January 13, 2010

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, AAIEP and UCIEP have been working for several years in trying to get legislation passed requiring IEP’s to be accredited by ACCET, CEA, or, if a university or college, by a regional accreditation  body as a pre-condition for issuing student visa documentation.   You might recall that in the months immediately following 9/11 that Senator Feinstein had called for the DOS to suspend issuing any new student visas, in part over concerns that some US academic and ESL programs were not adequately monitoring student compliance with immigration regulations.   The initial push for accreditation legislation was, in part, to address any lingering concerns the government might have regarding IEPs.

Many years of grass roots work by the AAIEP and UCIEP Boards with the Departments of State, Commerce, and Homeland Security served to elevate the status of accredited IEP programs in the eyes of many.   With December’s attempted terrorist attack on an in-bound flight to Detroit, a new threat to our programs has emerged.  In the wake of that attempt, several Senators (Lieberman, CT, and Collins, ME) have called for the Department of Homeland Security to take over (from DOS) approving visa applications.  Were all IEPs accredited, DHS, DOS, and Congress would have greater assurance that programs would be in compliance with SEVP policies and regulations and thus be less likely to adopt draconian measures that could cripple the industry.

Equally important, the presence of national accreditation requirements, as is the case, for example, in the UK and Canada, engenders confidence among sponsors, parents and individual applicants, making it easier for the US IEP industry to compete with other English speaking countries that heavily market their IEP programs and associations—and tout the virtues of their accreditation systems.

In many ways, we are closer than we have ever been to gaining passage of Senate Bill S1338 and House Bill HR 2361, which call for accreditation.  We have co-sponsors in the Senate (Carper, DE, and Alexander, TN) and in the House (Frank, MA, and Smith, Texas).  However, as Washington Partners, our lobbyists, have instructed, the bill will not be taken seriously without widespread co-sponsorship.   Congressmen will not get behind legislation that they feel only carries the support of AAIEP’s and UCIEP’s leadership.   Instead, they need to hear from the organizations’ membership.  No bill will pass without approximately twenty-five co-sponsors.

We cannot reach that goal of two dozen sponsors without your help.  You have told this Board again and again how important this issue is to you, and we have worked hard to line up the current level of sponsorship.  However, Congress needs to see that programs in nearly every state strongly support this legislation becoming law.   That is why we need you to take time next week and in the weeks to come to contact your senators and representative.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The most powerful impact will come from a Congressional visit on your part because that gives you the opportunity to get the undivided attention of an aid who has the ear of your Congressman.   Second best is for you to visit the district offices of your senators or representative.  Far less effective by itself is a letter, but as a means of follow-up, it can be quite effective in thanking your Congressman and re-stating your main points.

OKAY, I'M WILLING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.  WHAT NEXT?

1.  First, know what the bills say.   You can find it at www.thomas.gov  Type in S. 1338 or HR 2361.  I have also attached a copy of the text of the Senate Bill to this email.

2.  Prepare talking points about the importance of accreditation.  We have done this for you.  Please see the attached “Talking Points.” (Click here to view or download as a PDF file.)  However, it is important that you relate accreditation to Your program and Your state, providing statistics about your program’s economic impact, for example.   You are a constituent to whom your congressman is answerable.  He or she may act nationally when voting but will always think locally because, as the saying goes, all politics are local.

3.  Set up your Congressional Visit.  Please see the attached “Making a Visit to Congress.” (Click here to view or download as a PDF file.)  The attachment provides wonderful  pointers for making your visit a successful one.

4.  How do I find the contact information for my Representative and Senators?

Easy: just go to this website: www.contactingthecongress.org Type in your name, and the names, phone numbers, and emails you need appear on the screen.

5.  Inform your superior what you are doing.  Neither universities nor companies want to be caught off-guard, should the Congressman contact senior administrators for their views.   By also making your case on campus or at corporate headquarters, you may find yourself gaining surprising support for your efforts.

6.  Email me, Scott Stevens (sstevens@udel.edu or advocacy@aaiep.org), to say you are willing to take this step on behalf of the profession and your own program.  The Executive Board needs to know who is actively participating so we can work with Washington Partners to follow up with your representatives. 

We know how incredibly busy you are and that the last thing you need is one more task on your plate.  But the truth is we cannot do this without you.  Please consider taking this step.  Feel free to call me or any Executive Board member with any question you might have.

Sincerely,

Scott Stevens
Vice President for Advocacy (2009-2010)
AAIEP - American Association of Intensive English Programs
sstevens@udel.edu or advocacy@aaiep.org
tel: 302-831-2674