Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Highland.
Diane, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The Tutorium in Intensive English program was established in 1978 and has served hundreds of international students each year since then. There have been two directors in its nearly 40-year history as well as many very committed instructors and administrative staff. Our alumni come from more than 30 countries and the demographics of our student group change as the global economic and political picture changes.
Graduates of our program progress to academic study here at the University of Illinois at Chicago, or to one of Chicago’s many institutions of higher education. We also serve UIC’s Masters in TESOL program hosting graduate students completing an internship in the Fall semester.
About half of the faculty are graduates of this MATESOL program. The program has been nationally accredited by CEA (the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation) since 2002 and is an active member of the consortium of University and College Intensive English Programs (UCIEP) and of EnglishUSA.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Any program that is dedicated to international education and an international student population must adapt to global changes both political and economical. The program flourishes with strong economies in foreign countries, scholarship programs sponsored by foreign governments and the ever-present desire to participate in advanced education in the United States.
Major political events including those that take place in the US such as the terrorist attack on 9/11/2001 have a negative impact on international education and the number of students who desire to travel to the US and are able to do so. Nevertheless, because UIC is a major Research One institution located in the vibrant and well-known city of Chicago, the program has thrived even with the ebb and flow of international students coming to the US.
Tutorium in Intensive English – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our mission statement is to provide high-quality English language instruction to students who have clear academic and professional goals. We are well known both in Chicago and nationally for our professional faculty and serious students. Graduates of our program leave with a clear ability to communicate both written and oral as they transition to their next stage. We are a key piece in UIC’s growing international population.
One aspect of the program which makes the Tutorium stand out is its professional and committed full-time faculty. Many programs like this one have a majority of part-time adjunct faculty. The program is known both for its high standards and for this committed faculty and administrative team.
The program also strives for a diverse enrollment profile. There are students from more than twenty countries in each semester session. We think of ourselves as “a small school” in a big university, helping each one of our students, all recently arrived to Chicago from far off places, to settle in, adjust and thrive during their studies with us.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There is no one “proudest” moment in my 18 years in this program. I am proud of each and every students who successfully transition to the next stage whether it is undergraduate or graduate study, returning to the home country to develop a solid career or adjusting to continued life in the US as a professional. We thrive on our students’ success.
I am proud of each teacher, those who continue here for many years working around the calendar year for our students and those who move on and often up in their chosen profession have learned much during their time at the Tutorium. We are a family and we all thrive on the successes of each member of that family.
I am proud of every person that I have mentored in my long career as an educator.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1333 S. Halsted St. #260
Chicago, IL 60607=5019 - Website: tie.uic.edu
- Phone: 312 996-8764
- Email: tutorium @uic.edu
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tieuic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tutorium-in-Intensive-English-at-UIC-111600132208479/
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