NORTHWESTERN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

Intensive English Program

 Welcome
!
Welcome to the Intensive English Program (IEP) at Northwestern Polytechnic
University (NPU). Using a learner-centered approach, we provide students
with the opportunity to improve their English language skills in small-sized
classes equipped with state of the art facilities. It is a great pleasure to intro-
duce our program, and we warmly welcome you to our diverse community.

Cordially,

Jennie O’Connor
JENNIE O’CONNOR
ESL Administrator
Northwestern Polytechnic University

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Introduction to Northwestern Polytechnic University
Located in the city of Fremont, right in the heart of Silicon Valley, Northwestern
Polytechnic University (NPU) has been serving a culturally and economically diverse
student body of both local and international students for over 30 years. NPU is dedicated
to providing advanced educational opportunities and promoting professional career
development in the fields of business, engineering,and technology.

Our Intensive English Program Mission

The Intensive English Program (IEP) supports NPU’s mission to equip non-native
English speakers with the language skills they need to successfully reach their academic
and professional goals. By fostering both a diverse international community and exposure
to American culture, the program helps students overcome the linguistic difficulties
involved in studying a subject in English at the university level.

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Intensive English Program
The IEP at NPU is open to non-native speakers of English who want to improve their
English language skills. This program is designed for working professionals as well as for
students preparing for university study or professional programs. Classes meet on the
NPU campus. The course of study is based on a communicative, student-centered
approach with listening and speaking, reading, writing, and grammar courses. Courses
focus on fluency and accuracy in both spoken and written English. Classes are small, and
they will never have more than 15 students. The small class size allows each participant a
maximum amount of individual attention and an opportunity to develop conversational
skills in an intimate setting.

Intensive English Program Outcomes

• Students will develop fluency and accuracy in both spoken and written English.

• Students will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of nonfiction and literary texts

of increasing complexity, evaluate texts using critical reading skills, and identify useful
and reliable sources when doing research.

• Students will write sentences, paragraphs, and essays using connecting expressions
and supporting details and examples; follow standard paragraph and essay format with
topic sentences, thesis statements, citations, and other conventions; and synthesize
information from various sources.

• Students will show that they understand spoken interpersonal communications,

broadcast media, and academic lectures, and develop the ability to take notes while
listening.

• Students will orally communicate concrete and abstract ideas in formal as well as
informal settings using increasingly native-like pronunciation, stress patterns, rhythm,
and intonation.

• Students will accurately use grammatical structures of greater complexity as well as

employ vocabulary of increasing variety and precision.

Why Choose the Intensive English Program at NPU?

The IEP at NPU offers several benefits:

• A focus on both General and Academic English in an accelerated format;

• A pathway to the high level of English proficiency and study skills required
for academic success;

• An ideal location in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Structure of the Intensive English Program

IEP students build practical English skills for general, academic, or professional purposes.
Following the learning objectives outlined by the Common European Framework of Reference
(CEFR), the IEP offers English courses at seven levels, ranging from elementary to advanced –
that is, from basic to proficient user. While Levels 1-4 concentrate on General English, there is a
deep focus on English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at Levels 5-7.

Levels 1-4
In Levels 1-4, students concentrate on developing fundamental English skills in an interactive
classroom setting. Course work emphasizes those skills necessary for effective oral and written
communication. Instruction covers all areas of language development: practical vocabulary, basic
language structures, and the essentials of reading, writing, listening and speaking, and grammar.

Levels 5-7
In Levels 5-7, students continue to develop fluency and accuracy. Course work focuses on both
comprehensive skills and English for Academic Purposes (EAP). This includes essay and research
paper writing as well as the development of critical reading, listening, and note-taking skills.

