TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES ASSOCIATION (TESOL TÜRKİYE)
QUALITY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (QUASIG)
QUASIG BYLAW
Preamble
The mission of the QUASIG to promote and facilitate the establishment of a culture of quality in English Language Teaching through sharing resources, ideas, and good practices. Its scope is the field of English language teaching in Turkey, including university preparatory programs, undergraduate and graduate English support programs, secondary education establishments, and private language schools.
1. Purpose and Aim of the QUASIG
1.1. The purpose and aim of the QUASIG is to facilitate and promote the development of a culture of quality in the field of English Language Teaching both in Turkey and abroad through sharing resources, ideas, and good practices, including but not limited to the following activities:
1.1.1. organizing workshops, seminars, training, discussion forums, and working groups for research and conferences;
1.1.2. facilitating networking among stakeholders with an interest in quality in English Language Teaching, including but not limited to managers, leaders, coordinators, senior teachers and deputy heads through digital and face to face platforms;
1.1.3. taking part in national and international events focusing on quality in English Language Teaching;
1.1.4. providing guidance, consultancy, mentoring and coaching through professional development activities and training;
1.1.5. organizing or facilitating social activities among members;
1.1.6. operating internationally, affiliating and conducting joint studies or cooperating with foreign associations/agencies;
2. Definitions
2.1. Words and phrases in this Bylaw shall have the following meanings:
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Bylaw
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This Bylaw dated 21 May, 2024.
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Coordinator
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The QUASIG Coordinator
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Executive Committee
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The Executive Committee of the QUASIG
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Extraordinary Meeting
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An extraordinary meeting convened by the Executive Committee in accordance with the rules of the QUASIG
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General Meeting
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A general meeting of the Members to be held in person, on paper, or online, the procedures for which shall be decided by the Executive Committee and published to the Members
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QUASIG
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The TESOL TÜRKİYE Quality in English Language Teaching Special Interest Group
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Member
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Member of the QUASIG
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Membership List
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The list of members of the QUASIG
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TESOL TÜRKİYE
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The Teaching English To Speakers of Other Languages Association established in Turkey pursuant to Law No. 5253 on Associations
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2.2. Defined terms used in this Bylaw not listed in 2.1 above shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the TESOL TÜRKİYE Constitution and TESOL TÜRKİYE Internal Bylaw. In the event of any conflict between defined terms in this Bylaw and the TESOL TÜRKİYE Constitution or TESOL TÜRKİYE Internal Bylaw, this Bylaw shall prevail.
3. Approval of TESOL TÜRKİYE
3.1. QUASIG is duly approved as an authorized special interest group by TESOL TÜRKİYE. In the event of any conflict between the regulations set out in this Bylaw and the TESOL TÜRKİYE Constitution or TESOL TÜRKİYE Internal Bylaw, the TESOL TÜRKİYE Constitution or TESOL TÜRKİYE Internal Bylaw shall prevail.
4. Structure of the QUASIG
4.1. The QUASIG shall consist of:
4.1.1. The Executive Committee;
4.1.2. The Members; and
4.1.3. Any working or research groups established in order to fulfil the purpose and aim of the QUASIG.
5. Right to Membership and Membership Procedures
5.1. Any member of TESOL TÜRKİYE in good standing may apply for membership of the QUASIG.
5.2. The Executive Committee shall determine the procedures including the payment of membership dues for prospective Members to join the QUASIG and publish them on the QUASIG webpage.
5.3. Membership dues payable to join the QUASIG shall be determined by the Executive Committee with the approval of the TESOL TÜRKİYE Board of Directors.
5.4. Members whose applications to join the QUASIG are accepted shall be recorded in the Membership List.
6. Leaving Membership
6.1. Any Member may terminate their membership by notifying the Executive Committee in writing.
6.2. Termination of membership shall be deemed to have occurred upon receipt of the written notice by the Executive Committee.
6.3. Notwithstanding termination of membership by a Member pursuant to paragraph 6.1 above, any outstanding membership dues or other debts owed to the QUASIG by the Member shall remain payable.
