|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
thursday12
Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Posts: 93
|
 Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:14 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| anoder mismanaged institution. Makes me real ashamed 'o my countrymen when they do dumb things like this. Heard they bin advertizin locally coz dere inexperienced Texas teachers had real adjustment problems. Shud of hired locally in da first place!!! People jest never listen! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
lollaerd
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 337
|
| Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
HCCQ has suffered a lot of problems this past year. The main problem was with the director who did not honor some of the promises made to teachers.
Housing was also a big issue. Students were unhappy with the way some things were handled and complained to the government and authorities. There were a serious of articles in the Arabic newspapers about the problems. Teachers were also badly treated and some quit. Hopefully there will be positive changes this semester.
And a more optimistic note:
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/155458-ccq-holds-meeting-with-public-sector.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
lollaerd
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 337
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 2:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
Students want Community College dean fired Tuesday, 17 May 2011 01:37
DOHA: The nine-month old Community College of Qatar (CCQ) functioning under the Supreme Education Council (SEC) has run into a controversy with a group of students reportedly lodging a complaint with the higher authorities seeking dismissal of the American Dean of the college.
CCQ opened in September last year through a partnership agreement between the SEC and the Houston Community College (HCC) in the US. Dr Judith Hansen who formerly worked with HCC was appointed as first Dean of the College.
A group of students as well as some members of the CCQ staff have come out openly against the Dean alleging that she is neither qualified nor capable of running the college, according to reports appearing in a section of the local Arabic media.
A local Arabic daily reported yesterday that a group of 74 students of the college had lodged a written complaint with the Minister of Education and Higher Education and SEC secretary general H E Dr Saad bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud seeking dismissal of the Dean.
Copies of the letter were forwarded to CCQ chairman Dr Ibrahim Saleh Al Nuaimi and Dr Mary Spangler, Chancellor of Houston Community College, the paper said.
The students have alleged that the Dean had failed to properly manage the college. Citing some reports and postings appearing on the Internet, they argued that Hansen had been sacked by several institutions that she had worked in the past for her inefficiency and poor performance. The papers have also published some of the Internet clippings saying that they had been attached with the letter submitted by the students. When contacted by The Peninsula for comments yesterday, Hansen said she would soon come out with a reply to the allegations after consultations with the SEC.
The Minister or other senior SEC officials have not so far responded to the allegations raised by the students nor taken any decision on their demand, according to the reports. Some SEC insiders however believe that the criticism is part of a media campaign against the CCQ. The critics argue that the college lacks the basic facilities and qualified staff.
Some of the existing staff at the College have already tendered their resignation, according to unconfirmed reports.
There are also rumours that the HCC has withdrawn accreditation of the CCQ but this has not been confirmed either the HCC or the SEC.
CCQ is a new educational initiative which is part of the educational reform process in Qatar. The college offers two year programmes (four semesters) leading to the �Associate�s Degree.� This degree allows the graduates either to enter the workforce directly or transfer to a university as a third year student to complete their Bachelor�s Degree. The college also gives training certificates in some fields that are in high demand in the labour market.
�During the initial phases of establishment the college will be under the umbrella of the Supreme Education Council, who has chosen a Dean to manage and lead the CCQ.
Partner college, Houston Community College, will provide accredited certificate and degree programs and courses and credentialed faculty and staff in the first years of CCQ,� says the SEC website.
The Peninsula |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
wilberforce
Joined: 27 Dec 2008
Posts: 647
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 5:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I believe this dean got fired. Had some very problematic issues with teachers and students according to my friend who knows some teachers there. However, things this year are going better. So it is said. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
idaho_potato
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 57
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
Let's work together to solve HCC's problems
By Carroll G. RobinsonSaturday, March 10, 2012
Since officially taking office as a Houston Community College trustee in January of this year, I have become aware of several issues that should be known to all district taxpayers. The first regards HCC's agreement to help develop a community college in Qatar. The Qatar contract was not reviewed by any lawyer before $43 million of local taxpayer money was committed to help a foreign government, while tens of thousands of Houston area residents still need financial help to attend HCC to secure an associate degree or work-force retraining. This happened before I was elected in November of 2011. I support terminating this contract immediately. I will be asking the HCC Board of Trustees to adopt a written policy specifically requiring that all HCC contracts be reviewed by the system's general counsel before they are signed.
