for programs on a non-semester schedule. The IEP industry
was
represented in the CIPRIS project, participating in all phases of the pilot
for SEVIS, and has been active in providing training and support for PDSOs
and DSOs in IEPs. In March of this year, NAFSA published SR-2003-e, The
Impact of SEVIS Regulations on Language School Operations, written by IEP DSOs
to assist the field in being compliant with the new reporting requirements.
NAFSA
has included representation from the IEP industry in the SEVIS Project Manager
group, and BICE/DHS calls on this group as an industry advisory panel regarding
SEVIS procedures.
Enrollment Decline
As reported at the NAFSA Conference and in the Chronicle
of Higher Education, AAIEP and IIE conducted a web based survey in early May
of this year. The results indicate that US IEP enrollment declined by 19.1%
between 2002 and 2003. Based on applications received by early May, the anticipated
number of summer language program enrollments for all nationalities in 2003
was a decline of 30.5% compared to 2001. Some industry observers estimate that
the decline in enrollment for 2003 YTD compared to the same period in 2001
is much higher than 30%.
Over the past two years, the decline in enrollment
in US IEPs has been caused by students’ concerns about safety, the economy
of some foreign countries such as Brazil, travel restrictions related to SARS,
confusion about changing visa policies, concern about treatment while in the
US, and aggressive marketing by our competitors in other countries. While consular
staff has been instructed to grant visas for English study, anecdotal information
suggests that in some cases students are told they do not need to travel to
the US “just to learn English.” While the above information refers to IEP programs,
it should be remembered that many IEP programs are the gateway to US higher
education. Many IEP participants continue on to pursue undergraduate and graduate
degrees in the United States. A loss in market share in IEP programs will produce
additional loss in the number of international students in higher education
in the US.
Impact on Higher Education
Many US universities are dependent on IEPs to evaluate
the English proficiency of international teaching assistants (ITAs) and certify
them to teach in their institutions. Most large research universities rely
on their IEPs to prepare ITAs for teaching, by improving their English language
communication skills and by increasing their knowledge of American culture.
Many lower-level undergraduate courses are taught by ITAs who are expected
to have comprehensible English, good teaching skills, and knowledge of American
culture and university life. Without IEPs, they would not receive the training
they now get, and undergraduate education would be seriously impacted.
MA TESOL
programs and certificate programs which prepare K-12 teachers to teach in
the multi-cultural classrooms in many communities and states often depend on
IEPs.
IEPs serve as labs for practicum classes, an important part of the education
of new teachers.
Universities and colleges have depended on revenue from
their IEPs to support programs and services for the larger institution. When
the
IEPs take in less revenue or close due to low enrollment, some universities
may need to either reduce services on campus or increase the tuition.
Lost Revenue
In addition to fees paid directly to IEPs for application, tuition,
residence halls, and meal service, vendors who serve IEPs are also affected
negatively by the downturn in enrollment. These include the airlines, travel
and tourism industry, publishers of ESL materials, host families, student health
insurance carriers, testing companies, rental car companies, and the cities
and communities where these students live and shop. The travel and tourism
sectors benefit from student flights to the US, school-organized cultural enrichment
activities frequently involving excursions, and extensive travel within the
US before and after their programs of study.
Some universities and private
IEP systems may favor opening new schools in other countries where the return
on investment is more assured at this time.
Language Travel Magazine estimates
the total English language teaching market for all English-speaking countries
was worth over 7.5 billion dollars in 2002 with the largest two destinations
being the UK and the US. LTM estimates that the US share of the market
is 28.5%, which breaks down as follows: Tuition, $660,021,230; Accommodations,
$595,423,412;
and Miscellaneous, $941,583,482. According to the article, the total US
share
of the worldwide IEP industry in 2002 was $2,197,028,124. The 19.1% drop
in US enrollment reported by IIE would suggest a loss of nearly a half billion
dollars this year.
Lost Jobs
Using a teacher/student ratio of 1:20 (and many programs have much
smaller class size for effective language instruction), we estimate that at
least 1,000 IEP teachers lost their jobs in the past two years due to the decline
in enrollment. We estimate that a quarter of the administrators at IEPs are
no longer full-time administrators. Losing staff positions at this time, when
considerable staff time is used for reporting information to SEVIS, leaves
fewer staff hours available for curriculum development, marketing, and student
services, areas that are important to maintain the reputation of US IEPs and
a competitive advantage over the IEP industry in other English-speaking countries.
Student Ambassadors
IEPs are commonly the first experience an international
student has in the US, and in some cases the only experience in the US the
student will have. IEPs do much more than teach English. Schools organize events
to bring international students to public schools to help educate American
children about other countries and cultures. Because IEP students want to learn
about our culture and values and because interacting with Americans is the
best way to practice newly acquired language skills, IEPs help students find
opportunities for volunteer activities with service and charitable organizations
as extra-curricular activities, plan educational field trips, invite community
leaders and professionals to speak to students, and encourage activities with
American students.
When American students interact with international students
at campus events planned by IEPs, they are motivated to study a foreign language
and to plan a study abroad trip even though they may not have studied or
mastered the language of the country they will visit. IEP students contribute
by helping
internationalize the campus and when they return home they become future
international leaders and ambassadors of good will for the US.
