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June 17, 2005
MU's LEAP Program Can Negatively Impact Foreign Students; Other Schools Have Integrated Language Programs Into Academic Departments
by Adam Brown
Huntington News Network
Huntington (HNN) – Students making the leap from their home countries to studying at Marshall often face many challenges. This is especially true for students enrolled in the LEAP program.
LEAP, which stands for Learning English for Academic Purposes, is for international students who are not fluent enough in English to take college classes at Marshall. LEAP students are not permitted to take other classes at Marshall until they have completed the program or passed the TOEFL English proficiency test.
LEAP students are not officially registered as Marshall students. This makes it difficult for them to gain access to student services that rely on the banner system for student records, such as my MU. Because students in the program are still learning English, it is harder for them to clear up misunderstandings. LEAP students also receive generic student ID cards instead of the Marshall HigherOne card.
"Since the students aren't listed in banner, it can get very confusing," Nancy Person, coordinator of LEAP said. "Other departments have been very helpful when we have a request. Many have offered suggestions to make it easier for students to be recognized."
The LEAP program is not a Marshall University program. While it is closely affiliated with the university, it is overseen by a private entity called the Marshall University Research Corporation. That is why students enrolled in the program are not fully registered.
"Even though we're under academic affairs, we aren't under an academic department," Person said. "If we were under the College of Liberal Arts, then under an academic department such as the English department or the Foreign Language department, students wouldn't be having these problems."
Person said other universities have integrated their English as a Second Language programs into academic departments with success.
Ohio University's English as a Second Language program, the Ohio Program of Intensive English, allows students to either enroll in the program full time or enroll part time and take one or two academic classes.
Scott Hoppe, director of international students and scholars, said the current state of the LEAP program can negatively impact an international student's Marshall experience.
"Imagine going to another country and you can't speak the language, then add the on top of that the problems our students are facing," he said. "LEAP students are constantly being told that they're not regular students even though most LEAP students go into undergraduate or graduate programs."
Hoppe said the international office has tried in the past to integrate the program but has met resistance.
"[Former Marshall president] Dr. J. Wade Gilley thought the program should remain a stand alone," Hoppe said.
Person said the LEAP program has anywhere from about 50 to 80 students a year and can accommodate up to 90. The highest figure for the program in recent years was 79 students in 2001 and the lowest figure was 50 in 2003. Seventy to 75 students are expected to enroll for fall 2005.
