Dear Students,

It's hard to believe that the end of the semester is so close — less than a month away! It's also hard to believe that the last time I wrote a letter for Planet IEP was January 21! I'll bet Mrs. Bowles (and especially Mr. Bowles, the webmaster) would like to give me an F for not doing my homework.

It has been a good semester. I have enjoyed my classes a lot. I wish I had gotten to know the people in Level 2 more — I only had Level 2 students in TOEFL class, which is a big class, so it's harder to learn a lot about each other.

Last week I sent around a sign-up sheet for individual appointments with me. Usually I meet with each student during the semester, but I haven't had time to do that this semester because I am teaching an extra class. If you didn't sign up for an appointment but you will be here during the period between the spring and summer semesters (May 14 through June 5), please drop by my office to talk to me. As usual, my door will be open! You can also e-mail me with comments and suggestions about our program.

Advance Registration

Several important things will be happening in the next few weeks. Next week, for the first time, Level 3 undergraduate students who had all As and Bs at mid-term will be able to advance register for the summer and fall semesters. Usually all IEP students who are completing the program have to register after advance registration. Going through advance registration will give students a better chance to get all the classes that they want. Any student who passes TOEFL will be able to register on May 15 and 16.

Most IEP teachers will be at the ARKTESOL conference on Friday, April 26. (ARKTESOL means Arkansas Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.) Your teachers will make arrangements for your classes that day. We have planned one special listening and speaking opportunity that day for all students: Level 3 students will be making presentations about food, music, and other aspects of their cultures for students in Levels 1 and 2.

Scholarships

IEP students who meet attendance and GPA requirements will be able to apply for 2 out-of-state tuition scholarships that will be announced at our end-of-semester reception. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is May 6. You will get more information about these scholarships in your classes next week.

Finals

IEP final exams will be May 9 and 10. Your teachers will tell you more about your final exams as the time gets closer.

A Very Special Event

Finally, the IEP end-of-semester reception that I mentioned before will be Tuesday, May 14, at 1:00 p.m. in Student Center 203B. At this time we will give out your final evaluation reports, make some presentations, enjoy refreshments, and say "farewell" to people who are leaving for the summer or forever. Don't forget to bring your cameras! You don't have to dress up for the reception, but a lot of students like to wear their best clothes to the reception — it's our most special event of the year.

We're also planning an IEP picnic at Beaverfork Lake for early May, but I'll have to tell you the details about that later.

I hope all of you are having a great semester and are not feeling too much pressure from TOEFL, class projects, and final exams. Remember what I said during our orientation at the beginning of the semester: It is important to have a balanced life, which includes studying, practicing your English, having fun, learning about U.S. culture, getting enough sleep, and getting some physical exercise. Gee, maybe I should follow my own advice!

Sincerely,

Lynn Ramage Schaefer

Interim Coordinator
Intensive English Program

Department of World Languages, Literatures, & Cultures
Irby Hall #207J
University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR 72035
tel: (501) 450-3671
fax: (501) 450-5185
lynnr@mail.uca.edu