Joe McVeigh

I’ve only just learned of a new job posting by Middlebury College for a Visiting Assistant Professor of Writing—a renewable three-year position. The posting is listed on the TESOL online career center here. Note that though this may appear to a TESOL professional  like an ESL writing position, it is actually for someone to teach writing in content-based courses to both native and non-native speakers. The deadline is November 15th so don’t delay. Please spread the word to qualified candidates. Visit the links below for more information about the workplace.

• Middlebury College
• The Middlebury Writing Program
• More on the Middlebury Writing Program
• The Middlebury Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research

Researchers have long believed that individuals communicate as much or more through non-verbal communication as they do through the actual words that they use. Edward Hall and Erving Goffman have suggested that facial expressions, gestures, body language, and tone of voice can be responsible for more than two thirds of the meaning that is conveyed. Naturally, the experts have been called out to analyze the recent presidential election debates in the United States. This article in the Los Angeles Times outlines the ways in which candidates Barack Obama and John McCain either reinforce or undercut their message by their use of non-verbal communication. If this is true for native speakers of English, imagine the impact on non-native speakers, and the challenge of learning not only a new language, but also a new language of gesture and non-verbal communication.

We know that gender roles have changed over time and that, to some extent gender roles vary from one culture to another. Yet we usually think that as a culture becomes more “modern” the differences between genders become smaller. But some new studies, summarized in this New York Times article suggest otherwise. As John Tierney writes in his article, if these scientists are right, “men and women shouldn’t expect to understand each other much better any time soon.” Oh, well.

After careful deliberation, the 2008-2009 TESOL Nominating Committee (pictured at left) has put together the slate for elections for upcoming positions on the Board of Directors and the 2009-2010 Nominating Committee. View the slate and read the candidates’ biographies and positions on the TESOL web site here. Active TESOL members with voting rights will receive ballots by e-mail or mail in October 2008. The deadline for voting is January 12, 2009.

On Saturday, May 3rd, 2008, I’ll be at the Northern New England TESOL conference to give a talk about the Middlebury Slang Project. In January of 2008, students in a course I was teaching at Middlebury College collected slang from their fellow students. They then wrote dictionary definitions, winnowed the list, surveyed fellow students to determine frequency, and put it all together on a web site, complete with audio files for the ones that are more difficult to pronounce. You can see the resulting web site here. I’ll be joined in this presentation by one of the students in the course, Alexis Mussomeli. Warning, the contents of the site are definitely R-rated as befits the primary interests of college age students. See a photo of the presentation here: Download copies of the handout and PowerPoint presentation here.

Are you an active member of TESOL? Want to do more for the association? The 2008 Nominating Committee is accepting applications from members of TESOL who wish to run for positions on the Board of Directors as President-Elect or as Directors (4 positions.) We are also looking for applicants interested in running for positions on the 2009 Nominating Committee (8 positions). Interested? To be considered, members need to complete and return an Expression of Interest Form by June 6, 2008. Please get in touch if you have questions, and pass this information along to others that you think would be good leaders.

Download the Expression of interest form. See a photo of the 2008-2009 Nominating Committee.

I’m looking forward to the TESOL conference in New York April 2-5th, 2008. It’s always a great time to reconnect with old friends, meet new friends, and get caught up on the latest happenings in the field. If you’ll be there, feel free to join me for the presentations listed below. Handouts and PowerPoints will be available the day after the presentation. Check the Resources page for teachers, trainers, and consultants. I hope to see you there.

• Achieving Personal Fulfillment Through Career Transitions

Thursday, 4/3/2008, 10:30 AM - 12:15 PM

Hilton - Murray Hill Suite B

Mary March, Daphne Mackey, Jennifer Bixby, Joe McVeigh, and Nancy Ackles

Seasoned ESL professionals present their experiences working in ESL-related professions, such as authoring materials, editing, consulting, and working abroad. They share ideas for using their career expertise to springboard into related fields as a way to achieve personal fulfillment. Participants at any career stage can benefit from this discussion.

See a photograph of the presenters.

• The Business End of Teaching Business English

Friday, 4/4/2008, 7:30 AM - 8:15 AM

Hilton - Murray Hill Suite B

Joe McVeigh and Andrea Koehler

How can ESP practitioners best position themselves to interact and serve clients in the business world? The presenters share ideas and tips to maximize the effectiveness of workplace language programs while working within the operating framework of client businesses.

