Evelyn Levinson of the US-Israel Educational Foundation in Tel Aviv, Israel opened this session by introducing the panel. It consisted of:
Frederic McHale, Director of GMAT
Alexandra Hattemer, Program Officer, E/ASA for USIA in Washington
Cornelia Schweigler, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Fred opened the discussion by explaining that the testing process, although very prevalent, must be seen as only part of the admission process. It is used as a tool by the schools; thus the schools created the need for the existence of ETS.
He went on to explain that ETS is a 2500 employee company with many partners world-wide. Those partners include:
ETS also has established cooperation with USIA/USIS.
Alexandra then spoke about the USIA relationship with OSEAS and ETS. She mentioned the distribution of materials and the time involved in ETS matters as the two main issues that USIA is concerned with in regard to ETS and OSEAS.
Q: TOEFL voucher cards are a problem in SOROS. Is it possible to use IP's again?
A: Perhaps this is a question for the individual TOEFL program.
Q: How do other centers deal with the great amount of time spent dealing with the ETS examinations?
A: ETS has developed a cassette to aid filling out forms, but the student still wants one-on-one explanations. Make sure the student reads the bulletins. The information technology available will help, but access to it may be a problem. Perhaps a solution
is to not answer any questions about topics that are already printed in the bulletin. It may be wise to tell them that understanding the bulletin is part of the testing process.
ETS will continue to revise advising process in the form of Email access and sample application forms.
Q: Does USIA do anything about channeling requests for information?
A: USIA does not have a policy to this effect.
Q: If ETS personnel are in area, they should visit advising centers?
Q: What to do about calls from local schools and centers requesting bulletins in mass numbers?
A: Call ETS if they wish to set up their own distribution center, but requests for small numbers should be honored.
Q: Do people know the contact person at the local test centers?
A: It is not necessary to distribute that information since ETS provides the student with the necessary addresses before the testing date.
Q: Is a telephone tree with information by way of an answering machine an option?
A: You would need a touch-tone phone
Q: For those with this option or the form of recording information on the answering machine, is this an effective means of imparting the information and do you have a separate line for it?
A: Yes, there is a direct test-information line and a referral line. Once again this may be unnecessary since all the information necessary is included in the bulletin. Send the bulletin.
Q: Is there another way to send the roster? Could it be included in the box with the testing materials?
A: Materials come from the USA and CITO sends the roster.
Q: The score reporting delivery system is not reliable in the UIS. Can reports be sent to the advising center directly?
A: This is currently under consideration at ETS.
Q: Can we return to old TOEFL bulletin format?
A: ETS changed the bulletin format as a reaction to the complaints of foreign student advisers. We will take into account the comments today.
Thank you to the panel and to the ETS representatives.
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