USI Intensive English Program earns prestigious 10-year reaccreditation

The University of Southern Indiana Intensive English Program (IEP) has received a 10-year reaccreditation following the five-year initial accreditation from the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA), a specialized accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 

“According to CEA, receiving a 10-year re-accreditation ‘requires strong evidence that the site meets the standards,’” says Dr. Mokhtar Al-Zuraiki, USI Self Study Coordinator. “The fact that USI received reaccreditation for 10 years without any reporting requirements on any of the standards is a testament to the expertise and professionalism of the entire IEP faculty and staff and a reflection of the outstanding work we do each day. I am grateful to and very proud of the team that worked with me to make our program better and secure this reaccreditation.” 

Accreditation is a rigorous process involving a comprehensive review of the program’s curriculum, faculty qualifications, student achievements, assessment practices, support and services, facilities, and fiscal and administered capacity. This accreditation serves not only as a certificate of highest quality, but it also increases USI’s chances to compete with other English language programs around the country.   

Dr. Emilija (Emi) Zlatkovska, Director of the IEP, expressed her gratitude to the IEP team, as well as other offices that worked tirelessly for over a year to create the self-study and accompanying evidence to prove the quality of the program. 

“It takes a lot of time, work and dedication. There must be a buy-in in the process—this has to be meaningful to everyone involved, otherwise it will never work,” she says. “We have a group of amazing people who care about the program and the students, and the results are obvious. Ten-year reaccreditation is recognition of the hard work my team put in. Thank you to Dr. Mohammed Khayum, our Provost, for supporting the process so we can continue to do what we do the best—help students learn the language to be successful at a university level.”