Mission Statement

The Academic English Program creates opportunities for international students to develop the academic, critical thinking, and linguistic skills necessary to succeed in a US university.

About the Academic English Program (AE)

The Academic English Program aims to provide international students, whose native language is not English, with the high quality English language instruction and academic skills that will prepare them for academic study at a U.S. university and that will enable them to adapt and adjust to the demands, challenges and expectations of the U.S. higher education system and culture. The focus of classes is on developing communicative language ability at all levels. The desired outcome for EAP students is to achieve the language level required to progress on to either a Pathway program or directly to an undergraduate or graduate program.

AE students have up to 27 hours per week of course work that includes of core language skill and elective classes. There is also the option to participate in the Conversant Program, where students meet with OSU students 2 or more hours per week to practice conversation skills. Students are expected to devote at least 20 hours per week to directed self-study outside the classroom in research projects, group projects, learning center activities and daily preparation for classes.

AE has seven levels from Beginner (Foundation Prep) to Advanced University Preparation (6). Of these, Levels Foundation Prep, 1, and 2 are combined with GE Levels Foundation Prep, 1, and 2. Internally, this is referred to as the Foundation English (FE) program, and these levels are coordinated by the General English team.

Academic English Accreditation

The AE program is accredited by the CEA. Read more.

Placement into AE

New students are placed in levels according to an initial evaluation based on a placement test. Students who show a marked variation in level from skill to skill may have courses in more than one level. Continuing students are evaluated by their teachers at the end of each term and are placed according to their achievement. See “Final Grades and Promotion” below.

Monitoring Attendance and Performance

There is a strong correlation between attendance and success. Instructors maintain weekly attendance records on the Banner Attendance Tracker. Attendance information is collected by the Academic Support Team, and students whose attendance is an issue are contacted. According to OSU guidelines, attendance per se should not generally be used to determine final grades. Clearly, however, students who miss their ESL classes miss important activities and in class assignments, and this does need to be reflected in grading. Students who continually show poor attendance are first warned, then placed on probation, and finally may be suspended.

Course Description/Syllabus

On the first day of each term, instructors distribute a basic summary of course content, learning objectives, and the grading system. The rationale is to make such matters clear to students, giving them the information necessary to set their own goals and priorities. Having clear policies early helps avoid problems later. The syllabus also lists required and recommended texts and instructor office hours. Course descriptions and syllabi should be consistent across multiple sections. A digital copy of each class syllabus is placed on the Canvas Instructor site for each course by the program team.

The Curriculum Guide, a notebook that contains a complete overview of the curriculum is accessible on the Staff Info Depot. It includes level descriptors and overall goals plus specific information about individual courses. The Curriculum Guide should assist you to develop class work, teach, and assess student progress. It is especially important to note the performance assessment requirements for each course. Course specific documents from the Curriculum Guide are also posted to the Canvas Instructor site for each course.

Level Change Requests

Newly placed students may sometimes wish to change levels early in the term or session. It is wise to give challenging assignments and/or diagnostic tests during the first few days of the term. You will then have information to either support or oppose any requests for change of level. If you see a student who is very obviously misplaced, inform the AE management team as soon as possible by entering your assessment and comments into the document on the Level Change Spreadsheet accessed via a link sent at the beginning of each term. Decisions regarding level changes will be made based on the diagnostic scores, teacher recommendations, and management approval. This system is teacher initiated, so students who wish to change levels or classes must discuss their options with their instructors first. For the complete level change process, see the “Level Change Process” document, which can be obtained from the AE management team. Continuing students are not eligible for level changes.

Attendance

Attendance for each class period should be recorded on the Banner Attendance Tracker. Students should attend all classes and arrive on time. If students miss any part of class (e.g. arrive late, leave during class, or leave early), it should be recorded and it will be calculated to their overall attendance percentage. If students miss more than 70% of any class, they will be out on Attendance Warning. If they continue to have poor attendance, they risk being placed on Probation and finally Suspension. Students should be made aware of the Attendance Policy at the start of the term. (http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/intoosu/academicsupport/attendance-policy/ae-attendance-policy/)

Assessment

The AE Program Manager maintains files of tests that have been developed and approved for each course. Generally, at least two forms of each final exam exist, one to be administered fall and spring terms and another to be used winter and summer terms. Instructors should be familiar with these tests and understand clearly the ways in which they measure the specified learning outcomes for each course. To maintain test security, tests in multiple sections should all be given on the same day and at as close to the same hour as is possible. Corrected exams may be returned briefly to students so that they can see and analyze their results but must then be collected and filed in the office of the Program Manager. Teachers should be very aware of what the students are doing while they have possession of both blank and corrected exams. Do not allow students to photograph or copy answers from their exams because it would compromise the standardized tests.

