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More Crucial Moments at U of Q
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thursday12



Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Posts: 93

PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:43 pm    Post subject: More Crucial Moments at U of Q Reply with quote

The foundation program at the U of Q is a totally strange place. It is just not professional. It is just not transparent. I heard it was much better last year but the director quit (pushed out) and the new management replaced the old management team with cronies who have no management experience. Why? - really weird. Just not normal.

They say there are even more inequities and injustices. Man it's getting weirder and weirder. What's with this place? Why is everything so dysfunctional and so unfair? Take our workload. The norm is supposed to be 20 hours - you get to teach around 40 students or so. OK so far, so good. But then, get this - some teachers have to teach 21 or 22 hours and more than 150 students!!!! Wow talk about unfair! These sloggers have to slave teaching and marking. These guys must be border-line breakdown cases. This is total exploitation of the worker! Don't understand the deal? Why 150 students?

You never know who will end up with a teaching load like that. Then there are the guys who only teach 10 hours or maybe even 6! If you're on the old boy network, you're in. Some teachers really are doing other things to justify their free time but then you hear about the guys who have nothing better to do than play games on their computers. Why all the unfairness? Why are some guys so overloaded they can barely breathe? What are those guys with so much free time doing? Nothing much, it seems.

Why are some guys skulking around spying on everyone else? And what about the students? Who cares about them? How can teachers do their best with work overload? Just doesn't seem right. I thought we were here to give the students a good education - if the teachers are worn out and under pressure, afraid of the Spymaster, how can they really perform well? You tell me.

Speaking about workloads - what about timetables? Management made these about two months back but guess what??? We don't have a clue what our timetables will be like for next semester. Apparently you have to go to the university website and check it out - but hey!!! It's all in Arabic. So unless you can speak Arabic, you're out of luck. Really professional management!!! Since management made the original schedule, what could be easier than mailing us all a copy? But no way. The whole thing is a big SECRET!!! No transparency. Why not? Why can't we know? The word is - The tricky trio DON'T WANT US TO KNOW!

Guess how I found out - my students! Really bad news for students to find out that the teach doesn't even know their timetable for next semester. They were pretty stunned but not as stunned as I was!!! Is it really such a big deal for management to be transparent and efficient and provide us with an English timetable in advance of website publication? This is standard procedure in every university. Why should teachers have to find out from students? It looks really bad and is just totally unprofessional. It seems so sneaky not to let people know. Weird, weird, weird. Furtive farting around if you ask me.

Now look at the contract deals - even weirder. Everyone feels insecure (except last year's golden guys & gals). NO JOB SECURITY AROUND HERE . But hey, wait a minutes. Tthe guys who came last year lucked out again - salaries, housing, etc., you name it they got it! These guys got 3 year contracts. Newcomers are supposedly on a probation contract (I've heard 1 year maybe 2 probation - nobody is clear about this & when you ask management, they tell you to check HR which tells you to get back to management -going round in circles, man.) But hey, if you luck out, you too can be a winner and get 3 years!

But then get this even stranger contract deal. The management also thoughtfully provides one year NON-RENEWABLE CONTRACTS - just to let you know you're not wanted any more. And someone told me they have this weird thing called a ROLLING or maybe it's a ROLLER contract. Not sure which. Like a rolling stone.... hey, what's that supposed to be about? Nobody seems to know what that is. Seems to me to be a way to get rid of people. So if you'be been around it means you get to be a roller or whatever. How can teachers live like this? I mean, you can't plan for the future or whatever. These old guys are all afraid to say anything. They don't know whether they'll end up as rollers or being dumped. I mean doesn't dedication count for anything around here? Seems not. Loyalty and hard work seem to be worth zilch. Nationality also seems to matter. Wrong passport, tough luck. Bush Babies get the best treatment.

What more weirdness is going to turn up at the foundation? One good thing about 'We Are Bittter' is that someone heard you. I mean thanks, man. Somebody decided to take you seriously.

Maybe some things will get better. Just hoping & prayin... &
waitin & hopin & prayin...

Hope they move us out of the construction zone. That would be good for starters.

Trying not to be bitter. But it sure is hard.
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like2answer



Joined: 21 Sep 2006
Posts: 154

PostPosted: Fri Dec 01, 2006 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thursday12, you seem very upset. Maybe you should seek another job because if you are this bitter, it won't get better... there are MANY other places to teach. Really, like let it go dude and find your inner peace. This stress can not be good for you.
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Bindair Dundat



Joined: 04 Feb 2003
Posts: 1123

PostPosted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

like2answer wrote:
thursday12, you seem very upset. Maybe you should seek another job because if you are this bitter, it won't get better... there are MANY other places to teach. Really, like let it go dude and find your inner peace. This stress can not be good for you.