7. Termination of Membership
7.1. The Executive Committee may terminate the membership of the QUASIG of any Member on good grounds, including but not limited to:
7.1.1. Non-payment of membership dues;
7.1.2. Acting contrary to the purpose and aims of the QUASIG;
7.1.3. Acting contrary to a legal directive of the Executive Committee; or
7.1.4. Otherwise acting in such a way as to bring the reputation of the QUASIG or TESOL TÜRKİYE into disrepute.
7.2. In circumstances where the Executive Committee exercises its right to terminate the membership of a Member, it shall notify the Member in writing as soon as reasonably practicable, setting out the grounds for termination.
7.3. Any Member whose membership is terminated in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph may appeal in writing within 21 days of receipt of the notice referred to in 7.2 above to the TESOL TÜRKİYE Board of Directors who shall in their absolute discretion make a final adjudication of the matter as soon as reasonably practicable. The President of TESOL TÜRKİYE shall have absolute discretion in establishing procedures for the hearing of any such appeals.
8. Establishment and duties of the Executive Committee
8.1. Save as set out in paragraph 8.9 below, the Executive Committee shall be elected by simple majority of the Members in a General Meeting subject to approval of the board of TESOL TÜRKİYE.
8.2. The term of office of each elected member of the Executive Committee shall be three (3) years from 1 September following election, or the date of the General Meeting if held after September in the respective calendar year. Following completion of an initial term of three (3) years, any member of the Executive Committee may stand for election for a second term of three (3) years. A member of the Executive Committee may not stand for further election having served two (2) terms until at least one term of three (3) years has elapsed.
8.3. The Executive Committee shall comprise of a minimum of three (3) persons and a maximum of seven (7) persons.
8.4. All members of the Executive Committee shall be members of TESOL TÜRKİYE and Members of the QUASIG in good standing.
8.5. The Executive Committee may where it deems it necessary co-opt any Member onto the Executive Committee for good reason on the proviso that the said individual shall stand for election at the next General Meeting.
8.6. The Executive Committee shall have a Coordinator and a Treasurer elected by simple majority of the members of the Executive Committee. Members standing for election may also vote.
8.7. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for:
8.7.1. Organizing events, working groups, collaborations and other activities to further the objectives of the QUASIG;
8.7.2. Administering acceptances, resignations and terminations of Members;
8.7.3. Administering the budget and presenting financial reports to the Members and to TESOL TÜRKİYE;
8.7.4. Convening and administering Extraordinary and General Meetings of Members in accordance with the procedures set out in this Bylaw, including establishing procedures for holding online meetings, paper meetings, and proxy voting; and
8.7.5. Any other matters that contribute to the furtherance of the purpose and aim of the QUASIG.
8.8. Each member of the Executive Committee shall act with reasonable skill and care and in the best interests of the QUASIG. In fulfilling these duties, each member of the Executive Committee is specifically obliged to declare any potential conflicts of interest either real or perceived that may arise in their execution of their duties for the QUASIG.
8.9. For the purposes of constituting the first Executive Committee at the establishment of the QUASIG, the founding Members shall nominate individuals to serve as members of the Executive Committee, whose appointment shall be ratified at the first General Meeting of Members held after the establishment of the QUASIG.
9. Removal of members of the Executive Committee
9.1. The TESOL TÜRKİYE Board of Directors shall have the right to remove any member of the Executive Committee for good cause.
9.2. In the event of a proposed removal pursuant to paragraph 9.1 above, the TESOL TÜRKİYE Board of Directors shall provide written reasons to the member of the Executive Committee and allow the member to make representations in opposition to the removal.
9.3. Members may propose a motion for the removal of any member of the Executive Committee at a General or Extraordinary Meeting. Any vote to remove a member of the Executive Committee shall require a majority of two-thirds of the total number of Members.
10. Meetings & Decision-Making Procedures
10.1. The QUASIG shall hold a General Meeting annually and in any event not later than eighteen (18) months following the date of the previous General Meeting.
