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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:28 pm Post subject: Bamenda University of Science & Technology |
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I also posted this in the Africa forum. Anyone familiar with this university in Cameroon? I have to admit that seeing it abbreviated B.U.S.T. seemed a bit strange. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Chancellor,
Well, I did find this:
"Feb. 20th, 2012
University of Bamenda a Biya scam.
Reading a recent article on the post newspaper, i was shoicked to notice that the so-called newly created University of bamenda was yet to begin, in fact the supposed start date was in january but with the month of february almost ending there have been no clue as to when the UNIBA will begin.
This might be suprising to readers across the world but it is not a new phenomenon in the republic of cameroon. President Biya prior to his reelection in october 2012 promised to create a University of Bamenda to lure anglophone voters in the northwest region to vote for his CPDM party. Poor, and innocent voters were victimized by this ploy and today they are shedding tears, for the Biya scam. This is just a tip of what anglophone cameroonians go get, from the current political dispensation. its is a shame that this fake promisses are recurrent and yet folks dont learn anything. Well said there is dire need of a political revolution to put an end to speech dictatorship, embellished lies telling, and perrenial corruption.
The article below from the post news paper shed more light to the UNIBA scam.
Johnson Mboh
Thousands Stranded as Bamenda Varsity Yet to Take Off
Friday, February 17, 2012
By Michael Ndi
CameroonPostline.com -- Thousands of students who expected to begin school in the newly created University of Bamenda (UNIBA) this year are now stranded at home as the institution is yet to open its doors.
Students� hopes were raised when they were assured by Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo that the University of Bamenda was to go operational by January 2012.
Upon the announcement, the vice chancellor of the University of Bamenda, Professor Edward Tafah, issued a communiqu� late last year calling on prospective students to submit complete files of documents for the admission to UNIBA latest December 30, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.
While students were awaiting the start of classes, the Minister of Higher Education has instead extended the admission period indefinitely, raising fears that UNIBA may not go operational this year after all.
Some students who did not apply for admission in other universities are now regretting putting their eggs in one basket. If the university finally does not effectively take off, they are likely to lose the whole academic year. Observers in Bamenda now speculate that President Paul Biya decreed the creation of the university out of political pressure without giving a thought about how it was going to be financed.
Even if the university finally goes operational this year, only two faculties will admit students � the faculties of Science and Health Sciences, in addition to the Institute of Commerce and Management. Many Bamenda residents complain that these faculties are not enough to satisfy the needs of the thousands of students wishing to enrol at the university."
http://johnsonmboh.blogspot.com/2012/02/university-of-bamenda-biya-scam.html?spref=bl
Regards,
John |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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Silence is loud! |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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Apparently, there aren't many people teaching in Sub-Saharan Africa.
I decided to take the position at Bamenda University of Science and Technology and will start teachiing January 10, 2013 (I asked for the extra time between now and then so I can do important stuff like get rid of so much of what I've accumulated over the years, put other stuff into storage, etc., and to give appropriate notice to my landlord and my current employer). |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Chancellor,
All the best - hope it turns out well. Please keep us up to date, if possible.
Regards,
John |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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johnslat wrote: |
Dear Chancellor,
All the best - hope it turns out well. Please keep us up to date, if possible.
Regards,
John |
Thanks. It seems there's not much to be said about the world of ESL in Cameroon. No one responded to the posting in the Africa forum and you're the only one who responded here in the General Discussion forum (where I figured there would be a bit more traffic). Then again, Cameroon is a combination Anglophone/Francophone country; so, it's reasonable that there wouldn't be much going on there in the world of ESL. |
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jill444
Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Posts: 5
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:28 am Post subject: Uinversity of Bamenda--a scam |
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Hi, I got the following today:
(note the salary--MUCH too high for Africa)
University of Bamenda
Bambili, Bamenda, Cameroon
Applicant Info
File
Applicant No.
W050179
Position
Full Time ESL Instructor
Programme ESL
Level
English Speaking Undergraduates
Name
Jill XXX
App Comments
Dear Applicant,
Your Application has been received and processed for available positions.We are currently recruiting for 3 positions at the University of Bamenda. Work begins immediately after Job approval.
