Mission
To prepare international students linguistically, academically, and culturally to succeed in undergraduate and graduate programs at UA Little Rock.
IELP Objectives:
- To help students improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills that will enable them to succeed in university courses.
- To enable students to participate actively in most conversational situations.
- To introduce students to American culture in terms of a typical U.S. campus and community.
- To foster international and intercultural awareness and understanding.
- To assist UA Little Rock in recruiting international students who will contribute to the academic diversity of the campus.
Summary Narrative
1) Enhance recruitment and retention efforts to increase enrollment
IELP faculty and the IELP director/transitions advisor work individually with each student during their final semester to help them enroll in programs at UA Little Rock. We assist students in submitting their applications, requesting evaluations of their previous transcripts, registering for tours and other recruitment events, and registering for the Accuplacer. We also provide whole-class lessons on the application and admissions process, as well as on what to expect when taking the Accuplacer. In AY22, 100% of eligible students were admitted into undergraduate programs (50% will attend UA Little Rock in Fall 2022 and 50% will attend UA Pulaski Tech with the intent of transferring to UA Little Rock after 2 years). Additionally, 100% of eligible students were admitted into graduate school at UA Little Rock. For these purposes, an eligible student is defined as successfully completing the most advanced level of IELP, previously graduated high school, and expressing the desire to enroll in an undergraduate or graduate program. High school students, continuing IELP students, and working professionals were omitted from this calculation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, IELP began offering hyflex courses so that students could participate through live, synchronous classes alongside our face-to-face students. IELP continues to utilize this model. IELP will continue to assess our enrollment data to determine whether to continue hyflex in the future or to revert to our previous delivery method of utilizing in-person instruction exclusively. In AY22, 20% of students attended online only, 37% attended a combination of online and in-person, and 43% attended in-person only.
IELP enrollment dropped significantly during COVID-19 due in part to closures of U.S. embassies abroad and travel restrictions. IELP began exploring new markets to recruit locally and expanded our recruitment through local partners to meet the needs of the Little Rock community. During AY22, 58% of all IELP students were area residents (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees, asylees, etc.) and 19% of all IELP students were enrolled through local partnerships. In comparison, 20% of all IELP students were area residents in AY20 (AY21 omitted from comparison due to COVID-19-related factors and international travel restrictions) and 0% were enrolled as a result of partnerships. Total IELP enrollment in AY22 increased 258% from AY21 and increased 43% from AY20.
2) Align financial and human resources to operate more effectively and efficiently
IELP partnered with another department to share the usage and costs of a copier/printer and fax machine, resulting in a significant reduction of financial expenses.
In order to maintain the existing class levels based on student admissions without adding additional faculty, the IELP director taught a full course load in Fall 2021, Spring 2022, and Summer 2022. The IELP director and all faculty also functioned as transition advisors in assisting students with the application and admissions process for undergraduate and graduate programs at UA Little Rock.
3) Promote student development, engagement, and leadership
IELP classes routinely participate in opportunities on-campus to discover opportunities for student development and engagement. In AY22, IELP students participated in a campus scavenger hunt, tour of the UA Little Rock Fitness Center, and visited the Registered Student Organization and Wellness Fairs.
IELP cultural curriculum includes exploring various local academic and cultural opportunities. In AY22, classes visted the UA Little Rock Campus Garden, Oppenheimer Library, Little Rock Zoo, and the Arkansas State Fair.
At A Glance
Classes:
Fall and Spring
- Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 12:00 pm, 17.5 contact hours per week
- 3 hours Cultural Language Enrichment per week
- 20.5 total hours of instruction per week
- 280 total hours of instruction per semester
Summer
- Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, 25 contact hours per week
- 4 hours Cultural Language Enrichment per week
- 29 total hours of instruction per week
- 275 total hours of instruction per semester
Class Levels/Proficiency Levels:
- Foundations
- Intermediate
- Pre-University/TOEFL Preparation
Personnel:
- 2 full-time instructors (also serve as transitions advisors)
- 1 full-time director (also serves as a 3rd full-time instructor and part-time transitions advisor)
IELP Admissions and Deferrals:
- Fall 2021 –137 admissions; 24 deferred to future
- Spring 2022 — 110 admissions; 85 deferred
- Summer 2022 — 130 admissions; 13 deferred to date
IELP Students Served:
- Summer 2 2022 — 3 students
- Fall 2021 — 12 students
- Spring 2022 — 17 students
- Summer 1 2022 — 14 students
IELP enrollment in AY22 was an increase of 258% from AY21 and a 43% increase from AY20.
Assessment 1
Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)
Operational Assessment
Alignment with UA Little Rock Goal
Prepare students for success
Activity or experience being assessed
Develop and implement a recruitment and communications plan specifically for applicants who applied to UA Little Rock but did not meet the English Language Proficiency requirement for admission.
Assessment artifacts
The primary assessment artifact will be data on how many of the applicants identified for targeted marketing later apply to IELP and enroll, and the method(s) of communication used for each enrolled student. A secondary assessment will be qualitative and quantitative data regarding the number of responses/inquiries from this population and the content of these responses.
Time period assessment was done
Fall 2021
Results
A review of undergraduate application data identified 46 undergraduate applicants who had not submitted required proof of English language proficiency. Indentified applicants were sent personalized emails that linked to the list of acceptable forms of proof on the Office of Admissions website and also provided more information about IELP and the IELP application process. Of those 46, none applied for or enrolled in IELP, 5 later submitted proof of English language proficiency, and 2 were admitted as undergraduate students. Qualitatively, 2 responded to the email and indicated they had decided to attend other universities and 1 indicated they intended to defer their application to a future semester.
