International Education Matters

A Forum for Issues Pertaining to
Intensive English Programs

Why this project?

This project has been undertaken by the University and College Intensive English Programs (UCIEP) with the support of the American Association of Intensive English programs (AAIEP); NAFSA: Association of International Educators, (ATESL section); Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Program Administration Interest Section (PAIS). These four organizations are the professional pillars of the IEP community. They advocate for students, set standards for IEP's, and provide professional development opportunities for faculty and administrators.

The purpose of the project is to provide you with a variety of quick references and direct resources for information about international students, government legislation and regulations, recruitment, economic impact, and visa issues. A review of the information provided will reveal, in particular, how these issues relate to Intensive English Programs. We also want to make you aware of how the events of the past few years have contributed to a significant downturn in IEP enrollment. Events, among others, include:

• fear of terrorism,
• difficulty in obtaining visas,
• increased costs
• glitches in the new SEVIS computer system, and
• increased competition, including foreign government support to advertise programs for students to go to Australia, Canada, and England to study English.