Upon successful completion of Level 5, IEP students may take the Cambridge B2 First exam at
NPU free of charge. The Cambridge B2 First is one of several English language exams which can
be used for admission to NPU degree programs. Admission to all NPU degree programs requires
a minimum score of 168 on the Cambridge B2 First Certificate. For admission to Master's degree
programs, applicants with a CGPA between 3.0 to 3.49 must have a minimum score of 175 on the
Cambridge B2 First Certificate.

Each level is comprised of 4 courses (Listening & Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Grammar),
and each course consists of 5 hours of classroom instruction per week, making a total of 20 hours
per week.

7
Advanced , CEFR C1 Upon completion of level 7, students take the
IELTS 7.0/TOEFL 94-101 Cambridge C1 Advanced exam at NPU, free of charge

6
Pre-advanced
CEFR B2 IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 79-93

5
High intermediate Upon completion of level 5, students take the
CEFR B2 IELTS 6.0/TOEFL 60-78 Cambridge B2 First exam at NPU, free of charge.
4
Intermediate
CEFR B2 IELTS 5.5/TOEFL 46-59

3
Low intermediate Upon completion of level 3, students take the
CEFR B1 IELTS 5.0/TOEFL 35-45 Cambridge B1 Preliminary exam at NPU, free of charge.

2
Entry intermediate
CEFR B1 IELTS 4.5/TOEFL 32-34

1
Upper elementary
CEFR A2 IELTS 4.0/TOEFL 31
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 Academic Calendar
Our IEP course are offered at different times throughout the year.
The details from each session are outlined below.

IEP Academic Calendar 2019

Application New Student Start End

Session
Deadlines Orientation Date Date
1 Dec. 19th, 2018 Jan. 3rd, 2019 Jan. 7th, 2019 Feb. 28th, 2019
2 Feb. 25th, 2019 Mar. 1st, 2019 Mar. 4th, 2019 Apr. 25th, 2019
3 Apr. 22nd, 2019 May 2nd, 2019 May 6th, 2019 Jul. 1st, 2019
4 Jun. 25th, 2019 Jun. 28th, 2019 Jul. 2nd, 2019 Aug. 27th, 2019
5 Aug. 21st, 2019 Aug. 26th, 2019 Aug. 28th, 2019 Oct. 23rd, 2019
6 Oct. 17th, 2019 Oct. 21st, 2019 Oct. 24th, 2019 Dec. 19th, 2019

Every session takes eight weeks to complete, and consists of 20 hours of classroom instruction per week.

Tuition & Fees

The IEP offers both full-time and part-time options to meet the needs of
students. The breakdown of program costs is provided in the table below.

Full Time Part Time

Tuition 20 hours/week 15 hours/week 10 hours/week 5 hours/week

4 courses 3 courses 2 courses 1 course
Per session Per session Per session Per session
Levels 1-3 $1,000 $750 $500 $250
Levels 4-7 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500
Application Fee* $80
Registration Fee** $75
Books Estimated at $50 - $110 per course

* Application fee is non-refundable.

** Registration fee is charged per 8-week session. 6 2019-07-01
How to Apply
In order to apply for a place in one of our sessions, the IEP application form must be com-
pleted and submitted online. Please click the “Apply Now” link below or visit our website
at http://www.npu.edu/iep/IEP-Application-Form. There is an application fee of $80,
which is non-refundable. IEP students must be at least 18 years of age by the first day of
class, or have a high school diploma or equivalent. Upon receiving your application form
and the application fee, the ESL Administrator will contact you to discuss the status of
your application and the next steps to take. Students must have a proficiency level higher
than a true beginner in the English language to be accepted into the IEP. Level 1 is the
upper elementary, or CEFR A2, level, within IELTS band 4, and it equates approximately
to a TOEFL score of 31.

Placement Test
New IEP students must attend a new student orientation before their first class meeting.
During the orientation, students will take a placement test to identify their level of English
proficiency. Students will be placed in a level based on their results. The placement test
may be waived if the student provides an original copy of a TOEFL or IELTS test report
form which is not more than two years old.

