Dear AAIEP colleagues:

I am proud to unveil the new and improved AAIEP website, introducing a refreshing new look for our organization and including many exciting new features:

• a prominent interactive school locator map
• a "featured location" section on each page
• speedier, more prominent access to information on schools
• more versatility in updating content

The website redesign is built first around those we want to find the site most useful - our prospective students.  By keeping the Association's image current and vibrant, and improving access to school details, we best promote intensive English study in the United States to our largely youthful audience around the world.

You will find AAIEP's mission, history and standards in the section "About AAIEP".  Advocacy information, including our stance on the accreditation of language schools and full time study in visitor status (i.e., on the "B" visa) can be found in the section "AAIEP on the Issues".

This project was undertaken by the 2006-07 Executive Board to help our members market their programs in accordance with section 4.4 of the AAIEP strategic plan.  We would like to express our gratitude to May Arthur of the Olin Center, a former AAIEP Executive Board member and our current webmaster, without whose generous contribution of time and effort we could not have moved development forward.  Also, to Versation, for their assistance in re-visioning and hosting the new site.

Moving forward, we will be adjusting some of the content on the site to bring everything up to date after our construction hiatus, soliciting your updated school information, and, perhaps most importantly, optimizing the site so that it is found readily by search engines.  We also intend to give our institutional associates the opportunity to post a picture or logo with their profile information.

We encourage our members to update their web pages immediately so as to take full advantage of new and improved member service. 

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Best regards,

Don Back
President