International Education Matters

A Forum for Issues Pertaining to
Intensive English Programs

By Scott G. Stevens

According to an October 2003 survey conducted by the Consortium of University and College Intensive English Programs (UCIEP), enrollments in university-based English language programs have continued a downward slide in enrollment that began shortly after 9/11. Lower enrollments have translated into lost revenue—and jobs. The study’s author, Dr. Alan Juffs, Chairman of the Department of Linguistics and Director of the English Language Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, reports a revenue decline of 20% in language programs across the country between fall 2002 and fall 2003, based on a sampling of seventy programs, with forty-four (63%) responding. “That’s a loss of over $12 million across a relatively small number of university programs,” says Juffs. Extending this trend to the profession as a whole, based on the 20% figure, suggests a $200 million drop in revenue to a $1 billion intensive English program (IEP) industry.

Lower revenues have inevitably led to layoffs. In the forty-four programs reporting over 263 full and part time faculty positions were lost. Estimates of job losses across the industry run as high as 5,000. The Institute of International Education reported a 30% drop in IEP student enrollments between the summer of 2001 and the summer of 2003 (Reported in May, 2003 at the annual conference of the Association of International Educators, Salt Lake City). The study attributes the decline to a steep rise in the number of student visa denials issued by the Department of State to Asian, South American, and Middle Eastern students. Students from the Middle East have all but disappeared for most IEPs. Other contributing factors include long delays in visa processing resulting from new requirements for consular officers to interview all applicants and from the glitch-filled introduction of a new electronic tracking system known as SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System).

The situation is likely to worsen when US embassies begin increasing fees to visa applicants by as much as $100 to pay for SEVIS. “We understand that these visa policies are intended as part of a plan to make American safe,” explains Juffs. “UCIEP strongly supports this goal. However, it makes no sense for the United States’ government to single out half a million international students per year for severe treatment when tens of millions of other visitors go through US ports of entry in one month without being subjected to such strict scrutiny or exorbitant fees.” ESL professionals complain that increased barriers for applicants seeking student visas comes just as Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have eased regulations for obtaining visas and launched aggressive advertising campaigns to attract foreign students. Graduates of language programs in the States often continue in undergraduate and graduate programs. With IEP enrollments showing steep declines, some fear this will soon lead to a domino effect, impacting higher education to a significant degree. The findings of the UCIEP survey can be found below.

This file was updated on November 11, 2003