Job Discussion Forums

[Moonshadow_51]

GOOD NEWS ON ZIRVE UNIVERSITY:

I have written the recruitment officer at Zirve and he has responded to all the concerns we have viewed in recent posts. Almost all the negative press has been presented by one individual with a negative agenda.

First of all, several foreign teachers are returning next year. This is a very positive sign that things are progressing.

Secondly, pay day is, indeed, on the 10th of the month, and this notice now appears in the new contract, so that teachers do not expect it earlier.

Apparently relationships with domestic staff are good. The HR hiring team wrote that foreign teachers often visit homes of the Turkish staff, that "they even attend concerts in Turkish with us" and "we have organized trips with them."

There is a mall with a Carrefour and a Marks & Spencer in it. For Americans who have not traveled to this area before, Marks & Spencer is British equivalent to America's Casual Corner and Dillard's quality clothes for men and women - very fashionable stuff is available for both ladies and men, and in western sizes. Carrefour is a French hypermarket on the scale of a Super Walmart. You will be able to get your oatmeal, peanut butter, and your western cosmetics at Carrefour.

I will not criticize the individual who composed the negative remarks about the school because it is best to remain positive. I will end the post by relaying, however, that the University wrote to me that this individual is known to them, has been disciplined several times this year for indiscretions with students and classroom management, and has not been able to relate well to people in her building, other foreign teachers.

Culture shock rears its normal head in painful ways, and I would not attack any teacher for going through a difficult time. I like and respect teachers. We must continue to support one another. We must also gauge our own opinions so that they are not coloured by negativity, and based on the strong opinions of one person going through a particularly difficult period in her life.

I have suggested to Zirve that a few photos be made available of the apartment, and would further recommend that candidates offered contracts ask the university for a few, simply to reassure yourself that you shall be well-provided for.

[nodubt82]

I would like to give some answers to remarks made here by one or two of our former employee s worked at Zirve University. Although I do believe that people should not be influenced by such bad remarks but ask the administrators they talk during job recruitment process, I will try to give some clarification to the issues raised here.

