Job Discussion Forums

[Allizwell]

Just saw a posting for "English lecturers needed right away."Could anyone please report in with some first-hand info (or thereabouts) about how this year is so far in terms of salaries for incoming teachers, housing/benefits,.students, overall working conditions, etc.? I have seen the recent negative info regarding QU's restructuring, but I'd like to know how things are now that classes have started. Thanks a bunch.

[scot47]

Hiring now - weeks after beginning of semester ?

Alarm bells ring there !

Several colleagues went from KFUPM in Dhahran, KSA, to QU a while back. They did not have positive experiences and all returned to KFUPM when the year was out !

[veiledsentiments]

That is why the rest of the Gulf doesn't want to hire teachers from Saudi. They decamp as soon as they learn that the conditions are different from Saudi. (Oh you mean we have to stay here all day? What, you don't get 2 weeks for each Eid?)

I'm not surprised that they are hiring. They made this massive change literally overnight with no input from either teachers or management at that time as to the "real world" ramifications. Naturally the confusion led to many of the teachers grabbing whatever new job that they could find... many resigned and I expect that a not insignificant number just didn't return after summer leave. And with the word out on the street, I suspect that most of those that they offered new positions last spring decided that elsewhere looked more stable.

My contacts were part of those that left. I don't know if they have touched base with those that stayed or not. Most teachers are swamped with beginning of new semester stuff. Hopefully someone will pass by here to bring us up to date.

VS

[douglas1969]

[veiledsentiments]

QU has made it very clear that they want to completely get rid of the Foundations program. While realistically speaking, they won't be able to do this unless some miracle happens in their K-12 schools. But Foundations teachers, especially those with families and children, don't want to deal with the possibility that they will be out of a job before they may want to move on.

One way to learn about the history of what has happened is to read a few of the threads on QU for the last year.

IMHO, there will be plenty of EFL teaching jobs at QU for the foreseeable future, but the re-organization means that teachers would need to be very flexible. You might be hired thinking that you will teach Foundations, but end up in... say, the Business department teaching ESP.

VS

[scot47]

VS, what you relale about teachers from Saudi is, to me, clear evidence that KSA is the place to be ! At least for uni teachers, conditions there are BETTER than in Qatar !

(Of course this not apply to those luckless individualks tricked into coming to KSA on BUSINESS VISAS.)

I am pleased to see you reverse your usual line wich is "Amywhere except Saudi !"

[Allizwell]

Thank you, all, for your input. I have decided not to continue my applica tion to work there. It seems wise to wait until some positive reports come out of there. Meanwhile, will continue to labor in Saudi, which has turned out to be a goldmine with all the side jobs. And once you've figured out the ways to survive socially, it ain't all that bad here overall. Cheers.

[Allizwell]

Thank you, all, for your input. I have decided not to continue my applica tion to work there. It seems wise to wait until some positive reports come out of there. Meanwhile, will continue to labor in Saudi, which has turned out to be a goldmine with all the side jobs. And once you've figured out the ways to survive socially, it ain't all that bad here overall. Cheers.

[mesquite]

Desperation because of unprecedented student enrollment numbers. Nobody expected this apparently. I even heard something incredible - they have rehired a couple of teachers fired by the previous HoD. It just goes to prove how right so many posters were about his mismanagement and nepotism. The practice he introducing of fire2hire such backfired with this. Also heard that many of the newbies are pretty inexperienced. The base pay of 17,000 QR is very attractive to many but from what I heard the workload is phenomenal. People have no off-time as they are so busy with this new foundation program which is still in a state of flux. I spoke to a QU student who whose dad I know; he said the program is awful - intensive 9 weeks and all they do is assess the students. What happened to good old-fashioned learner-centered teaching practice?

Amazing that they rehired fired staff. Just goes to show that some people in the decision-making chair don't always make the right decisions. This former head had a bad rep for firing people who crossed him - sounds like ABP!!

From word on the street, there are high hopes of the new director and the
management team. Let's hope they eliminate all the bad practice from the previous gang. Although I did hear that there was some nepotism in a few of the appointments to management. Things never really change on the ground, do they?

[veiledsentiments]

Actually this doesn't prove anything or confirm the silly meme a few of the fired teachers created.

All it proves is that they were desperate for teachers NOW and they took those that were available and nearby. duh... any port in a storm...

VS

[blastermill]

More trouble at this place. The new director resigned and her replacement is supposed to be a clone of the last guy - no people skills, inflexible and authoritarian. At least half a dozen people are handing in their notice; they've had it with the a sour workplace, a sour management and work overload. The work load is very heavy and people are forced to teach long hours to huge numbers of students - they were promised 20 to a class but have ended up with more than 30! You can't really teach a language effectively to such a huge number of people.

[blastermill]

Bizzare goings on - apparently they need more teachers so are hiriing but at the same time looking for reasons to fire the current staff. Morale is low and teachers are more miserable than before as the uncertainty of job security and the threat of being fired is causing a lot of stress. Back to the old system of fire n'hire??? Seems like it. Why don't they get it right?

[veiledsentiments]

[stonemason]

Too right - morale is darn low.

[andrewliasse]

does anyone know if lecturers at QU get multiple exit visas automatically? many thanks