10.2. The Executive Committee shall notify the date of the General Meeting to the Members not less than three (3) months in advance of the meeting and include a draft agenda and motions to be put to a vote. The final agenda and list of motions to be put to a vote shall be distributed to the Members not less than two (2) weeks before the General Meeting.
10.3. Notice of any General Meeting shall also be given to TESOL TÜRKİYE not less than one (1) month in advance of the meeting. TESOL TÜRKİYE shall have the discretion to send an observer to any such meeting.
10.4. General Meetings may be held virtually where the Executive Committee at its sole discretion considers it is reasonable to do so. Members may join meetings remotely and participate, including voting, at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
10.5. The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 50% of the total number of Members. The quorum shall include any proxy forms sent by Members to the Executive Committee before the respective meeting in accordance with paragraph 10.10. below. Any General Meeting postponed by reason of there not being a quorum shall be reconvened by the Executive Committee within three (3) months of the date of the postponed meeting. In such cases, the quorum requirement shall be suspended.
10.6. Subject to paragraph 10.7 below, no matter shall be discussed or voted upon unless it appears on the agenda of the General Meeting.
10.7. A written proposal may be made to discuss and vote upon an item that does not appear on the agenda if approved by two-thirds of the Members present at the General Meeting.
10.8. The Executive Committee shall convene an Extraordinary Meeting to discuss and vote upon any matter or matters if not less than three-quarters of the total membership of the QUASIG demand it in writing.
10.9. Save as otherwise set out in this Bylaw, motions proposed at General and Extraordinary Meetings shall be voted upon in an open ballot as directed by the Executive Committee and decided by simple majority of the Members present at the meeting. In the event of a tie, the Coordinator shall have the casting vote. The Executive Committee reserves the right to call a secret ballot for any vote at its sole discretion. In such cases the Executive Committee shall inform Members of the procedures for the conduct of the secret ballot.
10.10. Members may vote by proxy at General and Extraordinary Meetings in accordance with procedures established by the Executive Committee and published to Members prior to the respective meeting.
10.11. Minutes shall be taken of every General and Extraordinary Meeting which shall be signed by the Coordinator and distributed to Members as soon as reasonably practicable following the meeting.
11. Dissolution of the QUASIG
11.1. The Members may resolve to dissolve the QUASIG with a two-thirds majority vote at a General or Extraordinary Meeting.
11.2. In the event the Members resolve to dissolve the QUASIG, the Executive Committee shall take all necessary steps to complete the dissolution as soon as reasonably practicable.
11.3. The Executive Committee shall notify TESOL TÜRKİYE of any such vote to dissolve the QUASIG as soon as reasonably practicable.
12. Amendments to the Bylaw
12.1. This Bylaw may be amended by a motion of not less than two-thirds of the total number of Members in a General or Extraordinary Meeting.
12.2. Any amendment to the Bylaw proposed by the Members shall be subject to ratification by the TESOL TÜRKİYE Board of Directors.
QUASIG aims to promote and facilitate the establishment of a culture of quality in English Language Teaching through sharing resources, ideas, and good practices. Its scope is the field of English language teaching in Turkey, including university preparatory programs, undergraduate and graduate English support programs, secondary education establishments, and private language schools.
QUASIG organizes workshops, seminars, training, discussion forums, and working groups for research and conferences. It can also provide guidance, consultancy, mentoring, and coaching through its professional development activities. QUASIG also aims to build a strong network of professionals in the world of English Language Teaching who are passionate about quality
QUASIG follows its values in all its activities:
1. Leading by actively promoting and advocating for a culture of quality in English Language Teaching to achieve measurable impacts.
2. Respecting different educational approaches by acknowledging that quality in English Language Teaching is diverse. We respect different approaches to developing a culture of quality in accordance with various educational contexts.
3. Acting with integrity by being transparent, open, accountable, and fair with all stakeholders and the community at large.
4. Acting with professionalism by making research and evidence-based decisions, reflecting and evaluating, and maintaining a culture of excellence in all work of Quasig.
