Texas Intensive English Program

Mission Statement

Statement of the Purpose and Goals of the Texas Intensive English Program The Texas Intensive English Program (TIEP) provides international undergraduate and graduate students with English language training, cultural information, and study skills necessary for academic work at an American university or college. The program also provides English language study for special groups, business personnel, professionals and other individuals who do not plan to attend a college or university in the United States. The program accepts non-native English speaking students who are high school graduates or who are eighteen years of older, and offers non-credit English language instruction from beginning to advanced levels of proficiency. The faculty of TIEP have native-English speaking proficiency, master's or doctoral degrees in teaching English as a second language, foreign language education, applied linguistics, or related fields, and a minumum of two years' experience teaching English to speakers of other languages. Specific goals are as follows: 1. to improve the English skills and study skills of international studens in preparation for study at an American college or university; 2. to familiarize international students with the people, culture and customs of the United States and thus ease the transition from their countries to the United States; 3. to provide student support and administrative services of the highest quality in an efficient manner; 4. to serve as an English-language proficiecy testing center; 5. to serve as a center for language-related research; 6. to assist graduate programs in foreign language education through the intern teacher program; 7. to attract and develop a faculty with demonstrated professional abilities and experience in teaching English as a Second Oral Language; 8. to have the faculty actively participate in the development and governance of the program and to evaluate the program and services on a regular basis; 9. to develop an intellectual atmosphere in which professional development is valued and pursued by all faculty; 10. to establish a presence for the program through the participation of the faculty and professional staff in relevant professional associations at the local, state, national and international levels.