*Job Details:
-Program: Teaching English To /English Speakers
-Department: English
-Class size: 70 Students
-Salary Pack: USD$3000-4500/Month
-Level: Undergraduates students
-Actual Teaching hours: 72/Month
-Weekly Schedule: Monday - Friday
-Curriculum: Institution to provide one to follow, nevertheless,
developing personal programs is highly appreciated.
-Expected Arrival: 2 weeks Prior to the start of your teaching schedule.
Other Benefits:
-Insurance Cover including emergency evacuation
-Overtime-work Compensation
-Free accommodation after 6 Months Probation Contract
-Full visa assistance/support
-On-going teacher development
In order to proceed immediately with your application, you must now send us scanned copies of your academic qualifications to date to backup your application.
If you are eligible for the position, you shall be contacted for an interview to defend your qualifications.
Should you require more information about this position, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Our dedicated team is here to advise you on every query.
Yours Sincerely,
Peter Brooks
Human Resource Officer/ Researcher. |
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mmcmorrow
Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 143 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2012 1:06 am Post subject: |
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There's always a risk involved in taking up new positions, particularly when they are in a new(ish) institution which you have limited information about and in a distant and unfamiliar country. No doubt 'Chancellor' has already factored that into his decision-making process.
To get more information, you might also contact some other educational institutions in Cameroon, as well as some government agencies (e.g. the Embassy etc). One of my ex-trainees from a CELTA course years ago taught at the British Council in Cameroon, so that's one possible source of information there.
The BUST website gives limited information on which to base a decision - and what is there is not always accurate. For instance, one of the two international affiliations listed on the front page is to 'The University of Wales at Bangor'. That hasn't existed in that form for five years - it's now 'Bangor University' (as described correctly on the misspelt 'Afiliations' page, elsewhere on the site). The search form on Bangor University's own website doesn't bring up anything about affiliation with Bamenda, but only a couple of references to past research projects in Bamenda. If you want to make sure, you can always just email them. But given that 'affiliation' is a pretty loose term and there are only two overseas institutions with which Bamenda even claims affiliations, that looks to me like a pretty thin claim to have on the front page of a university website.
The design and some of the text on the front page of the Uni website also lacks coherence and the whole thing seems very scanty. The site is littered with spelling mistakes, as well as very poor design. Some of the pages (e.g. FAQs) are empty. There seems to be essentially no information about course contents or structure. Some of the facts and figures which are included don't especially add to the institution's credibility. For instance, how can even a small university produce less than 20 graduates a year?
So, personally speaking, I'd want more information before I even considered applying for a post, never mind accepting an offer and making time-consuming and expensive arrangement for travel etc. As they say, 'Caveat Professor'!
Martin McMorrow, Massey University, NZ |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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mmcmorrow wrote: |
There's always a risk involved in taking up new positions, particularly when they are in a new(ish) institution which you have limited information about and in a distant and unfamiliar country. No doubt 'Chancellor' has already factored that into his decision-making process.
To get more information, you might also contact some other educational institutions in Cameroon, as well as some government agencies (e.g. the Embassy etc). One of my ex-trainees from a CELTA course years ago taught at the British Council in Cameroon, so that's one possible source of information there.
The BUST website gives limited information on which to base a decision - and what is there is not always accurate. For instance, one of the two international affiliations listed on the front page is to 'The University of Wales at Bangor'. That hasn't existed in that form for five years - it's now 'Bangor University' (as described correctly on the misspelt 'Afiliations' page, elsewhere on the site). The search form on Bangor University's own website doesn't bring up anything about affiliation with Bamenda, but only a couple of references to past research projects in Bamenda. If you want to make sure, you can always just email them. But given that 'affiliation' is a pretty loose term and there are only two overseas institutions with which Bamenda even claims affiliations, that looks to me like a pretty thin claim to have on the front page of a university website.