While this is a no-cost recruitment activity, the time involved to identify applicants exceeded 20 hours. There was no direct benefit to IELP for Fall 2021, but there may have been a benefit to undergraduate admissions and, therefore, is an activity IELP plans to continue. Due to IELP staffing, we were unable to repeat this activity/assessment for Spring 2021, but will continue in future semesters when staffing permits.
Continuous improvement process
None. Conversations with Admissions and IT indicated at the time the project began that we were using the only possible method of applicant identification for this project, albeit time-consuming, and that no methods existed that were more efficient.
IELP will again consult with Admissions and IT to ensure our applicant indentification procedures are efficient. Pending staffing availability, IELP could also follow-up with applicants on WhatsApp after the initial email, or, as funding permits, by phone call.
WHEN: October 2022
Stateholder involvement / Communication plan
IELP will again consult with Admissions and IT to ensure our applicant indentification procedures are efficient. Pending staffing availability, IELP could also follow-up with applicants on WhatsApp after the initial email, or, as funding permits, by phone call.
Assessment 2
Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)
Operational Assessment
Alignment with UA Little Rock Goal
Prepare students for success
Activity or experience being assessed
Create and implement a pre-departure orientation that will prepare students for arrival in the U.S. and Little Rock, as well as create engagement with and knowledge of UA Little Rock.
Assessment artifacts
Primary: post-orientation survey results and enrollment data; Secondary: qualitative analysis of email communications from participants.
Time period assessment was done
September 2021, February 2022, July 2022
Results
The pre-departure orientation was originally intended to be a live, virtual event that would be offered on several days and times convenient for the cultures and geographic regions of IELP applicants. However, due to departmental scheduling conflicts, live sessions were not feasible in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022. The format shifted to a text-based packet that was emailed to students.
The pre-departure orientation had a 55% response rate. Responses included 30% reporting difficulties scheduling visa appointments or needed to defer, 10% reported travel delays, 75% registering for IELP’s New Student WhatsApp group, and 20% for arrival assistance (UA Little Rock housing, temporary housing, airport pickups, COVID-19 vaccine scheduling, and driver’s license preparation).
Quantitatively, insufficient data exist to determine any possible correlation between the pre-departure orientation and enrollment. While IELP experienced a significant increase in enrollment, the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions and the reopening of U.S. embassies/consolates abroad are also an important factor. IELP will continue to offer a pre-departure orientation, either text-based, live, or a combination, in future semesters to assess further.
Respondents and enrolled students reported that the pre-departure orientation helped them feel more prepared to arrive in the U.S. and Little Rock and that they appreciated all of the arrival assistance that IELP offered.
Continuous improvement process
The pre-departure orientation content, questionnaire, responses, and feedback were reviewed by IELP faculty each semester. Based on orientation data and changes to COVID-19 policies/procedures/regulations/guidance, the content was updated each semester.
IELP faculty will continue to review the orientation content, questionnaire, responses, and feedback each semester and make modifications or updates as necessary. IELP also hopes to be able to pilot a live orientation in AY23, pending any scheduling conflicts.
WHEN: Ongoing
Stateholder involvement / Communication plan
Data and content were presented to IELP faculty for review and feedback each semester.
Assessment 3
Type of assessment (learning outcome or operational)
Student Learning: Knowledge acquisition / construction / integration and application
Alignment with UA Little Rock Goal
Improve diversity / inclusion / equity / and global understanding in the campus community
Activity or experience being assessed
Existing diversity content in IELP curriculum (updated each semester); activities and events focused on DEI offered through UA Little Rock or the Little Rock community; post-activity/experience synthesis/debrief session.
Assessment artifacts
Observations and comments from student participants in the in-class discussion sessions; an electronic survey to allow a place for students to share insights and opinions privately who might not feel comfortable sharing in the large group.
Time period assessment was done
Spring 2022
Results
All participants shared their comments during in-class discussions, and no one submitted an anonymous electronic survey. In-class discussions revealed three significant findings:
- Students appreciated opportunities to learn more about the diversity in the U.S. and the history of and current issues facing various groups, specifically, Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ populations. Students reported that what they learned in IELP helped give them indentify gaps in their knowledge, they could now identify opportunities and resources to continue their learning, and that they felt it was crucial to continue their learning in the future.
- Students reported initially feeling pleasantly surprised and welcomed by the fact that IELP faculty took our classes to the Registered Student Organization Fairs and provided students with information about campus student organizations that might be of interest to them, such as the Bangladeshi Student Organization, LULAC, Muslim Student Association, Rainbow Alliance, and Vietnamese Student Organization. However, many reported that they didn’t contact these organizations because of anxiety of how they would be received as international students or as students born outside the U.S., in addition to nervousness about speaking in English in unfamiliar situations. When asked as a follow-up if they might feel more comfortable attending an event hosted by an organization if they could meet another member in advance, they responded in the affirmative.
- When asked what campus programming they would like to see organized, they referred back to the first finding: they do not yet feel they understand diversity topics in the U.S. well enough yet to identify suggestions for improvement. They believe any and all topics would help them continue their learning. When asked as a follow-up if they would be willing to facilitate or co-facilitate an event sharing a DEI topic as it relates to them personally, most students said that they would not. While many said that they would have in the past and hope to in the future, recent events in the U.S. and news reports of incidents of violence and harrassment elsewhere in the country have increased their reluctance at the present time.
Continuous improvement process
When we provide information about campus organizations, we will also explicitly inform students that if they are interested in joining any organization or attending any event, IELP faculty will arrange for them to meet with a member of that organization prior to the event or meeting. Additionally, we will invite representatives from various student organizations to speak to our classes.
WHEN: September 2022
Stateholder involvement / Communication plan
IELP faculty met to discuss the results of post-activity/experience debriefing sessions and in-class discussions of DEI topics as well as to discuss possible changes.