We need to know, now, how many other contracts have been signed in the last five years that weren't reviewed and approved by the general counsel's office, especially international agreements and contracts of $50,000 or more.The Qatar government is segregating students by gender, a material violation of the terms of the contract with HCC. I support Title IX and HCC should support and enforce it at home and abroad. I hope Chancellor Mary Spangler and the five women making up a majority of the HCC Board of Trustees agree and join me in voting to terminate the Qatar contract immediately.
Robinson is the District IV trustee of the Houston Community College System Board. |
http://www.chron.com/default/article/Let-s-work-together-to-solve-HCC-s-problems-3395522.php |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
blastermill
Joined: 30 Aug 2011
Posts: 101
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
WantToKnow
Joined: 18 Dec 2010
Posts: 41
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 7:00 pm Post subject: public relations agency |
|
|
looks like they listened to their public relations advice -- sugar coat
despite what lies underneath. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mesquite
Joined: 04 Jan 2009
Posts: 80
|
| Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 5:48 am Post subject: Re: public relations agency |
|
|
| WantToKnow wrote: |
looks like they listened to their public relations advice -- sugar coat
despite what lies underneath. |
Yup. My application was never replied to. But heard there is some improvement, they've hired a couple of very qualified non-native speakers. About time there was some diversity. I love my fellow Yanks but we're often very inflated about our credentials and country. Nothing better than an ethnic mix in the teaching environment. Keeps things interesting. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
battleshipb_b
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 189
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Not as wonderful as some make out. My friend works there and was stressed to be told that the 4 day work week is now 5 days. There are salary discrepancies between regional/local hires and those direct from Houston. Regional/local hires make just under 17,000 QR - direct hire from Houston - a lot more!
Also many classes are evening classes, so you could be teaching until 9:00 at night.
However, people who used to work for QU told my friend they are much happier at CCQ than at QU. Better managmment and organization So maybe not too bad after all. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 6:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I don't think that there is much room for complaint at that salary... which is over $4500 a month plus the usual Gulf benefits. My friends there are thrilled with the standard of their housing.
These friends have Gulf experience and are happy with the system, management, students and their teaching. But, they do admit to having to earn their pay. It isn't nirvana, but I would put it at the top of the list of Qatar jobs for now... certainly better than the previous top job at QU.
VS |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tell_the_Truth
Joined: 06 Apr 2013
Posts: 3
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 7:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
battleshipb_b
| Quote: |
Not as wonderful as some make out. My friend works there and was stressed to be told that the 4 day work week is now 5 days. There are salary discrepancies between regional/local hires and those direct from Houston. Regional/local hires make just under 17,000 QR - direct hire from Houston - a lot more!
Also many classes are evening classes, so you could be teaching until 9:00 at night.
However, people who used to work for QU told my friend they are much happier at CCQ than at QU. Better managmment and organization So maybe not too bad after all. |
Unfortunately, you have some incorrect information.
First, people who are considered direct hires are the ones who are hired directly by CCQ. The staff from HCC (Houston Community College) are seconded employees�not direct hires. CCQ direct hires make more money BUT HCC seconded employees have "state side" benefits. HCC employees are considered US employees. They are eligible for US health insurance, disability insurance, etc. They are also eligible for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Their salary is deposited in their US bank account, etc. They don�t have to take the health insurance, but they have the option. Those who were HCC employees prior to coming to Qatar�not hired by HCC specifically for Qatar- are guaranteed their jobs when they go back to Texas. They also get 400 kilo shipping allowance, education allowance for children, tickets for spouse and family each year, a transportation allowance of 1000 KD paid locally PLUS transportation provided to and from work. And of course, everyone gets fully furnished housing. There are a few people in villas near the airport..and currently a few people in temporary hotel apartments due to a current shortage of furnished apartments available in the "main" housing area. But everyone else is housed in two separate high-rise apartment buildings in the West Bay/Dafna area. And if you are familiar with Doha then you know that this is not too shabby!!
CCQ direct employees are not US employees�they are CCQ employees. They do not get the "state-side" benefits. They do get a higher salary, but if you add US state insurance, the two groups are about even. Regional/local/direct CCQ hires do not all make "just under 17,000"�there is a range�a pay scale. The pay scale ranges from under 17,000 to well into the mid-20s for teaching faculty. Someone under 17,000 most likely does not have a MA.