The design and some of the text on the front page of the Uni website also lacks coherence and the whole thing seems very scanty. The site is littered with spelling mistakes, as well as very poor design. Some of the pages (e.g. FAQs) are empty. There seems to be essentially no information about course contents or structure. Some of the facts and figures which are included don't especially add to the institution's credibility. For instance, how can even a small university produce less than 20 graduates a year?
So, personally speaking, I'd want more information before I even considered applying for a post, never mind accepting an offer and making time-consuming and expensive arrangement for travel etc. As they say, 'Caveat Professor'!
Martin McMorrow, Massey University, NZ |
Trying to find independent sources to verify information has been extremely difficult. Neither Cameroon's embassy in the US or the American embassy in Cameroon have responded to e-mails and calling either of them gets you nothing but an answering machine and no return calls. Anyway, what I have been able to independently verify so far is that the university does actually exist. I also tried calling the university, but that was an exercise in futility between the really poor telephone connection and the very poor English skills of the woman who answered the phone. So, I at least know the university does actually exist. I haven't been able to independently verify anything else. I'll be fully convinced the job is real when the university sends me the plane ticket (or however they're planning to get me there on a flight they're paying for), I land in Cameroon and I actually start teaching my assigned classes. |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:53 pm Post subject: Re: Uinversity of Bamenda--a scam |
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jill444 wrote: |
Hi, I got the following today:
(note the salary--MUCH too high for Africa)
University of Bamenda
Bambili, Bamenda, Cameroon
Applicant Info
File
Applicant No.
W050179
Position
Full Time ESL Instructor
Programme ESL
Level
English Speaking Undergraduates
Name
Jill XXX
App Comments
Dear Applicant,
Your Application has been received and processed for available positions.We are currently recruiting for 3 positions at the University of Bamenda. Work begins immediately after Job approval.
*Job Details:
-Program: Teaching English To /English Speakers
-Department: English
-Class size: 70 Students
-Salary Pack: USD$3000-4500/Month
-Level: Undergraduates students
-Actual Teaching hours: 72/Month
-Weekly Schedule: Monday - Friday
-Curriculum: Institution to provide one to follow, nevertheless,
developing personal programs is highly appreciated.
-Expected Arrival: 2 weeks Prior to the start of your teaching schedule.
Other Benefits:
-Insurance Cover including emergency evacuation
-Overtime-work Compensation
-Free accommodation after 6 Months Probation Contract
-Full visa assistance/support
-On-going teacher development
In order to proceed immediately with your application, you must now send us scanned copies of your academic qualifications to date to backup your application.
If you are eligible for the position, you shall be contacted for an interview to defend your qualifications.
Should you require more information about this position, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Our dedicated team is here to advise you on every query.
Yours Sincerely,
Peter Brooks
Human Resource Officer/ Researcher. |
So, you're suggesting that listings like this one (http://www.eslemployment.com/esl-lecturers-bambili-cameroon-30937165.htm) are fake and that the ESL Employment website is listing fake jobs? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:13 am Post subject: |
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Class size 70?!?!?
Yikes...
The ad in the link says the pay is "5500" but doesn't say 5500 whats. No way in the world that it is US$ or Euros... and in the local money the central African Franc - 5500 = $10
...and asks for no credentials of any kind. Certainly seems like a scam to me.
VS |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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veiledsentiments wrote: |
Class size 70?!?!?
Yikes...
The ad in the link says the pay is "5500" but doesn't say 5500 whats. No way in the world that it is US$ or Euros... and in the local money the central African Franc - 5500 = $10
...and asks for no credentials of any kind. Certainly seems like a scam to me.
VS |
I'm guessing you missed this part: "you must now send us scanned copies of your academic qualifications to date to backup your application."
It looks like the applicant is being asked to provide proof of whatever qualifications were alleged in that person's application. |
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Chancellor
Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 1337 Location: Ji'an, China - if you're willing to send me cigars, I accept donations :)
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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UPDATE: The human resources person I've been dealing with at the university informed me that the visa application has been approved pending payment of the fee. I verified through the Cameroonian embassy in the States that there is, in fact, a fee to be paid for the visa. If this is a scam, it's an elaborate one. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Chancellor,
And you pay the fee to the embassy, right?
Regards,
John |
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