Job Discussion Forums

[lollaerd]

First community college to open in September


Taking the Education for a New Era reform initiative to new heights, the Supreme Education Council is all set to open Qatar�s first community college in September this year, Gulf Times has learnt.The Community College of Qatar (CCQ) is to offer job training and basic academic programmes for high school graduates who do not get enough grades to enrol in a university.The objective is to groom them to join a university for higher education or the workforce directly.The Qatar government has signed a $45mn (QR164.25mn), five-year contract with Houston Community College (HCC) to open the CCQ, Houston Chronicle reported.
Gulf Times, which broke the news about the CCQ programme in November 2008, had reported in April 2009 that the project was set for a 2010 launch.�High School graduates with 70% or more marks stand a chance to enrol in a university in Qatar, but we should understand that there are a lot of students who do not make this grade and subsequently get frustrated,� CCQ Steering Committee chairperson Prof Ibrahim Saleh al-Naimi had told Gulf Times in November 2008.
Though Qatar University�s Foundation Programme and Qatar Foundation�s Academic Bridge Programme now prepare such students for a university education, there is a feeling that they are losing time, the official had observed.

HCC Chancellor Mary Spangler has been quoted as saying that the Qatar project is a natural extension of the community college�s role. The initiative, along with other international programmes launched by HCC in recent years, will also provide students from Houston with the opportunities for international exchanges, she said. HCC also has worked with institutions in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, experience that may come in handy as it hires faculty and staff for the Qatari campus over the next few months. But unlike the earlier projects, which involved existing institutions, HCC will be creating a college from scratch in Qatar, according to Houston Chronicle.
The CCQ will use HCC curriculum and be covered by HCC�s accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. HCC was selected from among eight US community colleges for the partnership which is aimed at providing workforce training as well as lower-division academic course work. The American Association of Community Colleges president George Boggs said international interest in US community colleges has grown dramatically in recent years. The Qatar contract will boost HCC�s bottom line. Spangler said HCC will receive �slightly less than 10%� of the $45mn operating budget covered in the contract � 10% would be $4.5mn � over the five-year term. �This is not costing taxpayers� money,� Spangler said. �We are not doing less at home because we�re doing this. We�re bringing larger opportunities.� HCC�s enrolment has topped 70,000 students this spring, even as it has pursued the international initiatives.
The school actively recruits international students; about 6,600 are currently enrolled, more than any other US community college.
It also sends students to study in other countries, something that once happened exclusively at four-year schools


http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=356635&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56

[lollaerd]

The new campus is near Holiday Villas Hotel. It will open next week. A two year Associate degree with option of transferring to a university is on offer.

[bullets]

How have things been going so far at CCQ? I've applied and am waiting for a response. Wondering if it's a good place to be or not.

[wilberforce]

Nobody knows - Americans only from what I've heard. None of my pals got an interview or even an answer.

[wilberforce]

CCQ courses �recognised world over�

Dean Hansen and steering committee chair Ibrahim Saleh al-Nuaimi at the press briefing yesterday
The newly-established Community College of Qatar�s (CCQ) courses are internationally certified and will allow the students to join any university in Qatar or abroad to complete their bachelor degrees, a top CCQ official said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters, CCQ steering committee chair Ibrahim Saleh al-Nuaimi said that the college had three different programmes, an Associate in Sciences or Associate in Arts degree, Associate in Applied Sciences, as well as Work Advancement or Employment and Certificates or courses for training and personal development.
He explained that after obtaining the Associate in Science degree, students can further study to obtain their Associate in Applied Sciences degree, which now offered business and computer technology programmes.

The associate in science or arts degree allows the students to register in any university in the world as a third year, while the associate in applied sciences degree allows them to go directly to work�, he said.
The third programme, he said, offered courses for employers to provide upgrading or improving the skills of their employees, or re-train for a totally different field.
�We are talking to Qatar Petroleum and RasGas and we will be visiting in October all corporations in Qatar to offer our services�, he added.
CCQ dean Judith Hansen said that the college was the outcome of two years of work to establish a place to improve the Qatari participation in the workforce to reach the 2030 vision.
�The college officially opened its doors for orientation last Sunday and the classes started on September 26�, she stated.
She explained that CCQ has begun its first academic year with 305 students.

�A total of 1,330 candidates had taken the placement test but two-thirds of them preferred afternoon and evening courses�, she said, adding �in January we are going to launch evening classes for the working students and we still have another 2,000 students on the waiting list, who still haven�t taken the placement test and need some orientation�.
Hansen explained that the college was accepting only Qatari students, however, the future plan was to include non-Qataris also.
�What is good about CCQ is that we have small classes, a comfortable personal relationship with professors, whereas every class has an average of 20 students, so they have an opportunity to learn�, she said.