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Course Codes
Once the student has been assigned to the appropriate level, their course codes will be
submitted to the Registrar to complete the registration process.

Listening
Course Reading Writing Grammar
& Speaking
Level 1 IEP110 IEP120 IEP130 IEP140
Level 2 IEP210 IEP220 IEP230 IEP240
Level 3 IEP310 IEP320 IEP330 IEP340
Level 4 IEP410 IEP420 IEP430 IEP440
Level 5 IEP510 IEP520 IEP530 IEP540
Level 6 IEP610 IEP620 IEP630 IEP640
Level 7 IEP710 IEP720 IEP730 IEP740

Grading System
A letter grade (A, B, C, D, F, or W) will be assigned
for each course at the end of every session. A student
must obtain a C (70-79%) grade or better in all
courses of the current IEP level in order to advance
to the next level.

Letter Grade Percentage

A 90% - 100%
B 80% - 89%
C 70 - 79%
D 60% - 69%
F 0% - 59%
W Withdrawal

Each IEP course can be repeated only once, and the

total number of repeated courses for the entire
program cannot be more than three.

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Textbooks
Once registered as an IEP student, the textbooks for each level can be purchased from the IEP
office at NPU.

Listening & Speaking Reading

Course Writing Grammar
(Pronunciation included) (Vocabulary included)

Pathways Foundations: Pathways Foundations: Great Writing 1 Grammar and Beyond 1

Listening, Speaking, and Reading, Writing, and CENGAGE Learning Cambridge University Press
Critical Thinking, 2nd ed. Critical Thinking 2nd ed. ISBN 978-1-285-19488-2 ISBN 978-0-521-14293-9
IEP Level 1 CENGAGE Learning CENGAGE Learning 2014 2012
ISBN 978-1337-40770-0 ISBN 978-1-337-40775-5
2018 2018

Pathways 1: Listening, Pathways 1: Reading, Final Draft 1 Grammar and Beyond 2

Speaking, and Critical Writing, and Critical Cambridge University Cambridge University Press
Thinking, 2nd edition Thinking, 2nd edition Press ISBN 978-0-521-14296-0
IEP Level 2 CENGAGE Learning CENGAGE Learning ISBN 978-1-107-49535-7 2012
ISBN 978-1-337-40771-7 ISBN 978-1-337-40776-2 2016
2018 2018

Pathways 2: Listening, Pathways 2: Reading, Final Draft 2 Grammar and Beyond 2

Speaking, and Critical Writing, and Critical Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press
Thinking, 2nd edition Thinking, 2nd edition ISBN 978-1-107-49539-5 ISBN 978-0-521-14296-0
CENGAGE Learning CENGAGE Learning 2016 2012
ISBN 978-1-337-40772-4 ISBN 978-1-337-40777-9
IEP Level 3 2018 2018
+
Focus 1
CENGAGE Learning
ISBN 978-1-285-17319-1
2014

Pathways 2: Listening, Pathways 2: Reading, Final Draft 3 Grammar and Beyond 3

Speaking, and Critical Writing, and Critical Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press
Thinking, 2nd edition Thinking, 2nd edition ISBN 978-1-107-49549-4 ISBN 978-0-521-14298-4
CENGAGE Learning CENGAGE Learning 2016 2012
IEP Level 4 ISBN 978-1-337-40772-4 ISBN 978-1-337-40777-9
2018 2018
+
Focus 2
CENGAGE Learning
ISBN 978-1-285-17331-3
2014

Pathways 3: Listening, Pathways 3: Reading, Final Draft 4 Grammar and Beyond 3

Speaking, and Critical Writing, and Critical Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press
Thinking, 2nd edition Thinking, 2nd edition ISBN 978-1-107-49557-9 ISBN 978-0-521-14298-4
CENGAGE Learning CENGAGE Learning 2016 2012
IEP Level 5 ISBN 978-1-337-40773-1 ISBN 978-1-337-40779-3
2018 2018
+
Focus 3
CENGAGE Learning
ISBN 978-1-285-17336-8
2014