5. Empowering stakeholders to achieve success by the promotion of a culture of quality in a spirit of collaboration, recognizing that different stakeholders bring knowledge and expertise that may benefit all.
6. Promoting continuous improvement, development, and learning by encouraging, facilitating, training, and supporting all stakeholders in developing effective training and reflective practices.
7. Promoting diversity and inclusion by recognizing and celebrating differences and by developing inter-cultural competence.
Co-Coordinator
Mehtap Çiçen
Mehtap ÇİÇEN is an English instructor with over a decade of language teaching experience and is a Cambridge-certified teacher trainer. She is currently working at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University. She has dedicated herself to the field of education, balancing her academic pursuits with practical teaching experience. With a strong academic foundation, Mehtap holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in ELT and is pursuing a Ph.D. in the same field, demonstrating her commitment to lifelong learning and academic advancement. Her expertise extends beyond the classroom as she has served as the head of a Professional Development unit, spearheading initiatives to support the growth and development of educators. She has also served as a Quality Assurance and Enhancement Board member at various schools. In addition to her academic pursuits, Mehtap actively engages in delivering training sessions to fellow teachers, empowering them in their professional development journey. Furthermore, she takes on the role of key organizer for multiple conferences, facilitating collaboration and the exchange of best practices within the education community. Her academic interests include teacher education, professional teacher learning, educational leadership, and quality assurance and standard setting in Foreign Language teaching.
Co-Coordinator
Ian Collins
Ian Collins is the Academic Assistant Director of the School of Foreign Languages at Yaşar University in Türkiye, where he has been a faculty member since 2009. He has extensive experience as a teacher and administrator, helping develop both the IEP program as well as the English for Academic Purposes courses and Legal English program at Yaşar. He teaches English for Specific Legal Purposes in the Faculty of Law and is the Director of the Yaşar University Unit for Legal Education in English. Ian’s Master’s in Education degree focused on educational change management and accreditation and he has presented and published regularly on language program management and accreditation issues in Turkey and internationally at TESOL and IATEFL conventions. He led Yaşar IEP’s steering committee for its initial Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) application in 2010-11, and was then the self-study coordinator for its re-accreditation in 2015-16. Ian is also an experienced, trained CEA site reviewer and served as a CEA Commissioner between 2019-23, as well as being the 2022 Chair of the CEA Commission. He is currently a CEA Specialized Contractor. He is a member of the DEDAK Accreditation Board and a trained DEDAK site reviewer. He was also the joint coordinator of the TESOL Türkiye Leadership & Management Special Interest Group between 2020 and 2022.
Treasurer
İlkay Bülbül
İlkay Bülbül holds her BA and MA degrees in ELT and has over two decades of experience in the field as a language instructor and lecturer. Since 2003, she has been working for the English Language Programs at İstanbul Bilgi University, where she has taught EAP courses as well as general English classes at all levels and for all skills. She also worked in the curriculum and assessment offices for numerous years, mainly responsible for the exit level of the preparatory program. She was a member of the accreditation steering committee during the initial CEA (Commission on English Language Program Accreditation) process at Bilgi Preparatory Program in 2013-2015, and then led the steering committee in 2019-2021 for its reaccreditation. She is currently working as a teacher trainer in the program. Ms. Bulbul has been a member of DEDAK (Dil Eğitimi Değerlendirme ve Akreditasyon Kurulu) since 2019, also serving in its Committee to Ensure Consistency in Accreditation Decisions and as its accreditation coordinator since 2021. She is a trained and experienced DEDAK peer reviewer, as well as a trained CEA site reviewer.