See a photograph of the presenters.

• From Manuscript to Published Textbook

Friday, 4/4/2008 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM

Sheraton - Liberty Suite 1

Joe McVeigh, Valerie Kelemen, and Brenda Wegmann

What happens to a completed textbook manuscript after an author submits it to the publisher for production? Two editors and an author describe the process of turning a manuscript into a book. They outline key decision points in the editorial process and discuss the balancing of competing concerns.

• Avoiding Death by Meeting

Saturday, 4/5/2008 7:30 AM - 8:15

Hilton - Beekman Parlor

Joe McVeigh

Many teachers and administrators spend endless hours in unproductive meetings which waste time and energy. In this demonstration participants learn ten techniques to make meetings function better for all.

The deadline for the RFP below has now passed.

I’m presently engaged in a consulting project for a large group of for-profit universities called Laureate Education, Inc. This organization is based in Baltimore and comprises a network of about 25 universities in 15 countries including 280,000 non-native speakers of whom about 100,000 are EFL learners. Laureate also owns the online institutions Walden University and Capella University. On March 22, 2008 Laureate published an RFP, of which a significant part seeks providers of teachers for their EFL programs and providers of teacher-training for their existing faculty. Other portions of the RFP relate to testing, certification of both teachers and students, a blended curriculum of online and classroom-based course, and a study and travel abroad component. Laureate hopes to begin a pilot program with about 4,000 students in the fall of 2008, broaden to 25,000 students in January of 2009, then work with all of their students beginning in January 2010.

They would also like to add teachers to their existing faculty. They hope to add about ten next fall, another 40 in January 2009 and about 100 more by January 2010. Their teacher-training needs are similarly large. They hope to have a training program roughly equivalent to a CTEFLA-about 120 hours of instruction-for their teachers who are in many countries around the world. They envision a program that would be a combination of online and face-to-face instruction. The initial training would be for about 75 teachers, the next group about 475, and ultimately for about 1875 teachers.

Laureate is seeking potential partners with the capabilities to help them with their significant EFL needs. If you or your organization might be interested, check out the initial call for proposals If you’d like more information, you’ll need to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Further details will follow upon receipt of that agreement. The deadline for receipt of proposals is April 22, 2008.

Download the preliminary request for proposals.

The job posted below has now been filled.
I’m currently doing some consulting for a large group of non-profit universities called Laureate Education, Inc. Laureate owns about 25 universities in about 15 countries through their University Network. They are looking for a Director of English Learning Programs to oversee their EFL efforts around the world. At the moment, they’ve got about 100,000 EFL learners. Sounds like quite a task, doesn’t it?

Read the description below or download the job posting in MS Word. You can also view it online at the TESOL Online Career Center or at Laureate’s own career center.

Job Posting: Director, English Learning Programs, Laureate Education, Inc.

Salary: Open

Location: Baltimore, MD, USA

Type: Full Time - Experienced

Required Education: Masters

Description

Laureate Education has an outstanding opportunity for a Director of English Learning Programs. Laureate’s international university network comprises 23 universities in 16 countries. There are a total of 280,000 nonnative speakers of English enrolled in degree programs. Laureate seeks a proven leader to help streamline and standardize English language teaching for its university programs across Europe, South America, and Mexico and Central America.

The successful candidate will conduct a needs analysis, evaluate current English learning programs within the university network, and determine curricular standards which can be maintained and implemented across culture and language groups. The Director will then determine the extent to which standardization can be achieved and what the components of standardization will be. The director will lead a selection committee in the drafting of RFPs to seek providers who can match the needs of Laureate network universities and their students. Components may include computer or online platforms, language-lab materials, textbook series, or the development of new curricular materials. The director will lead the selection process.

Once decisions are made, the director will facilitate the piloting of the selected approach, gradually introducing it through the Laureate network over a period of two to three years. Concurrent with the introduction of the new program will be ongoing assessment of its effectiveness, as well as faculty training and professional development. Throughout the process the director will be aided by the heads of the English departments at the 23 Laureate network universities. However, the director will not have supervisory responsibilities for these department chairs or for their departments.

When the program is fully implemented, the director will have ongoing responsibilities to monitor its effectiveness and evaluate with an eye to continuous improvement, including assessment and faculty professional development. The director will be evaluated on the effectiveness of the program based on testing and student evaluations, and on ability to meet financial and global enrollment figures.

