Job Discussion Forums

[readytotravel]

Can someone corroborate this? It is contrary to what I have heard from Uniservices and, indirectly, from new recruits who have already arrived in KSA to teach PYP at PNU.

[Grendal]

Yes. I drive my wife there every morning.

I hope this will suffice. They say the new campus will open in 6 weeks. I say ha. Bukra inshallah.

G.

[readytotravel]

Interesting. Word there is that the new apartments are very nice and well furnished. I wonder if the teachers are living on the new campus and commuting to the old? It would be great to hear from someone who is working/living there now.

[Grendal]

Dear readytotravel,

I mean you no malice. But...

Have you seen trapezius's avatar?

Grendal

[hashim99uk]

MOD edit

[hashim99uk]

MOD edit

[hashim99uk]

Some stupid teachers judge on people and give a very fast decision or opinion regardless of the others circumstances!
All teachers know Saudi Arabia well, mismanagement and mistreatment, but they come as they desperate for jobs, no jobs in their home countries, in debt, broken, ....tens of reasons. They just make some money then leave. They can save decent amount cannot be saved in any place. This is the reason. We have to put into consideration all these and do not blame anybody for his teaching job in Saudi Arabia. People are suffering from this crisis and want to go anywhere even the hell to meet their financial needs and not to lose their families and homes. We have to be humane not to judge and say do not come!! stupid assessment and feedback!

MOD edit

[Grendal]

[readytotravel]

Any newly arrived teachers recruited through Uniservices care to comment?

[nomad soul]

[vivianne]

From what I've heard around 20-30 teachers from various countries for both programs have received visas and arrived. Students without teachers are apparently sitting in their classrooms "studying" material from their other classes. As seems to be typical, who gets their visa when does not seem to have much rhyme or reason to it. By the way, Robyn is with IEG (the Nicolas are Uniservices), and she does seem to have been helpful with getting visas. How much assistance you receive from your recruiter in the visa process seems to be dependent on who your recruiter is.

One or two people have given up and purchased their own Internet service, but those using the provided service find it very limited. There is one teacher recruited by Uniservices with a blog: http://alexandriaofarabia.blogspot.com/

The apartments are sort of on campus in that the monorail to the administration building etc on the new campus does go to the apartments, but technically you are not on campus enough to not have to wear your abaya when traveling from one to the other. There is an issue with transportation. PYP teachers are scheduled for two different shifts, previously there were two shuttles to coincide with the working times. That has been decreased to only one shuttle so everyone is working extra unpaid hours. Supposedly that's going to be resolved by moving the PYP program to the new campus in Oct or Jan...someone else may remember, I feel like the PYP program was supposed to move last school year also. The current shopping shuttles being offered because the supermarket on campus is not open are apparently going to end soon, but no word on when the supermarket will open.

The apartments are new and sort of mixed bag. Various things simply don't work or have issues. It just depends on your situation if that will be an electric plug, the air conditioning, or an exploding gas oven. No one seems to have been able to make any progress yet on getting an iqama and therefore no progress on getting the promised multi entry/exit visa. Just getting a campus ID so you can leave seems to take a while.

[juno87]

Hi,

I'm a Canadian Teacher still waiting for the visa. Have any Canadian teachers made it over to PNU, and if so how long was your visa wait?

Thanks.

[vivianne]

Juno--There's been a lot more information about the Canadian teachers and visas on the facebook page for uniservices PNU teachers. If you need more info PM me.

Other updates: the outdoor running track was 'opened' by some teachers and now administration has acquiesced for the track and outdoor sports field. The pool/gym is not open. Same as the beginning of September, administration is saying it will open in a few weeks.

The mall shopping shuttles will end next week. No information on opening the on campus grocery store and bank. Fortunately, some teachers were able to connect with a grocery store that now sends it's own shuttle every evening to the campus, so anyone who needs to can go grocery shopping for an hour.

The Internet service that is available is apparently very slow 3G. Quite a few teachers seem to have chosen to buy alternative service via a dongle or a 4G router and that is working very well for them.

No medical insurance cards yet, but some have done their medical for the iqama process. HR has said to submit receipts for medical costs teachers have paid until insurance cards arrive.

With work: Books did arrive later in September. PYP is still at the old campus. There are three programs and there appears to be mixed results with leveling students in classes for all three program with PYP being better than last year. Around 150 teachers are there now with Uniservices plus the contractors. As more teachers arrive the goal is to double the number of hours of English classes for each student, at least in the PYP program. Also the faculty handbook has been disseminated and it lists the upcoming Hajj break as the last break for teachers until the end of the school year. The previously provided academic calendar did not differentiate between student and faculty breaks.

[go_grrrl]

[Jessiemiles]

What's happening at PNU now? Is the track still open? Has the gym been opened? How about the store?