Pathways 3: Listening, Pathways 3: Reading, Sourcework, 2nd edition Grammar and Beyond 4
Speaking, and Critical Writing, and Critical CENGAGE Learning Cambridge University Press
Thinking, 2nd edition Thinking, 2nd edition ISBN 978-1-111-35209-7 ISBN 978-0-521-14301-1
CENGAGE Learning CENGAGE Learning 2012 2013
ISBN 978-1-337-40773-1 ISBN 978-1-337-40779-3
IEP Level 6 2018 2018
+
Focus 4
CENGAGE Learning
ISBN 978-1-285-17341-2
2014

Pathways 4: Listening, Pathways 4: Reading, Writing Clearly, 3rd Grammar and Beyond 4
Speaking, and Critical Writing, and Critical edition Cambridge University Press
Thinking, 2nd edition Thinking, 2nd edition CENGAGE Learning ISBN 978-0-521-14301-1
IEP Level 7 CENGAGE Learning CENGAGE Learning ISBN 978-1-111-35197-7 2013
ISBN 978-1-337-40774- 8 ISBN 978-1-337-40780-9 2012
2018 2018
Policies and Procedures
Attendance Policy
• Students who miss one class meeting are
required to meet with the ESL
Administrator.
• Students who miss a total of five hours or
more of any course may be withdrawn from
the course, based on the decision of the
Attendance Committee.
Classroom Policies
• Students are expected to arrive to class on time.
• Students that arrive between 1 and 10 minutes
late to class will be marked late.
• If a student has been late 3 times for one class,
it will equal a one-hour absence.
• Students that arrive more than 10 minutes late
for class will be marked absent.
• Students that leave the classroom more than
10 minutes before the end of class will be marked
absent
• A student must obtain a C (70-79%) grade or
better in all courses of the current IEP level in
order to advance to the next level.
• Each IEP course can be repeated only once,
and the total number of repeated courses for the
entire program cannot be more than three.
• No digital device may be used in the classroom
unless permitted by the instructor.
• At the discretion of the instructor, students may
receive an academic warning by email for un-
acceptable performance. Multiple academic
warnings may be grounds for dismissal.
Refund Policy
IEP students have the right to cancel the enroll-
ment agreement and obtain a refund of charges
paid if notice of cancellation is received by NPU
through attendance at the first class meeting, or
the 7th day after enrollment, whichever is later.
Students shall provide notice of cancellation in
writing through the MyNPU Student Portal using
the following navigation links: My Requests >
Non-Academic > Transfer Out/Withdrawal.
Cancellation shall be effective when successfully
submitted.
Students who withdraw by the end of the first class
meeting in a period of attendance, or 7 days after
enrollment, whichever is later, will receive a full
refund. Following the first class meeting and up
through completion of 75 percent of the period of
attendance, students may withdraw from NPU and
obtain a pro rata refund of unearned institutional
charges. The application fee is non-refundable.
NPU shall refund any credit balance on the student’s
account within 45 days after the date of the student’s
completion of, or withdrawal from, the student’s
educational program.
A withdrawal may be effectuated preferably by the
student’s written notice or by the student’s conduct,
including, but not necessarily limited to, a student’s
lack of attendance, as further detailed below.
A student is deemed to have been withdrawn when
any of the following occurs: (1) the student drops all
courses enrolled in a period of attendance, (2) the
student submits a written notice to withdraw
through the portal, as described in the cancellation
section, (3) NPU terminates the student due to
misconduct, unsatisfactory academic performance,
or overdue fees, (4) the student fails to return from a
leave of absence, or (5) the student misses a total of
five hours or more of any course, based on the
decision of the Attendance Committee.
A student that drops one or more courses, but not all
courses, will receive a pro rata refund of tuition for
the dropped courses.
Complaints
NPU takes complaints regarding the institution
seriously. This policy describes the grievance proce-
dure available to members of the NPU community,
whether students, employees, or other interested
parties.
1. Informal resolution
NPU highly encourages members of the NPU com-