School Closings
The AAIEP Central Office reports that 27 IEPs, or 10% of their
total membership, have closed due to low enrollment in the last two years.
Many more are sure to close as enrollments erode further.
One of the many other
IEPs that have closed during the same time period is the Economics Institute
in Boulder, Colorado. In its 45 years of service, the Economics Institute
taught over 13,000 students from 160 countries. The student body always included
scholarship
students from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Zaire, Mali, and Chad who would go on
to earn an MBA or PhD. The alumni list includes those who went on to positions
in universities, in ministries of finance, and as directors of banks in their
home countries. One alumnus, Ernesto Zedillo, became President of Mexico.
IEP Diversity Threatened
As enrollments decline and fewer IEPs survive, the
diversity of types of programs within the US IEP industry will be reduced.
The programs that can last the longest with reduced enrollments will fall into
2 categories: those that cut corners to reduce expenses, and those that have
substantial financial backing. This group includes those major universities
that can operate IEPs at break even or at a loss and a small group of private
programs. Students and our industry are best served when a variety of programs
are viable, when there are adequate resources for research and publication,
and when teacher preparation programs thrive.
Visa Delays
Visa delays have been well reported in the past few weeks and
are a major concern for IEPs. We are concerned that many US IEPS will not be
able to survive additional obstacles affecting student travel on top of the
challenges our industry has faced in the past two years.
The following examples
have been reported:
Switzerland: It is reported that the amount of lead-time
to schedule an appointment varies between 4-8 weeks. Students must go to Berne
and wait for 2 hours for their turn in a windowless room without air conditioning.
Students report that the attitude of the Embassy personnel is that there is
no reason to study in the US and that the US doesn’t want or need them.
Japan: In 2001, Japanese students represented more than 20% of the
total enrollment at US IEPs, according to the AAIEP-IIE Survey. It is reported
that no visas
will be issued for the next 2 weeks as Tokyo prepares for the interviews.
Three officers will interview about 2000 applicants each week. Students must
go to
Tokyo or Osaka for the interview. Someone who lives hundreds of miles away
must travel at considerable expense for a 2-minute interview.
Brazil: Brazilian
students have typically represented an important group for US IEPs, particularly
when Brazilian students are on seasonal break from studies. Brazil is larger
than the continental US, and traveling across the country for a 2-minute
visa interview will cost hundreds of dollars in airfare and hotel accommodations.
Visa delays and expensive travel required for a visa interview will have
a
critical impact on IEPs because those planning to study in short-term
programs do not apply to schools far in advance as they might if they were
seeking
admission to Harvard for a four-year program. Typically, an international
student seeking
to study English will apply 5-8 weeks prior to the beginning of the course.
This behavior is not likely to change. Rather, students who want short-term
English programs will apply to IEPs in other English-speaking countries.
While some US Embassy websites inform visitors that they do not need to
get a visa
to study in a tennis or golf program, attend a business seminar, or
attend a language program of less than 18 hours per week, US IEPs have been
told that students on B visas and visa waivers cannot enroll unless study
is
incidental
to the reason for entering the US. These instructions appear to be
contradictory and are confusing to students overseas and to the IEP industry.
Lost Market Share
As reported in The Wall Street Journal on July 29, 2003,
other English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland—and
even Malta—are more welcoming to intensive English consumers than ever before. “We’re
out to take market share away from the U.S.,” said Richard Law, who works for
the state-supported British Council in London. The article also reports that
a recent e-mail to schools and recruiters from Canada’s equivalent of the British
Council, the Canadian Education Center Network, predicted that “a growing suspicion
toward foreign students in the US would discourage many applicants and benefit
more welcoming countries that adapt their marketing strategies to take advantage” of
this situation.
The websites of the Canadian Education Center Network promote
Canada as a world-class education provider and describe Canada’s IEP teachers
as having excellent academic background, strong professional training, neutral
English accent, and innovative and creative teaching methods. We do not take
issue with this description. Rather, we would like to have the same level of
support from our government so that the US can remain the leader in our field.
The CEC also provides many valuable services to students interested in studying
in Canada and to schools interested in enrolling international students.
Services include conferences so that schools may meet with overseas educational
counselors
and in-country assistance with the visa issuance process for students.
Each
student who decides to study at an IEP in Australia, Canada, the UK, Ireland
or New Zealand due to less stringent visa rules will refer his relatives,
friends, and employees to schools in those countries.
Former students are
referral sources
for the rest of their lives. We know from experience that students who
study in a particular country tend to return for additional study, pleasure,
and
business later in their careers and to refer their employees to that
country for language training. They become lifelong ambassadors and promoters
of
the US. The US is losing the revenue and the good will of these students
and those
they would have referred.
Summary
The government-imposed visa delays, interview requirements, and travel
necessary for interviews facing students and scholars who wish to enter the
US are now threatening the livelihood of IEPs.
Other countries recognize the
importance of the English language industry and are working hard in a concerted
plan to recruit students and scholars from abroad and to take market share
from the US.
IEPs in the US are at a crisis point. We need the active support
of our government now. Our government has the ability to provide clear,
user-friendly instructions to students and those who refer them, to create
a welcoming
environment in the consulates and embassies, and to recognize the importance
of English
study in the US.
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