The 5th Annual EnglishUSA Professional Development Workshop, held January 24–25 in San Francisco, attracted more than 135 administrators, staff and faculty from intensive English programs across the United States, making it the largest conference ever that focused solely on the needs of IEPs and the challenges they face.

EnglishUSA identifies the members of the American Association of Intensive English Programs (AAIEP), a membership organization of more than 300 accredited programs throughout the United States that meet the highest standards for quality education and professional integrity.

Enhancing the visibility of member programs is part of the mission of EnglishUSA, and to this end the association has established relationships with sister organizations, including TESOL and many of its regional affiliates. By working together, these groups are able to reach bigger audiences and provide mutual support for their efforts. TESOL, NYS TESOL, and CATESOL all helped publicize the 5th Annual EnglishUSA Professional Development Workshop (PDW).

This year’s event was open not only to AAIEP members but to nonmember programs as well. Concurrent sessions on Thursday afternoon and throughout the day on Friday featured presentations on a variety of topics, including IEP accreditation, marketing and recruiting, curriculum development, student learning outcomes, and campus acculturation. A conference call allowed participants to dialogue with representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program about policies for conditional admissions, guidelines on student vacations, recertification and adjudication wait times, and more.

Several AAIEP associate members participated in the event as exhibitors, sponsors, and presenters. The PDW also included a poster session titled “Perspectives on Community: How IEPs Connect With the World.” A further highlight of the conference was a networking reception held at EC San Francisco on Thursday evening, complete with a jazz trio.

EnglishUSA board members are still compiling feedback from participants, but there is general agreement that the response has been overwhelmingly positive and sets a high standard for future events. Said Jeanne Hind, director of Spring International Language School, in Denver, Colorado, and former AAIEP president, “What a delight to go to a day-and-a-half professional development ‘workshop’ that had every session focused on IEPs and every exhibitor focused on our field and needs. It was hard to choose from the concurrent offerings. I look forward to next year!”

Ann Aldrich has been the marketing and recruiting coordinator for the English Language Center at Drexel University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for almost 15 years. She currently serves as vice president for outreach for the American Association of Intensive English Programs and is an external reviewer for the American International Recruitment Council.