I think he may do just that. Meanwhile, he is tied into a contract that he chooses to honor. He should be accorded respect for that.
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squirk



Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 33

PostPosted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:44 pm    Post subject: Re: More Crucial Moments at U of Q Reply with quote

Quote:
The foundation program at the U of Q is a totally strange place. It is just not professional. It is just not transparent. They say there are even more inequities and injustices. Man it's getting weirder and weirder. What's with this place? Why is everything so dysfunctional and so unfair?

Why are some guys skulking around spying on everyone else? And what about the students? Who cares about them? How can teachers do their best with work overload? Just doesn't seem right. I thought we were here to give the students a good education - if the teachers are worn out and under pressure, afraid of the Spymaster, how can they really perform well? You tell me.

NO JOB SECURITY AROUND HERE .
How can teachers live like this? I mean, you can't plan for the future or whatever. I mean doesn't dedication count for anything around here? Seems not. Loyalty and hard work seem to be worth zilch. Maybe some things will get better. Just hoping & prayin... &
waitin & hopin & prayin...


I think most newbies feel the same way. Some of the stuff mentioned is still going on. same old, same old. Some of us are hoping and praying that things will get better.
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grab-bag



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 104

PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 4:16 pm    Post subject: Re: More Crucial Moments at U of Q Reply with quote

I feel for you, old habits die hard. I can't believe he is still into skulking after all these years.

Last edited by grab-bag on Fri Apr 16, 2010 7:32 pm; edited 1 time in total
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thursday12



Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Posts: 93

PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 7:08 pm    Post subject: Re: More Crucial Moments at U of Q Reply with quote

[quote="grab-bag"][quote="thursday12"]
Why are some guys skulking around spying on everyone else? [/quote]

I feel for you, old habits die hard. I can't believe he is still into skulking after all these years.[/quote]

Yup, skulkin 'n'schemin. That's why I left last summer. Jest not right.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting how the "two" of you have the very same issue with quotes. Rather confirms the eau de sock I often notice here on the Qatar board... in spite of the pretend dialect of one of the personas.

VS
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toughcookie



Joined: 26 Nov 2006
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

veiledsentiments wrote:
Interesting how the "two" of you have the very same issue with quotes. Rather confirms the eau de sock I often notice here on the Qatar board... in spite of the pretend dialect of one of the personas.

VS


and, of course, the fact that I don't have that issue with quotes proves that I am not thursday... or grab-bag!
c'mon, VS! let it go, girl!
tc
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Socks are a bore... (and a boor)

VS
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grab-bag



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 104

PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't pulverize the English language. I have too much respect for it.
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grab-bag



Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 104

PostPosted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thursday 12. I don't like being accused of being you. I know where you're coming from but it's clear they don't want to hear about realia. Cleaning up your language might be helpful.
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lollaerd



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 337

PostPosted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You'd be better off ignoring her comments. A PM wrote that this commentor has not lived in the Gulf region for about 15 years and has never worked in Qatar. The comments are based on heresay and her own PMs from people she doesn't know personally or only knows through the NET. I suppose when you're retired and don't have much to do, surfing sites like this helps to alleviate boredom.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You post this like it is unknown information. Anyone that follows this board knows that. I've never made a secret of it. That said... I know a number of teachers still at QU (among other places in the Gulf). They consider it a tolerable gig and have been there for a few years.

One can choose to believe who one wants. The problem on the Qatar board is as it has been for the last few years. A couple people with a half dozen screen names who come on and agree with their socks about the fact that they or their "friends" were unhappy and were "not-renewed."

QU is no better or worse than the rest of the national universities in the Gulf. The turnover is about the same as all the rest of the Gulf unis... Some people get along with management and some don't. Some people are mature enough to move on... and some come back here for years and try to cause trouble... creating their own little echo chamber.

VS
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toughcookie



Joined: 26 Nov 2006
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

has anyone else noticed that vs is 6 posts shy of hitting 10,000!!!
woo-hoo!!!
tc
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...

PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I...for one can vouch for VS...as if she ever needed vouching! I happen to be one of her informants. Her information is up-to-date and critical/relevant to those who read. You don't have to live here to have critical info supplied to you.

For your information...

NCTBA
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