Job Discussion Forums

[antonia v]

Does George Mason U in RAK really insist on a Ph.D. to teach English? If so, they must pay pretty well. Does anyone know how much? And what about housing and tuition?

[globalnomad2]

antonia: MATESOL is sufficient for the Foundation program in intensive English for Academic Purposes. By "academic" faculty I meant anything other than ESL/EFL. We already have faculty in literature, chemistry, biology and others, and they all have PhDs. This is because all standards and rules are supposed to be the same as at the home campuses in Virginia.

I cannot divulge precise starting salary for ESL people, but it is better than HCT starting. Housing allowance is currently 25,000, which is adequate in Ras al Khaimah. We are promised our new campus in two years' time, with on-campus villas for faculty.

[antonia v]

Thanks. I'm surprised at 25,000. That won't get you a closet in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Do you have any idea about tuition? Are there suitable schools for Western expats?

[Afra]

I'm also surprised at 25,000. 6 or 7 years ago, a colleague with family was in a villa in the schools area which was 55,000. As RAK is now within commuting distance of Dubai, surely rents have risen considerably?

[globalnomad2]

We're all reasonably comfortable here, but not on the level of HCT people. We live in OK apartments. We just have to be patient till the on-campus villa days to come; then we'll never have to worry about downgrading because of rent increases

[globalnomad2]

..and about tuition reimbursement, I'm not even sure. I haven't looked into it, since I've been single for a while. Schools? For the same reason, I don't have a clue...sorry

[stoth1972]

Globalnomad, that's comparing George Mason's PHD salary to HCT's PHD salary?

[globalnomad2]

No, that is comparing starting salaries for intensive English for faculty with MAs in ESL/EFL. As for academic faculty with PhDs, it's a real university at GMU, not a sweat shop like the HCT where even the few PhDs teach 20 hours. Anyway, I am not comparing PhD salaries.

[globalnomad2]

Let me clarify this again: EFL faculty do NOT need PhDs at GMU, nor do they have them. But literature professors and all other academic people who teach credit (university) classes must have the PhD.

[hafniumite]

So globalnomad2, what would a typical starting salary for a Ph. D. holder be? Would it be comparable with what some of the better (read 'real') universities in the country are paying their faculty?

[globalnomad2]

haf: Honestly, I don't know, since I am in EFL, Intensive English. That information is confidential at the moment. But I am sure the salaries have to be competitive with US ones, especially the home campuses in Virginia, in order to attract North American professors. While we are very diverse, we intend to remain an American university. That means employing some American professors as well as others. I assume PhDs will be accorded the usual ranks of assistant-and associate professor, and tenure track to full professor.

[veiledsentiments]

I really doubt that there would be any offer of tenure... unless they are GMU profs in the US, who are going there... and the tenure would be to the US GMU.

But, few expat profs go overseas expecting tenure.

VS

[globalnomad2]

Veiled...you are right. I double-checked. Our faculty here are technically employees of the sponsor company; they are not paid by GMU. So there is no tenure track at this time...but there are assistant, associate and full-professor ranks, I believe.

[veiledsentiments]

Yup, that's the usual.. GN2

VS

[Miyazaki]

So how much do new EFL teachers make at HCT and GMU?
Can someone post the salary scales at each school?