[wilberforce]

CCQ to admit �all interested applicants�

The Community College of Qatar (CCQ) will accommodate all applicants willing to study at the college regardless of the initial plans to admit only 300 students in the first year.�Our plan is to meet the educational needs of all categories of students and we are ready to offer admission to anyone who knocks on our door,� the college�s dean Judith Hansen and project director Ibrahim al-Naimi told Gulf Times in an exclusive interview yesterday.Hansen disclosed that the institution had received thousands of applications during the open house held recently, but said that about 1,000 have signed up to take part in the placement tests and orientation programme.

�Out of this lot, we will be selecting the best 300 students who have excelled in Math and English language in the placement exam. At the same time, we will be finding opportunities for all the students who want to come to CCQ by telling them when to enroll as our ultimate goal is to provide education for everybody approaching us and showing interest in the college,� she explained.The dean reiterated that more students would be invited in January when the institution would begin its part-time courses and then in June, adding that many students had expressed their desire to study part-time.To why the college has chosen to administer Act Compass, a different set of tests, she said: �We have chosen this because it is a special test particularly for students who have not used English as their first language. So Act Compass will be administering English to them as a second language.�
She explained that it was not a pass-fail test, as the college would not turn down anyone based on their test scores.
�The test is being viewed as a placement test that helps us to identify studies that suit students , because we want them to be successful and pass their courses and cope with their pursuit of degrees later on,� she maintained.
The college will begin offering two-year courses in three different degrees, namely associate degrees in Arts, Science and Applied Sciences by the academic year starting in September.
However, the college has extended the dates for signing up for its placement tests and orientation until July 7.
Asked about the most sought after degree, she maintained that equal number of students have shown interests in all the three courses.
�We have not yet added up all of their interests though, but based on our interactions with some of the applicants, there are equal number of students enrolling in the associate degrees which will have combined core courses in English, Math, Communication, Social Sciences and the Humanities,� she mentioned.
�The big surprise to us however, was that there are many working students who wanted to take courses in applied sciences in order to improve their businesses and promote technologies. It was a surprise to us because we think that would make a difference in their businesses and help improve Qatar�s economy.� Hansen added the college would contribute to Qatar�s economy and help achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030 by producing students who see learning as a way to improve themselves and their country.�Any CCQ student who is successful in their associate degrees will be eligible for transfer to any university�s third year class provided their core courses tally with the university�s requirements,� she said mentioning that the college would soon hold meetings with senior officials at Qatar University and the Education City to discuss how CCQ students could be transferred to courses offered by these institutions.

[wilberforce]

I wonder if QP will send some of the students here. By the way, I applied on line at least four times and never got an answer. This is the way a lot of places function in Qatar. They don't bother to reply. This reflects badly on them because after all it is American-riun and we Americans pride ourselves on our efficiency. I wasn't impressed. At least I took a job that was offered me and it's turned out to be great. (Not in Qatar, however. I thought I might try a return with my MA but it worked out better that I didn't get an answer from the community college. Maybe they just want to send their own staff overseas like Georgetown U does.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/127500-community-college-plans-evening-classes.html

[veiledsentiments]

I found that it was typical of US educational institutions - in the US - that they never respond to an application unless they want to interview you. You don't even know if they have received your application. The same has always been true of most of the Gulf institutions - US related or not.

CCQ brought their own people over with them and were not recruiting at all.

VS

[wilberforce]

[wilberforce]

[veiledsentiments]

Nothing is ever the same as it was.

I checked that link on your other post and it seemed to be just for adjuncts (UGH!!!) in Texas. I couldn't find any mention of Qatar at first. And then when I finally found them, it didn't really tell you anything... it seems to require minimal credentials and nothing was mentioned about pay or benefits.

VS

[wilberforce]

[veiledsentiments]

Well they better start providing some information for the applicants. Salary would be nice though often not mentioned in ME ads, but they should definitely be listing benefits... housing, medical, vacation days. This is standard for ads in the Gulf.

Interesting that they said "knowledge of Arabic helpful" or some such... not sure how, as I never used what Arabic I knew when I was in the Gulf... but they don't mention experience in the Arab world.

Sadly it seems that they are another employer that doesn't understand the country or part of the world that they are working in...

VS

[teechar]

HCC-CCQ will only hire US citizens. It does say in the description that you need a US passport, you if you don't have the passport, you won't get the call.

Hope this helps.

Teechar

[millie18]

Hiring only ones' compatriots is the same stupid mistake CNAQ has made. Limiting the applicant pool limits the experiential and educational benefits a diverse workforce can provide (given that the right people are hired) especially in this part of the world.

Looks like HCC-CCQ is willing to give CNAQ a run for their money