ITA Professionals,

It’s been a pleasure acting as the editor for the ITAIS newsletter for the last 2 years, but this is my last issue. Working as editor has been a rewarding way to take part in our interest section, to meet and connect with colleagues, and to make sure I’m keeping up with ITA-related conversations. Our new editor, Maureen Templeman, will be taking over as newsletter editor for 2016–2017 starting with our June 2016 newsletter.

This February edition of our newsletter looks forward to the 50th annual TESOL Convention and English Language Expo. The first letter is from our chair, Liz Tummons, who focuses on a special breakfast session she set up for “lone ranger” ITA professionals. This is followed by a letter from our chair-elect, Elizabeth Gillstrom, who is highlighting information about the ITA academic session which will focus on conversation analysis.

The articles in this newsletter are also convention-related, starting with an article titled “Evaluating and Improving Rater Training for ITA Performance Tests,” which is an overview of a session that will be held by Greta Gorsuch, R. Dustin Florence, and Dale Griffee. Next, we have a summary of a presentation held at the regional MAITA (Mid-Atlantic ITA) conference, where Dr. Erica C. Boling discusses “Solutions for Common Problems ITAs Encounter in Their Classrooms.” This is followed by some teaching tips on how ITAs can build fluency provided by Denise Mussman based on her experiences working with ITAs. Our next article is a summary, written by Dr. Darcy Gioia, of the MAITA conference held last fall at Rutgers. Last, we have a teaser for a session, “Coordinating and Staffing an ITA Program on Your Own,”which will be held by Belinda Braunstein, Vandana Loomba, and Morag Burke. This teaser is not just a notice for those of you who might be the sole ITA professional in your program or at your university, but it is also a survey that can collect valuable data for helping others who have the same experiences or similar experiences as you. It has a 1 March deadline.

Our annual ITA Interest Section meeting is a great time to connect and will be on 6 April, followed by the ITA dinner at the well-known Baltimore restaurant, The Rusty Scupper at 7:30 pm. Elise Geither set up the ITA dinner this year and the meal includes an appetizer, salad, entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic drinks for $50.00. The entrée choices include Lemon Chicken, Grilled Salmon, Maryland Crabcakes, or Vegetarian/Vegan Stirfry. You can RSVP and send checks to Elise Geither at:

Elise Geither
9229 Root Road
North Ridgeville, Ohio 44039.

If you have any other questions regarding the ITA dinner, you can also contact Elise: at ejg65@case.edu.

I’ve enjoyed serving everyone as your editor and hope to see many of you in Baltimore!

Sarah Emory