Letter from the Chair
Dr. Matthew Allen, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Dear HEIS Members and TESOL Colleagues,
As Chair of the Higher Education Interest Section (HEIS), I am delighted to share this newsletter for Fall 2025.
HEIS is a big umbrella and a big community: our current membership includes 1,090 TESOL members, from over 50 countries, working in a wide variety of countries, educational systems, program types, and positions. One thing that brings us together is our commitment to our students and our profession. This commitment and community is especially important for ELT educators and administrators as we navigate a host of challenges, opportunities, and transformations from geopolitics and technology. Our featured articles in this newsletter provide valuable perspectives on how to navigate these turbulent times in higher education.
The more involved I am with HEIS activities and other TESOL groups and events, the more I appreciate having this network of support. Indeed, a major goal of our Interest Section is to Build Community, Promote Engagement, Facilitate Networking, and Enhance Professional Learning and Development. Some ways that HEIS works toward this goal include:
Webinars
HEIS organizes free webinars throughout the year, featuring presentations or informal chats on relevant and trending topics to our Interest Section community. Join these webinars to build your knowledge, discover new resources, and connect with colleagues. To promote community building around the world, many HEIS webinars focus on ELT in different contexts around the globe. Learn more in the run-down of recent and upcoming webinars in this newsletter. [INSERT LINK HERE]
TESOL 2025 Virtual Convention
If you are attending the Virtual Convention, we invite you to watch this on-demand recorded session: “Making our Work Visible and Valuable Across Higher Education,” a collaborative session with Applied Linguistics Interest Section Chair Miriam Moore. Get a preview of this session in the newsletter article by featured speakers Andrew Blick and Lisa Brisbois (Western Washington University). [Insert LINK Here]
TESOL 2026 Convention
HEIS will participate in multiple sessions and events connected to the annual Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah:
- Pre-convention HEIS networking event (virtual)
- HEIS Academic Session Panel: “Supporting Well-Being in English Language Higher Education”
- HEIS-ICIS-PAIS Intersection Session Panel: “Rethinking Success: Implications of Global Power Shifts for ELT”
- HEIS-ESPIS Intersection Session Panel: “Advancing ESP & EAP in Higher Education: Challenges, Changes, and Creative Responses”
- HEIS Open Meeting and Networking event
IS Leadership Positions
Each year, Interest Sections need to elect new leaders. The process is well organized through TESOL, and HEIS has established an excellent process to onboard and support new members of its leadership team. I was a general member of TESOL for years, but stepping into a leadership role was a major change for the better: I have learned so much more and felt more connected and invested than ever before. Different positions serve different functions and have different levels of commitment, so there are ways for members to find a position that fits their availability and career trajectory. Please reach out if you would like to learn more about participating in a leadership role.
HEIS Leaders, 2025-2026
- Chair: Matthew Allen
- Chair-Elect: Bessie Karras-Lazaris
- Associate Chair: Karin Rossbach
- Past Chair: Namsook Kim
- Community Manager: Khoa Do
- Editor: Tatsiana Baltsevich
- Events Manager: Zarrina Salieva
- Board Liaison: Cynthia Wiseman
Matthew Allen, PhD, is the Director of the Purdue Language and Cultural Exchange (PLaCE), an English language program for international students at Purdue University, West Lafayette. Matthew is an applied linguist who specializes in English language teaching and learning, including issues of curriculum design, intercultural competency, and second language writing.