As far as your friend being "stressed" for possibly having to work five days.. really??? First of all, this has not been announced for the ESL department�it may be�but as of this time�has not. The college level courses have been told that they will be going back to teaching five days in the fall. But think about it??? Really? Stressed?? Please remember that it is fairly easy to figure out who people are talking about on this forum. There is only one instructor at CCQ who was previously with QU�and that person just joined in January. So�you have "outed'" your friend. Hard to believe that someone would be stressed�after just a few months of teaching only four days a week---to the "horrible thought" of teaching five days. As you can imagine, with a four day teaching week, Wednesdays have become the "new Thursdays"�for both students and teachers. So the idea that what could be done in five days could be done in four more productive days�simply is not working. Added to the fact, the a large number of faculty are not even bothering to show up for work on Thursdays (a day that is to be used for meetings, PD, collaborating, etc) one can easily see why this idea is maybe not the best!
As far as night classes, yes, CCQ has night classes. Over half of the student population works during the day. It is not a secret. CCQ stands for "Community College of Qatar". Please note, staff do not have to be on campus for a set number of hours. So someone who teaches at night, most likely is not coming in until 4 or 5 pm�or however their schedule works out. And presently, only four days a week! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
battleshipb_b
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 189
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 1:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
New admin people at CCQ. A gang of people has been imported into the CCQ management team, who are supposed to �clean things up� including someone called the Director of Efficiency whose job is to check on teachers and make reports (i.e a spy system). ESL teachers will also have to work longer hours. . People are very unhappy with the management style of this person who apparently has limited people skills. A lot of US based staff have decided to resign or will not come back in September; so this is no longer one of the better places to work. The wool has been pulled off. People on local contracts are also unhappy as teachers with MA degrees earn exactly the same as teachers with BA degrees. Different rules for the folks from back home, but still not enough to keep some of them there; one teacher didn�t like being harassed by the Director of Efficiency so has resigned. Another sore point is late night classes.
The good point is the accommodation � the lucky ones who got housed in the apartment hotels in West Bay like Al Maha are satisfied with their accommodation. Others have got a worse deal. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
battleshipb_b
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 189
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 1:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Tell_the_Truth wrote: |
battleshipb_b
| Quote: |
Not as wonderful as some make out. My friend works there and was stressed to be told that the 4 day work week is now 5 days. There are salary discrepancies between regional/local hires and those direct from Houston. Regional/local hires make just under 17,000 QR - direct hire from Houston - a lot more!
Also many classes are evening classes, so you could be teaching until 9:00 at night.
However, people who used to work for QU told my friend they are much happier at CCQ than at QU. Better managmment and organization So maybe not too bad after all. |
Unfortunately, you have some incorrect information.
First, people who are considered direct hires are the ones who are hired directly by CCQ. The staff from HCC (Houston Community College) are seconded employees�not direct hires. CCQ direct hires make more money BUT HCC seconded employees have "state side" benefits. HCC employees are considered US employees. They are eligible for US health insurance, disability insurance, etc. They are also eligible for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Their salary is deposited in their US bank account, etc. They don�t have to take the health insurance, but they have the option. Those who were HCC employees prior to coming to Qatar�not hired by HCC specifically for Qatar- are guaranteed their jobs when they go back to Texas. They also get 400 kilo shipping allowance, education allowance for children, tickets for spouse and family each year, a transportation allowance of 1000 KD paid locally PLUS transportation provided to and from work. And of course, everyone gets fully furnished housing. There are a few people in villas near the airport..and currently a few people in temporary hotel apartments due to a current shortage of furnished apartments available in the "main" housing area. But everyone else is housed in two separate high-rise apartment buildings in the West Bay/Dafna area. And if you are familiar with Doha then you know that this is not too shabby!!
CCQ direct employees are not US employees�they are CCQ employees. They do not get the "state-side" benefits. They do get a higher salary, but if you add US state insurance, the two groups are about even. Regional/local/direct CCQ hires do not all make "just under 17,000"�there is a range�a pay scale. The pay scale ranges from under 17,000 to well into the mid-20s for teaching faculty. Someone under 17,000 most likely does not have a MA.