Özge Coşkun Aysal
Özge Coşkun Aysal is the Assistant Director of the School of Foreign Languages at Izmir University of Economics. She is a PhD Candidate in Educational Administration. She is a founding member of the TESOL Türkiye Executive Board and a founding member of the TESOL Türkiye LAMSIG Executive Board, where she is currently serving as a co-coordinator of the SIG, and also a member of TESOL Türkiye’s Associate Network Professional Council. She is a trained reviewer for DEDAK, Türkiye’s language program accrediting body, as well as CEA (the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation) and also serves as an Eaquals Consultant. Özge Coşkun Aysal is the Chair of the SFL Policies and Procedures Committee at IUE. At the institutional level, she is also working as a member of the Academic Unit Quality Commission, the University Bologna Coordination Commission, and the Strategic Planning Commission at IUE. Her primary research interests are Educational Leadership and Administration, Micro-Credentials and Digital Badges, Psychological Safety, Quality Assurance and Accreditation, Inclusive Leadership and Learning Organizations. She is currently working ionn the project for the SFL Academic and Employability Skills Micro-Credentialling Program.
Didem Mutçalıoğlu
Didem Mutçalıoğlu has been the director of the English Language Programs at İstanbul Bilgi University since 2009 and is one of the founding members as well as the current chair of the Association for Language Education, Evaluation and Accreditation (DEDAK). She currently serves as a commissioner at the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA). She led the CEA self-study process twice for the program she is the director for, which first resulted in a 5-year initial accreditation and then a 10-year re-accreditation decision. She also led the EAQUALS accreditation process for the Undergraduate Academic English Program at İstanbul Bilgi University, which resulted in the accreditation and then the re-accreditation of the program. In addition to these, she is the WSCUC (WASC Senior College and University Commission) Accreditation Liaison Officer and has led İstanbul Bilgi University’s institutional accreditation efforts with WSCUC, which resulted in a 6-year institutional accreditation decision, the first international institutional accreditation received by a higher education institution in Turkey. She holds a BA and MA degree in English Language Teaching. She completed the WSCUC Assessment Leadership Academy, which is a one-year program aiming at training leaders in the area of accreditation, the Assessment of Program Learning Outcomes and Program Review. She has participated in CEA and DEDAK reviewer and advanced reviewer trainings, and serves as a volunteer peer reviewer for CEA and DEDAK. She is currently working towards her doctorate in higher education at the University of Liverpool.
Social Media Specialist
Esma Şenel
Esma Şenel is a full-time lecturer at İzmir Democracy University, School of Foreign Languages, and a member of the Quality Assurance Coordination Unit. Having completed a master's degree with honors and currently pursuing a Ph.D. in ELT, she has showcased her commitment to academic excellence through numerous national and international conference presentations and publications. Esma was honored with a TESOL Advanced Practitioner Course Scholarship in 2020, a TESOL Professional Development Scholarship in 2021, and TESOL 2023 Convention Scholarship. As an experienced reviewer for top language education journals indexed in SCI and WoS, she is committed to upholding academic standards in the field. Esma's research interests span a wide range of topics including academic writing, creativity in language teaching/learning, creative writing, language anxiety, test anxiety, teacher training, burnout studies, quality assurance, and intercultural competence.
Donald Staub
Donald Staub is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the School of Foreign Languages at Izmir University of Economics in Izmir, Turkey. He also served for four years as the coordinator of the Quality Assurance Unit within the School of Foreign Languages at Isik University (Istanbul). Donald has a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University (EMU), and an MA (TESOL) and BA (Literature) from Michigan State University. Dr. Staub is a trained and experienced reviewer for the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA), Eaquals (Evaluation and Accreditation of Quality Language Services), as well on the leadership team of DEDAK (Dil Eğitim Programları Değerlendirme ve Akreditasyon Derneği ), the Turkish language program accrediting body. He also has significant accreditation experience with institutions in the U.S. that have been accredited by NCA, SACS, and CAEP. Dr. Staub also serves as the co-coordinator of the TESOL Türkiye Leadership and Management SIG (LAMSIG). His primary research interests lie in EFL quality assurance, student retention, delivery of English medium instruction, micro-credentials and digital badges, with recent book chapters on quality assurance in EFL programs as well as quality assurance in ESP programs. His edited volume Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Foreign Language Education (Springer) was published in 2019.