munity to attempt to informally resolve any situation
directly with the aggrieving party or department.
With regard to academic grievances (e.g., grade
changes, academic integrity, faculty grievance),
students must attempt to informally resolve the
matter with their instructor.
With regard to appeals of disciplinary action and
other complaints, no member of the NPU communi-
ty is obligated to attempt informal resolution and
may bring a formal complaint to the administration
as outlined in this policy.
2. Timing
Academic grievances and appeals of disciplinary
action must be received by the administration within
30 days of the notice date of the disciplinary action
or of the close of the academic term in which the first
incident giving rise to the grievance occurred.
There is no deadline for other types of complaints.
3. Complaint procedure and Resolution
All complaints and supporting documentation shall
be submitted in writing to the NPU Compliance
Department. The complaint should be made using
the NPU Grievance Form, which is available on the
NPU website.
Please note that if a complaint is an appeal of disci-
plinary action, the complaint should include a
description of the basis of appeal. The following are
the only valid bases of appeal: (i) inaccurate find-
ings, (ii) new clear and convincing evidence, and (iii)
inequitable process. Any new evidence not men-
tioned in the complaint form or supporting docu-
mentation will not be considered.
The complaint may be sent via email to compli-
ance@npu.edu or delivered in person to the front
desk of the NPU Administrative Building during
normal business hours. If the complaint is regarding
NPU Compliance or its personnel, then the com-
plaint may be sent to the Executive Vice President
via in person delivery to the front desk of the NPU
Administrative Building during normal business
hours. In such cases, the complainant should specify
that the complaint is regarding compliance or its
personnel.
Intake personnel, generally a member of NPU
Compliance, will review the form. If the form is
complete, intake personnel will, within 5 business
days of receipt, acknowledge receipt of the complaint
and forward it to the appropriate party for review
and resolution. Matters are generally forwarded as
follows:
a. Academic matters are forwarded to the
Chief Academic Officer, or the Chief
Academic Officer’s designee.
b. Appeals of disciplinary action are
forwarded to the Executive Vice
President, or the Executive Vice
President’s designee.
c. All other complaints are assigned to a
member of NPU Compliance.
Depending upon the type and complexity of the
grievance, the appropriate party may, in their
discretion, adjudicate the matter or assign the
matter to a Grievance committee.
Within 60 days of receipt of the complaint, NPU
shall provide a written response to the complaint
11
via email. If further investigation is needed, the
complainant will be provided with a written
response to the complaint within 10 business days
after completion of the investigation.
The complainant may appeal NPU’s resolution
by filing a statement of appeal that clearly
describes the grounds of appeal within 5 business
days of the date of the written response. The Presi-
dent of NPU shall adjudicate the appeal within 30
days of NPU’s receipt of complainant’s statement
of appeal.
If a complainant has exhausted all grievance
procedures provided under NPU’s policies, the
complainant may contact:
a. The Accrediting Council for
Independent Colleges and Schools at
750 First Street NE, Suite 980,
Washington, DC 20002
b. The Bureau for Private Postsecondary
Education by calling (888) 370-7589 or
by completing the complaint form,
which can be obtained on the bureau’s
internet website address
www.bppe.ca.gov
4. No Retaliation
No member of the NPU community shall be sub-
ject to adverse action by NPU based upon the
reasonable good faith filing or participation in a
complaint.
5. Maintenance of Records
Records for student complaints are maintained
for at least 6 years. Records for complaints made
by non-students are maintained in accordance
with applicable university policy.
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Northwestern Polytechnic University
47671 Westinghouse Drive
Fremont, CA 94539
www.npu.edu/iep
(510) 592-9688 x52