Job Discussion Forums

[1st Sgt Welsh]

Thanks MuscatGary and Whatever will be. That's the first I've heard of this sort of abuse happening with the NOCs and, while I think it's absolutely disgraceful, I can't say that I'm overly surprised. The sooner they throw the whole NOC/two year rule into the dust bin, IMHO, the better.

[MuscatGary]

[stillafool]

Hello, all...
I've been offered a job by the much despised (at least on these forums) university of nizwa, but not in the foundations institute, but rather in the college of arts and sciences with the foreign language department which offers bachelors of education in english. is there anyone here that can give me any insight into a position in the coll of A & S at U of N? pay (i have an offer, but want to compare numbers)? accommodation? leave (many answers regarding this came up in this thread. thanks!)? office? general feelings toward the program? etc? cheers

[balqis]

In general, the utter horrors of FI do not apply to the Dept proper. People are of certain established calibre there and are allowed to use their intelligence and experience, you will have no yobos as management and quality assurance and coordiantors, etc,,
You will be paid extra money if you teach summer courses, unlike the FI, where you HAVE TO teach and you are not paid extra, your summer time is full 60 days, you only teach two, not three - like FI - semesters per year, you will have a nice shared office proper, and a number of other important things as well.

You will, though, still be facing common UoN problems, such as extremely low level of students, who are unable to cope with the programme, who completed fake FI courses and know next to no English, this being only one of the common problems of UoN. But you will not be placed in hell, as you would, joining the FI. Compared to FI, it is a 5-star hotel.

balqis

[stillafool]

Thanks, Balqis! I really appreciate the reply! I'm teaching in Afghanistan now so anywhere would be like a 5-star hotel!

[balqis]

Whereas for me Afganistan would be the ultimate experience, to see the only nation on the earth so brave as to conquer the British Army and their generals.

In general, the garlands of angry posts you see about UoNizwa are always about the FI, and never, literally never, about the Dept proper.
FI I would recommend only to somebody I would want to exercise nasty revenge on, to my grand-scale foe.

But the Dept is all right, and the campus is like the Shalimar Garden of Lahore, you will see all the time picturesque Pakhtoons from Swat Valley or even Chitral, gardening there non-stop, working with tender care over the campus's flower carpets. And their cafeteria serves food that compares to none I have eaten in Khaleeje, indeed none, especially the section for female students. You will be all right in the Dept for certain.

balqis

[balqis]

a mistaken post

[stillafool]

Don't get me wrong, Balqis. Teaching and living here has been something I wouldn't trade for anything, but it is very challenging and a year has fulfilled my curiosity.

You're painting a pretty good picture for me with U Niz. I'm a bit concerned about the pay though. How insulting is 1200 rials/mo?

[balqis]

It is not insulting at all, if the uni offers you free housing. It is what everyone else there gets with an M.A., as far as I know, and there is little place for haggling from what I know, next to none at all.
So not insulting but customary, unless my knowlegde is dated - I am not there any longer - and someone else will correct me.

balqis

[nomad soul]

[stillafool]

let me rephrase that. in nizwa, will 1200 be sufficient for accommodation for two and saving about 1000 bucks a month? after getting my spouse a visa i'm also hoping she'd be able to work in local schools. anyone think this would be a problem?

[balqis]

So the uni will not pay for ur accomodation - I think this is a new policy of the uni, unless you have requested it.
But I know they are deep in the red, from someone who works there, so they may be cutting down on everything, salaries included. Perhaps someone from the Dept will answer ur questions here, if they ever care to write here, which I doubt.

You will find accomodation in Nizwa for 200, but it will not have AC, and no furniture, though there may be places with AC too, but they are rare.
[ all places will have ceiling fans though as it is a must in Oman ]. And it will spare you the hassle of doing all those jobs, i.e., find a flat, furnish it, ac it etc...

Perhaps you may approach the uni with a request that they provide you with accomodation? Then it will be of certain standard [ in general, housing standards in the provinces of Oman are rather basic, bear it in mind ], with AC and furniture, and with maintenance guaranteed.

Since you know the Afghani life style, then you can find similar cheap existence deck for Pakhtoons in Nizwa, and you will many a time think that this is a Pakistani town, not Omani, so many Pakis are there. So if you do not mind Pakhtoo standard of living and eating, the place is/can be very very cheap.

As to saving money, if you live very wisely and sparsely, your cost of living may be very low, truly very low. Bengalis and Pakhtoons in Nizwa live for 30 OR a month. You can triple it and live well, though in a spartan manner. In other words, you may save almost all your money, if you want and your wife is not a mall-spender.

balqis

balqis

[stillafool]

i'm still not sure about accommodation. an allowance is given as part of the salary breakdown, but then the handbook says that housing is provided. i plan on checking all of this with the uni in the next couple of days. i'm just not sure how anything works in Oman at all. i know that last year through tati i was offered a job at u of buraimi for 1310 and now through direct hire i'm being offered 1200...but from what i've read i'm soooo glad i didn't take the u of buraimi gig...

[balqis]

Yes, best will be to talk to U o Nizwa and sort it out. Press, if you can, for accommodation quaranteed, such would be my advice.

Buraimi is just a lone tent in the desert, Nizwa is all rich culture.

balqis

[MuscatGary]