1.Pay: Last year, it was written in the contract that, the salary will be given on 1st of each month, but then we have informed all our Turkish and native staff that it will be put on accounts on 10th the latest. All people agreed and they arranged all their bills accordingly. We have 22 native staff and none of them but this woman who is named as �Cairo1� on this site, has brought this as an issue to extent of saying that it was not paid even on 11. She is trying hard to manipulate things even lying on most occasions. This year, as some of our new staff may know, we have put a sentence that it will be paid by10th of each month. We receive the salary by 3rd pr 4th anyway.
2.Housing: Petek residences are on a very safe environment, close to Gaziantep University. When our native staff first moved in, there was a small construction going on for 2-3 weeks. It is over now, there internet, security and all our staff live in the same building which consists of studio flats 1+1 (for single people), 2+1 (for married couples). There are of course balconies. That person who wrote those remarks even complained about direction of the balcony, but there was nothing we could do, cos flats are arranged randomly. Our staff pay for electricity and there are meters now, so each month they get a bill to pay which is not more than 30 TL. I admit that last year, that metering system came late, but February on, each staff knows how much they will pay.
3. Life in Gaziantep: She has actually said that Gaziantep is boring in order to stop people coming here. Boring for whom? If you ask me and most of our native staff here, here is where history and civilization come together. I mean it is not somewhere like Ibiza or Bodrum, but people are friendly, food is great, there are a lot of historical places to enjoy, nature is fabulous and living conditions are low. You can have a full lunch with 5 USD.
4.Hospital Related Issues: Last year, we hired some staff who frequently became ill due to their age and we asked some of our Turkish instructors to take them to hospitals. We have created such a friendly environment that These Turkish instructors took native staff in their own cars, helped them on translation at hospitals. In other occasions, we provided contact details of English-speaking doctors our native staff could go. I personally have taken some of them in my own vehicle and helped them. But, you know what we saw? The person who wrote these bad remarks about Zirve said she was ill and took two days off sometime last year. One of our admins went to see if she was ok. She was found drinking alcohol in her apartment playing cards with someone although she said she was terribly ill. Our admin did not know what to do and was shocked with flowers in his hand. We have warned her on several occasions and she then attempted to write negative remarks on this site. This year we have hired an English speaking Turkish staff who will help all our native speakers who will arrive in September.
5. Working hours: Our instructors work 22-24 hours a week. This is was in their contract. Some said this was too much for them. We decreased the contact hours to 21-20 though we could have said this was not written in their contract. Most of the people complaining asserted that they were relaxed and this woman is still bringing the issue here as if it is still going, ignoring the fact that these issues they reported have been resolved. As I said, she is manipulating people by mixing problems and solution and coming up with only problems.
6. Management: With one academic, one administrative and one native staff coordinator, we are doing our best to make their stay here a blast and we have received quite positive feedback from all our staff, whether they be foreign or Turkish. This is our second year as a university, there are some problems everywhere in the world. The thins is how you perceive these problems and the way you solve them. Saying that �management is horrible� is easy, it is so easy to blame people without any ground evidence. The person who wrote these remarks has intentionally become so problematic that she does not cooperate. I have been asking her to give me her flight details so that I can purchase her ticket, she wrote a lot e-mails saying : �no,�. So, who is horrible? I literally spent 3 weeks trying to get her flight details. But, I am happy with almost all our native staff, they have been a great asset to our program, however, in this woman�s case, I have not experienced such a thing before. As a person worked and lived in the US before, I believe she is not representing good American work ethics and values.
7. Testing Office: We have created a testing office to administer tests, and naturally since it was a new team, there were errors in tests which were eliminated in the testing committee. I agree there were several problems with some tests, but when you come and say it should not be �colour�, but �color�, I would not say you have good intentions.
8. Health Insurance / Visa etc.: This year all our staff will come with a work visa, and their insurance will start in one month following their arrival.
8.Turnover Rate: I assume she is knocking all people�s doors and asking whether they will stay and of course, since all other native staff know her, they have not told her about their plans. Some people told me that they will stay but wanted me not to tell her. I do not why people are afraid of her anyway. I am really shocked by her behavior as she is also trying to provoke other people and even putting pressure on other staff who are willing to stay next year. So, she is believing everybody is leaving, however about 10 people are staying next year. Among the people who are leaving, two people left due to health issues, two people are going to have grad studies, one person has said s/he has missed his/her family, so will be gone but could come back, one person accepted an offer from an Arabic country etc.
One note to people who are applying jobs in general: That person who has written those notes have been observed many times dismissing classes early, bothering people at Petek by shouting while drunk even bringing drunk men in and some other stuff that I would like to refrain from touching upon here due to its loathsomeness and nastiness. Also, please contact the employer of that institution instead of being influenced by such comments if you would like to receive a more balanced and correct information. Please, ask you employer to clarify issues raised in these sites before making a change in your career.

[Moonshadow_51]

May I add a thanks to you for sending me photos of the apartment building and its quarters. The area is attractive and nicely landscaped.

I also noticed that the kitchen is full-sized and that the bedroom is not at all as small as one would have been led to believe.

Overall, it appears that this new private university is making strides to make its foreign faculty comfortable, and I was told today by a school director in Adana that Gaziantep is a very nice city to live.

Glad to see positive news on these threads.

[paul2key]

Hi MoonShadow. I have been offered a contract for the 2012-13 year. I'm a bit concerned about what has been written on this thread concerning the past. I realize all new schools face difficulties, but I appreciate what you wrote last year. Can you update if things have gotten better? Thanks

[Moonshadow_51]

I wouldn't encourage my worst enemy to teach at Zirve. Period.

Please PM me for details.

[londone7]

most of the comments here are old from 18 months ago
can any of the current or recent teachers comment on how things presently stand? thx

[Moonshadow_51]

There is nothing good about Zirve. The university hires anyone who applies for a job. It loses its teachers quickly and then brings in new foreigners. And then they leave as soon as they are able to collect some money. A portion of monthly wages is withheld in order to keep people working, and wages remain in collective arrears to keep teachers on for the term. Period.

[wander&teach]

Moonshadow, I am curious as to the reason for your flip flop on your previous posts above? After re-reading them it still appeared that you had first hand knowledge about the school and your posts came across as a glowing positive review for Zirve. Why the sudden change, may I ask?

[Moonshadow_51]

I sent you a pm to explain.