Networking Is Crucial To Program Success

Barbara Stipek discusses the pivotal role of the Association of American Intensive English Programs for administrators of IEPs.

In my early years as an Intensive English program director, I found that it could sometimes be an isolating line of work. I loved the rapport that I had with my teachers and with the personnel on campus, but when it came to discussing concerns about my program or simply sharing experiences I was having, it was difficult to know where to turn. Because I was highly motivated to meet others in my position, I immediately joined organizations such as TESOL and NAFSA. At my first TESOL conference I met a member of the AAIEP board who was holding a discussion group to acquaint IEP directors with AAIEP. I felt that I had found what I was looking for: A non-competitive forum for discussing common concerns.

AAIEP was founded in 1986 by a group of IEP directors who wished to form an organization that would represent both university-run and proprietary programs. By 1988, 65 programs were participating. AAIEP’s focus on industry standards and advocacy issues attracted many programs, and throughout the nineties AAIEP continued to grow dramatically. There are now 280 member programs plus eight institutional associate members, one individual associate membership, and 12 honorary members. The goals of AAIEP are to:

• "Promote ethical and professional standards for intensive English programs
  
• Encourage and facilitate evaluation of intensive English programs
  
• Provide liaison between intensive English programs and other organizations whose concerns for international students overlap with those of AAIEP
  
• Work to increase awareness abroad of opportunities for English language study in the United States"
  

In 1993, the President of the AAIEP board called to ask me if I would take the place of a board member who was unable to continue. I said "yes" immediately and was soon on a plane to Seattle for my first executive board meeting. From that day on, AAIEP became a central part of my professional life. I found that having contact with other IEP professionals gave me a broader perspective of the industry as a whole. I also found support, advice, and ideas that helped me make my own programs stronger.

The area that attracted me the most strongly to AAIEP was Standards. I had been looking toward our from page 22 accrediting association, and organizations at the state level, to try to sort through the confusing array of standards (and lack of standards in some cases) that govern our field. It was often very frustrating to realize that in complying with one set of requirements, you might be in conflict with another, and it was exciting for me to hear that an organization was taking on the challenge of setting standards for a wide group of IEPs.

These standards were presented to the members of AAIEP in a tangible form in 1994 in the form of the Program Self-Appraisal (PSA). I happened to be serving on the board at that time, and I must say that spending a long weekend in a hotel conference room with 11 other people reading stacks of self-appraisals was a great way to forge friendships that have lasted to this day! And I was impressed by how seriously the membership had taken the self-study and the high quality of materials they had included in their exhibits.

Advocacy is another area in which AAIEP contributes greatly to its members and to the entire field of international study. AAIEP has significantly increased the visibility of IEPs overseas and in the eyes of other organizations that deal with international students. AAIEP members are listed in the Member profiles, which is distributed worldwide. Members can also participate in study fairs and other AAIEP-sponsored events that benefit IEPs.

An executive board that is selected by the membership governs AAIEP. The board has been focusing on accreditation issues, which have been of great importance to the membership. And now that there are viable alternatives available, AAIEP is planning to focus more on advocacy issues going forward. AAIEP will be studying the way in which statistics on the industry are gathered, and how this process can be improved. The organization will also work on clarifying what it is that IEPs do and how they impact the country. This information will be used to educate government officials and other entities as to the importance of IEPs, so that future governmental decisions that impact IEPs will be made with a better understanding of the industry.

AAIEP has also taken advantage of technology to facilitate the distribution of information and sharing of ideas. The board has plans to expand and improve its website, as well as study the ways in which new technology impacts the industry both positively and negatively.

AAIEP continues to grow and serve new members. It is vital to AAIEP’s mission to attract new board members with fresh ideas and perspectives, so get involved today. President-Elect, Sherry Schneider, said when she reflected on her years of involvement with AAIEP: "It is a special privilege to work with AAIEP board members—they are incredibly energetic, thoughtful, dedicated to the profession and devoted to working on issues that are important to our field."

Barbara Stipek is the former owner of IEI, a group of ten intensive English programs located on university campuses across the United States. In 1998, she sold the company to Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc.