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 in anticipation of the TESOL 2026 International Convention, to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, on March 24-27. I hope that many of you will be able to attend this year’s Convention, where you will be able to network with colleagues and publishers, hear from TESOL leaders and speakers, and share knowledge and best practices in panels and presentations (as well as enjoy the cultural life and beautiful scenery that Salt Lake City and Utah have to offer). This year’s Convention will be special, as it will also be a celebration of TESOL's 60th Anniversary!

In this newsletter, we want to highlight some of the ways that HEIS is working this year to achieve our goals to Build Community, Promote Engagement, Facilitate Networking, and Enhance Professional Learning and Development, especially in preparation for the TESOL 2026 International Convention.

Featured Newsletter Article

In our featured article, “Bridging Generations in ELT: The never-ending story?” Karin Rossbach, Associate Chair of HEIS, considers how generational differences affect our students’ learning and our work as educations. One of the strengths of our field is our focus on learners… but what happens when generational differences challenge our ability to understand our students? Karin draws from her own experiences as well as research to shed light on this topic and to remind us of the importance of staying committed to the work of building understanding across difference.

HEIS Community on MyTESOL

https://my.tesol.org/topics/23256/home

MyTESOL offers several ways for members to connect with HEIS and other TESOL members. Highlighted here are the Library and News sections of the HEIS Community hub:

• Library: https://my.tesol.org/topics/23256/media_center. Members who cannot attend virtual events can access recordings through the Webinar folder of the HEIS Library. HEIS currently has a collection of 19 webinar recordings, and we will continue to add to the library as we host more virtual events. Resources from older webinars and events can be found in the Resources folder of the HEIS Library.
  
  
• News https://my.tesol.org/topics/23256/news. Past issues of the HEIS digital newsletter are located in this section of MyTESOL, with older editions of the HEIS Newsletters located in the Archive folder of the Library section.

HEIS Virtual Events

https://my.tesol.org/topics/23256/events

Visit our Events page on MyTESOL to register for upcoming virtual events. HEIS currently runs virtual events in two broad areas:

• Global ELT Series: For each of these events, we invite speakers with extensive ELT experience in a specific context to share their experiences and perspectives.
  
  
• Webinars on Hot Topics in Higher Education: For each of these events, we host presentations by experts in specific areas of interest to our members. Attend these webinars to build your knowledge, discover new resources, and connect with colleagues.

HEIS Sessions at TESOL 2026 International Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

HEIS will lead multiple sessions and participate in several events as part of the annual Convention. Visit the Announcement page of this Newsletter to learn more [insert link]. Here, I want to call attention to two ways members can participate in preparation for the Convention:

Mini expo for TESOL Communities of Practice.

As part of the TESOL 60th Anniversary Exhibit at the Salt Palace Convention Center, TESOL will host a mini-expo. HEIS will participate with a display to showcase the history and impact of HEIS. We’re excited to showcase the history and impact of our community, but we need your help! We will collect stories and memories from HEIS leaders and members to share on a display board. We invite all members of the HEIS community to share their story via this short form: [add link].

Pre-convention HEIS Virtual Networking Event.

In early March, before the Convention, HEIS will host a virtual networking event to connect people before arriving in Salt Lake City. Watch our Events page on MyTESOL for details and to register. For presenters at TESOL: If you will be presenting a session at the Convention and want to do a quick promotion to encourage members to attend. For new attendees: Learn how to get the most out of the Convention and meet people before you arrive.

Interest Section Leadership Positions

Interest Sections rely on members to volunteer to serve as leaders. I was a member of TESOL for years before stepping into a leadership role, and it has been an important part of my professional development. I have learned so much more and felt more connected and invested than ever before. Please reach out if you would like to learn more about participating in a leadership role. I would like to recognize and thank our current Steering Committee members for their diligent work over the past year, which includes participating in HEIS business meetings, planning and hosting virtual events, creating newsletters and social media posts, and preparing sessions for TESOL Convention.

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

As part of the annual TESOL election cycle, HEIS Leadership is going through some transition. Many thanks to these outgoing members of our leadership team:

• Namsook Kim ended her term as Past Chair on December 31, 2025, after she was elected as a Nominating Committee member for TESOL International Association, to serve a 1-year term beginning in January 2026. Previously, Namsook served as Chair of HEIS in 2024-2025.
• Bessie Karras-Lazaris was elected to the TESOL Board of Directors, so she will end her term as Chair-Elect of HEIS in March 2026, when she begins her 3-year term in this position.
• Tatsiana Baltsevich served for two years as the Newsletter Editor and Khoa Do served for two years as Community Manager, working with HEIS leadership and members to build the HEIS community and connect HEIS members across various platforms.
• Cynthia Wiseman has served as Board Liaison to HEIS, offering invaluable insights based on her experience in TESOL.

HEIS will welcome new leaders in several positions for 2026-2027. Follow HEIS on MyTESOL for announcements and updates about elections and appointments.

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.