International students learning English at Texas State are faced with two options — learn the language quickly or leave.
The Intensive English Language Program will be forced to close in August. Debbie Thorne, associate vice president of academic affairs, said Provost Perry Moore had oversight of the decision, but the order came from her office.
“It’s like they weren’t thinking of how hard it is for international students coming in,” said Laureen Zaragoza, president of the International Student Association. “They are far away from home and can’t speak English. This program is one of the only things they have.”
The Texas State Intensive English, or TSIE, program consists primarily of international students. The program is designed to prepare prospective Texas State students to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language, which is a prerequisite to enrolling in a U.S. university.
Approximately 1,420 students have enrolled in the program since 2001. Rosario Davis, TSIE learning specialist, said the majority of the graduates enroll at Texas State after passing the test. Fifty-nine students are currently enrolled in the program.
Davis said international students have to remain enrolled full time, either at a university, or in a program like TSIE, in order to have a valid visa. She said students who cannot learn English by the closure date will have to transfer or leave the country.
“You have two categories,” Davis said. “Students who, by August, will not know enough English to enroll in the university — they have to work on transferring out. It’s about 50/50. The other group is close to being fully admitted, and what we’re trying to do with them is everything possible to make sure they are enrolled (at Texas State) in the fall.”
Lisa Duncan, electronic media junior, said called the administration’s warning time unacceptable.
“There’s no way they can pass (the test of English as a foreign language) by August, and they have no more support after that,” she said. “There’s no way they can learn that much English.”
Duncan said the closure of TSIE is devastating to international students.
“It’s not just a small problem,” Duncan said. “You’re sending hundreds of students who have already been forgotten to a place where they will get even less support. The situation is pretty outrageous.”
The TSIE program is entirely self-funded. Thorne said the decision to shut down the TSIE program, currently housed on the fourth floor of the Academic Services Building - North, is because of a lack of space on campus.
“Every year, we add another 1,500 students or so,” Thorne said. “To meet those teaching demands we also have to hire faculty. One of our key space deficits today is faculty office space. In looking across the campus ASBN is a prime location for many departments.”
Thorne said she did not know the square footage the TSIE program occupies or how many faculty offices could be housed there. Thorne said she did not know which specific college or department will be housed in the space. She said renovations to convert the area could start as early as summer.
Davis, like Thorne, said she does not know how many square feet the TSIE uses, but it is “essentially five small classrooms.”
“We don’t require tremendous amounts of space,” she said.
Linda Munoz, TSIE director, said each classroom accommodates approximately 15 students.
“There should be another solution because if it’s just space I don’t think that’s reason enough to get rid of a program that’s been there so long,” Zaragoza said. “To pull the plug — I don’t think they’re thinking about how students feel about it. It’s disappointing. Space is not reason enough.”
Munoz said she presented alternatives such as teaching the programs in different rooms, teaching night classes and working without faculty offices.
“We have talked about giving all of our space and working out of our cars,” Munoz said.
Thorne said the alternatives are not feasible.
“We considered 100 different options,” Thorne said. “We ran through night classes, weekend classes, alternative spaces in San Marcos. It goes back to how do you run the highest quality program?”
Other institutions with TSIE programs will visit Texas State later this semester to meet with students who will not be able to stay in San Marcos, Thorne said.
“I recognize for the students who are going to need to transfer that this is a difficult time,” Thorne said. “But what we’ve done is already provided them with information on other schools or places where they can earn the intensive training.”
Munoz and Davis said they will conduct one-on-one sessions with each intensive English student to help with the transition.
Davis said Thorne notified her of the decision to cancel the program Oct. 31. She said officials originally wanted to end the program in December but were persuaded to push back the cancelation to August. The directors of TSIE informed the students the first week in February.
Munoz said 20 students enrolled in the program this semester, but she stopped accepting new applications in October.
“It’s not fair to just pull the plug as quickly as they did,” Zaragoza said.
She said international students should have been given advanced warning.
“Where do they go now?” asked Zaragoza, psychology senior. “They pay money to come here and they have contracts to live in a place and they have to move all of a sudden. You think this is your new home and all of a sudden you have to leave.”
Davis said students in the program have leases that may need to be broken if they cannot enroll at Texas State.
“The students are going to be on their own,” Munoz said. “Many international students come without transportation.”
Zaragoza, native of Manila, Phillipines, said Texas State has fewer international students than other comparable size universities.
“I know Texas State doesn’t have a recruitment program (for international students),” Zaragoza said. “Other universities and other community colleges go to other countries, or have contracts with agencies abroad where they get students in. Without (TSIE), there isn’t much hope to bring international students here.”
Cristina Marin, pre-international business freshman, created a Facebook group “DO NOT SHUT TSIE DOWN!!” Thursday morning. As of Monday night, the group had approximately 450 members.
Marin voiced her concerns to ASG senators Monday night and said she plans to circulate a petition calling for university officials to reconsider.
“I graduated from there (TSIE),” said Marin, who is a native of Guayaquil, Ecuador. “What I’m speaking right now is something I learned there. They should think about the students, not just the money.”
Thorne called the situation unfortunate.
“My main message is this is not a decision anyone wants to make, but it’s a decision that has to be made,” Thorne said.
Thorne said the program could return.
“I want to point out this does not mean intensive English will not return to Texas State,” Thorne said. “As we continue to build new spaces, we might find we have the space to bring back the intensive English operation.”
One student, whose future at Texas State is uncertain, is Rosa Esono from Bata, Equatorial Guinea in Africa. Esono, whose native language is Spanish, moved to San Marcos last spring with the dream of enrolling at Texas State. She said the move was intimidating.
“I thought, ‘I don’t know where I am, I don’t know anybody,’” Esono said.
To remain at Texas State, Esono must pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language before August.
Zaragoza said international students bring a unique perspective to Texas State.
“Not a lot of people in general can go abroad or study abroad,” she said. “With an international student population, it’s like bringing the global perspective into the classroom (here).”
Zaragoza said she hopes the administration reconsiders.
“If it’s just all space — the TSIE program doesn’t require that much space,” Zaragoza said. “There are a lot of rooms and buildings on campus that don’t have classes all day long. TSIE can hold classes anywhere.”