Grade Letters Used

Core classes are graded A to F. Plus and minus grades are allowed, but the A+ grade is not used. A final grade of C- or below means that a student cannot advance to the next level in that skill area. See Final Grades and Promotion below.

Electives and IDL classes are graded on a P/N basis, where P=Pass and N=No Credit.

Midterm Feedback

Instructors should give midterm feedback to all students about their progress in class. For this purpose, the format and manner of feedback is up to you. You can use a system of your own devising or you can use one of the forms located in the server. (Academic English Program »» 2-AEP Coordinator »» Forms-Policies-Records »» Midterm Evaluation Forms). You may also use reports generated through Canvas.

Student Evaluation of Classes

Students are given the opportunity to complete an online evaluation of every course. Students should do the evaluations in class on their phone, tablet, or laptop. Please let your students know in advance what day they need to bring their devices. You will be emailed a link to your evaluation. Please email it to your students or post it on Canvas. Give about 15-20 minutes at the end of class for students to complete the evaluation. Before you leave the room, make sure that everyone has accessed the questionnaire and have chosen the correct class and instructor. Some of the questions are multiple choice; some are short answer. For lower level students go over the questions to make sure they understand what to do. Remind students there is a submit button at the end that must be clicked.

OSU Language Requirements

For undergraduate admission in academic 2016/17, OSU requires a score of 80 on the iBT, 550 on the paper-based TOEFL or 6.5 on the IELTS. Graduate requirements vary from 80 to 100 on the iBT and 550 to 600 on the paper test. For students submitting iBT scores, OSU also requires minimum sub-scores in each of the four skill areas that are tested – 16 in each area for undergrads and 18 in each area for graduate students.

For undergraduate pathways admission, OSU requires a score of 60 on the iBT, 500 on the PBT, or 5.5 on the IELTS. The graduate pathway requirements are 70, 525 and 6.0 respectively.

All progression requirements can be found under the Progression subhead in the Forms & Policies section of the INTO OSU Staff Info Depot.

TOEFL Tests

INTO OSU administers the Institutional TOEFL at the end of each term. The Institutional TOEFL is the paper version of the test, and scores are valid only for OSU admission.

The iBT is also administered at regular intervals at OSU as a service to ETS. Students must register with ETS and pay ETS testing fees in order to take the OSU iBT. Scores are valid worldwide.

Recommendation in lieu of TOEFL

AEP students who successfully complete Level 6 can receive a recommendation for waiver of the language requirement at OSU regardless of their TOEFL scores. The option is available to undergraduate students and graduate students at the discretion of the academic department. The recommendation is not valid for any institution other than OSU.

Final Grades and Promotion

1. For core courses, letter grades must be given. These include grammar courses in Levels 1-3, Reading/Writing/Grammar and Listening/Speaking courses in Levels Foundation Prep-6.
2. A grade of C or higher means that the student has met the course objectives and is ready to face the challenges of the next level, or in the case of Level 6, is ready for academic study at the university. Students who are not ready for such demands should receive a grade of C-, D or F as appropriate. Please refer to the Curriculum Guide for course objectives. It is imperative that students meet or exceed all course objectives to pass a class and move to the next level. Promotion is based on achievement, not effort. Final grades should be clearly supported by work done throughout the term and should not come as a surprise to students.
3. Students who receive a grade of NP in one or more elective module courses will be allowed to progress to the next level, provided they have grades of C or better in letter-graded classes. However, students who wish to advance to one of the pathways are held to a somewhat higher standard when in Level 4. In the case of these students, progression, the requirement is a C or better in all letter-graded classes and a P in all P/NP classes.
4. Students who have formally withdrawn may be given a W. Otherwise, teachers should use the information they have to determine whether or not the student has met the exit criteria and to assign a grade.

 

Updated: October 2015