Job Discussion Forums

[desertfox]

I have it on good authority that not all is well at Kfupm.

Teachers are being made to do overtime to big classes (30+).

Many teachers were lost over the summer, and there have only been 3 new recruits.

Also, because of the advancing years of many that are still grimly hanging on, many of them are not asked even to do overtime. This compounds the problem as the others are asked to do yet more.

Feels like the management are ensuring to get more out of the teachers they have, then go to the bother and expense of getting adequate fresh blood in.

[Lord T]

I thought they were getting rid of the over-sixties and replacing them with qualified, enthusiastic younger teachers.

It seems unfair that some are made to do overtime and others not. How is
it decided who does compulsory overtime and who doesn't?

[desertfox]

The older teachers (60+) are being replaced, but it is a slow process.

Kfupm management moves in mysterious ways. Nothing is transparent.

The overtime seems to be allocated on health grounds, I am told.

Those that can manage to get around (physically, at least) seem to qualify for extra work. Those that can't, appear to be excused.

[Lord T]

I've never worked there myself, but the comments on this forum about KFUPM have been up to now, I would say, mostly positive.

You do however get the impression that it has been a place of refuge for some: I know of an old boy from rural Cambridgeshire who has been there over 15 years - he was clapped out 20 years ago when I worked alongside him, so goodness knows how he's managed to survive there.

Perhaps the Saudis have decide to bring the place in line with other universities in the kingdom?

[desertfox]

The type you refer to Lord T, in your post, according to my sources, are all too familiar.

They apparently act as a drag on the place. And the management are complicit in that they "sponsor" such individuals and protect them, when in fact they should have been moved on years before.

The paradox is that Kfupm is regarded as the elite university in the Kingdom. Yet these low standards are tolerated, it appears.

[ayatollah]

Student numbers are increasing, but their learning abilities aren't. Bright school leavers who are capable of going to university look for a decent job. If their English is any good, they usually find one and attend IT courses at New Horizons after work.

[dragonpiwo]

Young teachers or old teachers won't change the output. You can fix everything except the elephant in the room in the ME.

[cnthaiksarok]

[voyagerksa]

[scot47]

Some of them might know the difference between "their" and "there".

[Lord T]

All teachers should know both, and all teachers should be doing their share of overtime, if the overtime is described as obligatory.

The errors on this thread are easy to correct: change 'their' to 'there', add a full stop; get rid of the dead wood and replace them with teachers that want to do their fair share of the work.

Come on KFUPM management, do your job!

[currentaffairs]

I am glad so many people are saying full stop.. Period makes me cringe.

[currentaffairs]

Double post

[siologen]

Good point there.

I quite agree, period (as a brit!!!) always makes me cringe somewhat. Much like deploy is a military term, yet recruiters in the KSA like to use it when telling ESL teachers when they can expect to be relocated. Only military equipment and personnel are deployed, not teachers or other workers. Sometimes I feel like emailing them a reply along the lines of: "Let's get the usage right mate!!!!!"

[veiledsentiments]

Poor little boys afraid and cringing over the mere word 'period'... not surprising.

It's language dialect. To a couple hundred million Americans 'full stop' sounds odd too. But we're not afraid of it. Grow up!

VS