Job Discussion Forums

[tonyb]

I have seen recent job ads posted by this institution under the heading of Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. Does anyone have any info about this college ? For example, is it the old Yanbu Industrial College renamed or is it a new institution ? Is there some sort of expansion of further/higher ed going on in the Yanbu area ?

[scot47]

Big expansion in university education in KSA, I know that Hail Community College is already transformed into a university. Similar upgradings are going on elsewhere.

Some of the oil revenues are being spent wisely ! It is not all going to the merchants of death at BAe.

[Stephen Jones]

Jubail also has a university college starting in a small way in September. It will have both male and female sections.

I believe it is slated to start with 25 male and 25 female students so there will not be a large number of vacancies initially. I am not dealing with recruitment but if female candidates send an application to us I forward it.

[mforehand]

Yanbu Industrial City is expanding rapidly. The new YANSAB plant will go on line in 2008 (1Q). There will be another plant to go online shortly thereafter. YANPET is currently trying to hire individuals for work, YANSAB is trying to hire 666 (yes really that is the number of new hires) for its plants (All Saudiazation of course). As a result, it has been discovered that they need more universities in the community to get the proper number of applicants.

So,... it would appear that Saudiazation has its upside, EFL, and its downside, contractor status for everyone while the Saudi drinks tea and reads the paper.

[scot47]

Time we got some T-shirts made :

SAUDI ARABIA
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT !

[Stephen Jones]

[mouse5]

Very few teachers come here for the pedagogical or the cultural experience. Let's face it. It's the money which attracts people here and very little else.

[Bebsi]

Just a sort of brief interlude from a busy, busy, busy Bebsi....

I will write more in the near future when I have time, but suffice to say I was at UCY briefly. I am not there now, so that should speak volumes...and to clarify things, yes, I left there very much of my own accord.

It is NOT the same as YIC; indeed there is no comparison except that they are both run by the Royal Commission. However, one is an established technical college that makes a significant contribution to Saudi education, the other is a tragic joke that is simply the plaything of one of the most egotistical and incompetent individuals I have ever encountered in my career, and who is shamelessly using the "college" of which he is dean as a nose-thumbing exercise in a personal vendetta against individuals in YIC.

UCY? I would approach it with the proverbial bargepole while under the current (mis)management.

In case anyone wonders what became of Bebsi, I am now at home in Romania where I have established my own business. Happily, I don't have time for contributions to this page like I used to, if you know what I mean!!

More anon.........

[dmb]

[Bebsi]

Of course, it's all highly legal.....so much so that I spend a lot of my time in court. However, the right amount to the judge and all is OK: my girls are happy, the dealers are happy, and the guys I employ behind the counter late-night are happy!!!!

[yiskbs]

Hi Bebsi,

I was offered an attractive contract to work at the University College abt 4 weeks back. 2 senior officials flew in to interview potential condidates here. I am waitng for an official letter from them before applying my visa. I've heard many good feedback abt YIC..but abt your comments on university college..i am quite concerned.

I do not want the risk of having a miserable time after giving up my job and packing everything up to come to Yanbu.

Would appreciate if u could enlighten me the problems at the Uni college. Thanks a million

yiskbs from sg

[nanosecond]

Both UCY and YIC are desperate for teachers, each for different reasons. But if I were you, I would avoid both. Bebsi is right about UCY, it is badly run but there are other problems. Teachers are put into housing in Saudi districts of Yanbu, where, on occasion, Saudi children don't mind showering them with stones while they on on their way to work. Teachers are also asked to teach 20 hours a week but must sit in the office another 20 hours, to make up a full 40 hours a week.
Students are only drawn from the Yanbu area. The good students go elsewhere leaving the dregs for UCY. So you'll have to put up with some of the worst, most poorly motivated students Saudi has to offer. And yes, as Bebsi says you'll be managed by one of the most fantasy-prone deans imaginable who can issue three totally conflicting orders in a single day.

YIC, which Bebsi isn't really uptodate on, should be avoided for its management and English head who have little sympathy or understanding of westerners, its morale breaking rules and badly motivated students. In fact, at this time, I would recommend giving Saudi Arabia a miss entirely if you have the option of going anywhere else at all.

Definition of a nanosecond: the time it takes for the traffic light to turn green and the Saudi driver behind you to hit the horn.

[ctmiezio]

Well I work at UCY and I've had a bunch of emails from people who've been offered jobs, and some of them got scared by Bebsi. UCY is the best job I've ever had actually, and (sorry Bebsi) but I don't think Bebsi got along well with the dean, who is really not too bad, and also (sorry again Bebsi, I bear you no ill will) but I think I never heard a positive remark from Bebsi about Saudi to begin with.

Nanosecond is right, the dean gives conflicting orders, but the nice thing is, he is reasonable and will listen to you if you bother to discuss it with him. For example, he wants us to sit around the office 8 hours a day. I explained to him in detail why this was ridiculous, primary point being, it conflicts with the industry standard, and will just piss off his American employees. Well guess what... I haven't sat in the office since!

UCY has its downsides, like any job, but I'd say they're outweighed by the good. I can make a list of bad points but they're fairly trivial. The biggest one is that the students are dull as rocks, however, I am under the impression this is the case everywhere in Saudi. The good... well, Yanbu is one of the nicest towns in Saudi. My colleagues at UCY are almost all nice people. My classes are small enough to really get to know my students. Etc...

Anyway in short, if UCY is offering you a significant amount of $ (like they did me), I wouldn't hesitate to take the job.

[nanosecond]

The lack of teachers at UCY causes increased work loads and increased stress levels for the few existing teachers. So there are very personal reasons why those teachers would want new teachers to come. It really boils down to the money. Are you willing to put up with the problems you are sure to face for the high salary? The salaries are high because Saudi Arabia is no picnic, neither inside nor outside the classroom.

[ctmiezio]

Well Nanosecond (it's a small town and you're obviously here), yes of course I think everybody knows Saudi is no pleasuredome. You come here for the money. If you ARE going to come here though Yanbu beats most other towns in Saudi hands down.

It is true we are short of teachers and certainly I'd like more to come, but the blunt fact is I'm no toadie for the admin (it's Chris if you didn't figure that out) and if this place sucked, I'd say so. Indeed I'd already have another job in hand and would be patiently waiting for June 14 to arrive.

Really, UCY is not a bad place. If only in terms of $$$, I worked a lot harder in Korea for a lot less money.