This position includes significant responsibility, the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of teachers and thousands of students at outstanding educational institutions throughout the world. While based in Baltimore, MD, the director will also have significant opportunities and requirements to travel throughout the world. The position includes an excellent salary and a generous benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, life, and long and short-term disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, and other benefits.

Position Responsibilities

• Enthusiastically advocate for and promote the teaching and learning of English throughout Laureate’s global network of universities.
• Ensure that Laureate’s English language programs are efficiently run in the best interests of the students, faculty, universities, and the company while maintaining high professional and pedagogical standards.
• Evaluate existing English language offerings at Laureate institutions including faculty supervision, curriculum development, placement, testing, and assessment and materials selection.
• Assess needs worldwide and develop and refine a requirements document to assist in the RFP development process.
• Develop an RFP process to elicit proposals from providers who can meet the needs of Laureate students, faculty, and universities.
• Lead the selection of curricular solutions.
• Oversee the implementation of the new curricular offerings and programs.
• Hire, train, and supervise regional EFL specialists to serve as resources in different parts of the world.
• Advance the development and improvement of the teaching abilities of Laureate faculty members through in-service training workshops, conferences, and other professional development initiatives.
• Lead overall program review, policy decision-making, address accreditation issues, and strategic planning initiatives in collaboration with other administrators.
• Develop and implement training program to bring member institutions up to speed on new programs and curricula as the standardization process proceeds.
• Advise senior administrators on budget needs. Develop budget proposals, approve expenditures, manage budget to meet targets.
• Facilitate communication between Laureate’s English language teaching faculty throughout the world.
• Bear ultimate responsibility for student progress and satisfaction.
• Coordinate communications and relations between English language offerings and other Laureate initiatives.

Application Procedures

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Laureate Education, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. International applicants will be considered, however, applicants must have current authorization to work in the United States. Please send resumé to: mj@searchcsg.com or apply via the Laureate web site: www.laureate-inc.com/careers/

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• M.A. in TESOL, applied linguistics, or related field.
• Minimum of 5-10 years teaching and/or administrative experience at the college/university level or in an IEP
• Significant managerial experience and experience in project management
• Experience in curriculum development, materials selection, testing and assessment
• Experience with computer-assisted language learning and familiarity with language-learning software
• Experience in teacher supervision and professional development
• Good decision-making skills and evidence of quality work standards
• Energy, enthusiasm, and the ability to motivate others

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in TESOL or applied linguistics
• International teaching and administrative experience
• Experience working for a corporate, proprietary, or for-profit institution
• Experience working with virtual teams, especially internationally
• Experience in teacher training and budgeting
• Second language proficiency and experience living and working internationally

About Laureate Education, Inc.

Laureate Education, Inc. provides a superior university experience for full-time and working-adult students worldwide through its leading international network of accredited campus-based and online universities.

With a presence in 15 countries and serving more than 300,000 students worldwide, Laureate Education, Inc. is the most profitable, rapidly growing provider of post-secondary education on an international scale. The Company is dedicated to helping its students reach their highest potential and supporting their achievement of personal and professional goals. Laureate brings to its universities and students a global perspective blended with a local point of view, creating a truly multicultural, career-oriented educational experience.

Laureate’s university network includes 24 accredited institutions in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Together, these independently branded universities offer a broad range of undergraduate, graduate, and vocational-technical programs, including business, law, education, communications, social sciences, health sciences, engineering, information technology, hospitality management, humanities and architecture.

Laureate’s focus on the expanding, international market for higher education has resulted in rapid growth and increasing profits. Since it entered the higher education market in 1998, Laureate has enjoyed substantial growth with revenue growing to $876 million and operating income expanding to $160 million in 2005.

Laureate’s growth strategy includes these components:

• Developing existing universities, campuses and markets
• Addressing the unique needs of the different types of post-secondary students, including traditional full-time students, technical-vocational students, and working-adult learners
• Entering new, high-growth post-secondary education markets worldwide
• Developing and marketing network products, including study abroad programs, double- and joint-degree programs, shared content and courseware among the universities, and international online education programs.

More information is available on the company’s website at www.laureate-inc.com.

There you can also find information and web site listings of the international universities that make up Laureate’s university network.