As far as your friend being "stressed" for possibly having to work five days.. really??? First of all, this has not been announced for the ESL department�it may be�but as of this time�has not. The college level courses have been told that they will be going back to teaching five days in the fall. But think about it??? Really? Stressed?? Please remember that it is fairly easy to figure out who people are talking about on this forum. There is only one instructor at CCQ who was previously with QU�and that person just joined in January. So�you have "outed'" your friend. Hard to believe that someone would be stressed�after just a few months of teaching only four days a week---to the "horrible thought" of teaching five days. As you can imagine, with a four day teaching week, Wednesdays have become the "new Thursdays"�for both students and teachers. So the idea that what could be done in five days could be done in four more productive days�simply is not working. Added to the fact, the a large number of faculty are not even bothering to show up for work on Thursdays (a day that is to be used for meetings, PD, collaborating, etc) one can easily see why this idea is maybe not the best!
As far as night classes, yes, CCQ has night classes. Over half of the student population works during the day. It is not a secret. CCQ stands for "Community College of Qatar". Please note, staff do not have to be on campus for a set number of hours. So someone who teaches at night, most likely is not coming in until 4 or 5 pm�or however their schedule works out. And presently, only four days a week! |
I don't see that I reported anything that was not the case.
1. As you've pointed out, seconded staff from Houston have a better deal; than people who were hired locally; just using KSA terminology so maybe it doesn't apply here. Wonder why so many Houston secondments want to leave.
2. The local hires (direct hires if you will) still earn a lot less than the seconded people and people with MAs are not given extra money for their additional qualification. My friend is definitely not given anything extra for his MA.
2. I agree that the housing is pretty good - but some people were housed in substandard accommodation until recently.
3. Teachers will have to be on premises for 5 days as opposed to the 4.5 up to now.
4. I don't know any QU people working here; my friend knows at least two who reportedly prefer working here but now that there is a new monitoring system or spy system as some call it, things don't look so rosy.
5. Teachers do have shifts - the morning guys and the evening guys, more teachers have to teach afternoons/evenings than in the morning as the bulk of the students work. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tell_the_Truth
Joined: 06 Apr 2013
Posts: 3
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 2:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
battleshipb_b
Your information is simply incorrect.
1. DIRECT CCQ hires--make more money than the seconded employees--if you compare salary-to-salary. Period!!!
2. CCQ has a pay scale for direct hires!!! Overwhelmingly, the staff are seconded HCC employees!! And HCC has a payscale! If your "friend" has a MA..it is possible that someone with a BA with a lot more experience.. may get more..thats the way it goes!
2a. NO one is in substand housing!! But then again, some HCC seconded employees expected to have private drivers--so who knows---maybe their substandard means not having a castle!
3. Really?? Complaining about coming to work for five days??? Really??
4. There is ONE person who was at QU!!! Read your previous post about who you say you know!!
5. People do not do "shifts"!!! Whoever told you that is straight out lying..the transportation that is provided..in addition to the transportation allowance we get..does run in shifts..but people are not required to be on campus any set number of hours...please..get your information straight.
And 70% of teachers teach classes before 4--but what is the problem?? This is a community college!! WE HAVE NIGHT CLASSES!!
Additionally, please re-read y above post.
You did not comprehend it very well.
And finally...please, please, please STOP blasting all over the place!!
Its annoying!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 11:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Time for an update on the current situation at CCQ. In the last week, I have received a number of emails and PMs from current teachers in Qatar. It seems that there has been both a literal and figurative meltdown and things are very bad there at the moment.
Some serious management issues have come up... they are seriously short of teachers causing most everyone to be working long hours. Political problems at the top are starting to affect the whole system. (I will admit that I don't understand much of it from a distance)
AND what most consider the biggest problem is that the air conditioning has died in teacher housing and it seems that the landlord has no intention of repairing it. So after working long hours, they get to come home to an oven. Sleep is impossible when temps are in the 40s outside. They are doing a temporary half fix of putting small cooling systems in bedrooms, but this is NOT a realistic option in this climate.
So... anyone who is thinking of heading there in the near future needs to check with current teachers to see if the conditions have improved enough to want to try it.
VS |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
