TIEP future uncertain

Suspension set for May 2020; international recruiting possible

The UTM Tennessee Intensive English Program (TIEP) operation will be suspended beginning in May 2020.

TIEP was created to prepare international students for success in college programs by providing them with skills in the English language and adjustment to cultural differences.

University Relations announced the suspension of the TIEP on Nov. 20. This suspension is due to a lack of funds and students enrolled.

“The world has changed, as you know, and it has become more difficult to recruit for this program,” said Interim Dean for the UTM College of Business and Global Affairs, Dr. Katie High.

The TIEP has experienced difficulties over the years and it has become more difficult to recruit international students to a rural area like Martin, Tennessee. The TIEP at UTM has a limited amount of people who can go abroad to recruit international students and a limited amount of time to recruit them.

“The provost and I decided that the best course of action would be to suspend the program,” High said.  

According to UTM Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Phillip Cavalier, if the university can find an international recruiter, UTM might bring the TIEP back, but it cannot be done in the next year.

The funding for TIEP comes mostly from the international student’s home country government, which also supplies a stipend for professors who teach TIEP. As fewer international students are participating in UTM’s TIEP program, the revenue to support the faculty has decreased dramatically.

Several students have already enrolled for next semester and will continue the TIEP. Further applicants will not be accepted after May 31, 2020.  A total of 31 students from Hirosaki University in Japan, Takasaki City University of Economics in Japan, and Han Sung University in Korea will be part of a short-term three week program beginning in January and February.

“I want to emphasize that I am committed to building the international student population and to building the opportunities for students to travel and study abroad,” Cavalier said. 

Suspension of the TIEP program will not affect other international programs, nor is it an indication that the university is interested in substituting another program for TIEP. The exchange program with Asian countries will continue and will hopefully expand to include programs with New Zealand and Egypt.

The foreign exchange program will continue to be overseen by the College of Business and the International Programs Office. Cavalier will be talking with the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Dr. Andy Lewter, to ensure someone will cover the student life side of international programs.

UTM’s focus will shift to recruiting students who are already skilled enough in English to come to UTM without needing the TIEP. According to High, the plan is to send recruits to countries where college fairs are substantial, such as New Zealand and Europe, and recruit students for UTM.

TIEP faculty members are not tenured university faculty. They are reappointed yearly and will not be reappointed for the next academic year. However, they will be welcome to apply for other positions on campus during this suspension.

TIEP was introduced to UTM by John Eisterhold in 1974. At the time, Eisterhold was the director of international programs for UTM and pushed for the integration of international students to campus. He established a relationship between UTM and  Hirosaki University in Japan in 1980, which was the first university to be a part of the TIEP program.

There are six different levels of study to accommodate for the varying levels incoming TIEP students may be when they first enter the program. The program contains four courses that include writing, grammar, listening/ speaking, and reading.

After Eisterhold’s passing in 2010, the program continued to see around 100-200 students participating in the TIEP, primarily from Saudi Arabia, Amy Finning, director of International Programs and Admissions, said.  Attendance has since then dropped and is now at under 20 enrolled students.

For more information concerning the suspension, contact Cavalier at pcavalie@utm.edu.