Job Discussion Forums

[melizabee]

I had the same experience with my interview in June. In fact they asked me the same questions during my skype interview as they did during my in person interview. I reckon they spent 2000 USD flying me over and putting me up for that. They refused to show me classrooms or curriculum, and I was told by the manager that she was busy with a meeting right afterwards and couldn't continue to talk with me after my short interview. Then I sat awkwardly in a cafe afterwards waiting for the driver to come get me.

Two months later I received an email saying I wasn't chosen for the job. I wouldn't have taken it anyways.

This place appears to think that they can treat people however they want as long as they throw money at them. Sounds very unappealing to me.

[batboot]

A quick google search turned up this:

[mashkif]

[Valaki]

Does anyone know what is required for the 15 minute "presentation?" (part of the in person interview)

They said I could do a demo lesson but would need to bring my Powerpoint slides for a "presentation."

Just a lecture on grammar? Or are the Kuwaiti HR people going to be able to answer CCQs and productive tasks?

[veiledsentiments]

I would say grammar is about all that you can do... I wouldn't expect them to participate in your fake lesson.

VS

[Valaki]

OK, thanks.

[johnslat]

Or you could do 15 minutes on writing: explaining simple, compound, and complex sentences.
Or maybe a reading lesson on scanning/skimming or on prefixes and roots as vocabulary builders.

Regards,
John

[mashkif]

[ESLCafeLatte]

[quote="NinaGeo"]

"As I see some comments here are mean but it says more about the people who wrote it rather than about AUM. Some of the comments are totally based on subjective perceptions that is not convincing for anybody at all."

My comment : In response to NinaGeo - I am sure that you are a very sincere person, but to dismiss the dozens of comments that have been submitted here and on the Chronicle of Higher Ed website as "mean" shows a remarkable naivete. It is the same argument that Walmart used in the beginning of a series of successful class action suits. They said it was simply bitter ex-employees. Over time, that proved not to be true, and now that employees who complain are protected by law, they are coming forward by the hundreds.

AUM seems to have a bad reputation, one that has been observed at all levels of its hiring and human resource management. The administration can look at this forthrightly or get offended and ignore the growing weight of the evidence. At a minimum, they should revise and document:

1. The hiring process and how to applicants expect to be treated. I have been flown in for interviews a few times. In each case, there was a clear understanding of what expenses were covered and which ones were my responsibility, someone to meet me or a timely call of greeting and confirmation of the interview, an introduction to all the interview committee and clarification of roles, clear documented data on expectations and hours, information available on the curriculum, often a tour, and a respectful leave-taking.

Much of this appears not to be in place at AUM. These are fairly standard professional protocols. Does AUM have its interview process formalized?

2. Termination -Someone can be sent home without notice after moving thousands of miles? No clear reasons are given, or if it is an issue of teaching style, why would the instructor not be given a chance to make corrections and improvements? AUM would have received at least three professional recommendations before hire and it is curious that after bringing someone all that way, the administration gives them only three months to "prove" themselves. If indeed, all these dismissals were handled professionally, why do the terminated instructors feel so deceived? Are applicants told of the frequency of these firings? Would such a question quench the university's interest in a qualified applicant.

3. Student Evals - Students should have a voice in instructor retention if there are egregious issues, but not simply to rid themselves of a difficult, challenging, demanding instructor, one who requires students to do the work. When the profit motive trumps academic standards, something is truly wrong. I wonder why all of these mistreated faculty do not write to the office at Purdue University that has authorized this collaboration between institutions. It was very interesting to note that the Purdue connection does not appear on Purdue's website.

4. Duties - Asking faculty to do things for "free", that is to come in for events or tasks or meetings beyond their contracted hours, is to diminish the worth of a highly educated instructor pool. It is petty and demeaning, again, rather like Walmart. Beyond that, demanding that faculty "log in" when they arrive and leave is an anathema in academe. Teaching hours and a reasonable commitment to office hours are all that professors and instructors ought to be accountable for. These are posted on office doors, web-sites, and on the syllabus. Students and the administration can reach any employee by cell-phone or email, just like the rest of the world does.

5. Communication needs to be encouraged in an "open-minded" environment. When people fear for their jobs, they will not speak with real candor. What mechanisms are in place for making suggestions, submitting a grievance, taking part in meetings that effect the future of the college? What evidence is there that, if these channels are open, they are free of recriminations and the threat of censure or termination?

Finally, in the interest of disclosure, I will say that I turned down a job based on these issues being present at the institution. Recently, a dear friend has decided not to even interview for a position at AUM because of these posts. One can't move around the world on the chance that everything might turn out all right and it sounds like AUM does little to mitigate that impression.

Perhaps these are all growing pains, but to pretend like they don't exist is done at the institution's peril.

[mashkif]