Job Discussion Forums

[elazigspor]

I will be interviewing with them in a week. This is an assistant prof. position. Main duty is teaching.

Currently I am in US, teaching in a small college, in the middle of nowhere.

I fancy a move to Dubai. AUD's offer (if I get one) is good in terms of salary etc. but I am mainly worried about possible 'untold' truths: mistreatment of employees, bad mgmt., not fulfilling what's written in the contract etc. Any insider info is appreciated, if you're familiar with the institution/mgmt/students etc.

So far I have talked to some of my friends who are familiar with Dubai, and they all told me it's a good univ. I haven't found anything bad in particular in this forum either (unlike for example Abu Dhabi Univ.). Maybe no news is indeed good news. But please fill me in...

Thanks in advance.

[veiledsentiments]

Did you try a search? There were some threads about them a few years back when they first started out. As is usual, there were start-up problems and many (most) of the native speakers left. Since then, from what I have heard, they have hired very few native speakers - as we tend to be more expensive. They may have decided now that they want to hire more. The catch is that if they have had few Westerners, that means that we don't get reports here. So, no news may be good news... or not.

Hopefully someone here knows more.

VS

[elazigspor]

Yes, I did quite a bit of search in this forum. There is little info about the place. It looked like people thought AU in Sharjah, AU in Dubai and some other places were OK. But wanted to have more info if possible..

[veiledsentiments]

AUS has a very good reputation, but there is no comparison or relationship between it and AUD... which has no reputation here... which would make me a bit nervous as an applicant.

VS

[globalnomad2]

Agreed: AUS has just about replaced what used to be the premier university in the Middle East: the American Univ. of Beirut. AUD, on the other hand, has an appalling reputation, especially for faculty matters.

[elazigspor]

[globalnomad2]

From threads I've read for the past six or eight years, they like to hire p/t adjuncts and the few f/t people they have, they don't treat well. that's the rep, anyway.

[elazigspor]

It looks like it's a small school. Total # of aculty is quite small, compared to AUS for example. Locationwise it's in a hot place, I learned. They seem to be quite resourceful with free housing etc. A reasonable level of good management and respect to the contract would do...

There are horror stories regarding Abu Dhabi University for example. So one figures out what type of a work environment is out there. But for here I've neeither read good or bad examples. It looks like a black box for now.

Anyway, thanks for responding. I appreciate any info on this...

[Koos]

FYI, this is the pre-interview package I was recently offered by the AUD for a full-time IELP instructor position.


"Full-time faculty are contracted to teach five IELP / AELP courses per annual academic cycle. Each term runs for 7 weeks and 2 days. The classes meet for 20 hours per week (fours hours per day, five days per week). Faculty are requested to keep a further 10 hours per week for advising, counseling and meeting with students, and the other 10 hours a week are for your own preparation, grading etc (faculty contracts 40 hours per week).

The base salary is US $ 33,000.00 (tax free) per annum.

Faculty receive a total of two months off per completed year of service; one month for vacation and another one month to be used for professional development, research or vacation. All other days, with the exception of weekends and public holidays are considered work days.

AUD provides its faculty with accommodation, the size of apartment provided depends upon the number of dependents. AUD will provide you with a two-bedroom apartment. Utilities (Electricity / water) are taken care of by AUD. The apartment is a "shell" -- all bedrooms have fitted (built in) wardrobes, and we provide you with the domestic appliances (washing machine / dryer, refrigerator, cooker). You buy the rest (beds, bed side tables, dressing table, sofa's dining room table, chairs, drapes etc.) We also provide you with a US $3K cash disbursement at the beginning of the contract term, this can be used to either ship your existing goods / furniture to Dubai, or you can buy new furniture when you get here, as you probably know everything is available here. We do not give you anything above this amount for shipping books etc.

Medical Insurance: You are entitled to join one of the two current medical insurance plans offered by AUD, where the University pays 50% of your monthly premiums and you pay the remaining 50%. Dental and Ophthalmology are not covered.

To join the university, AUD will provide you with a one-way economy class airline ticket to Dubai. Furthermore, for every completed year of service, you will receive one round trip airline ticket to use during your annual vacation (destination to be determined at the point of hire). A one way ticket is issued in the final year of service.

At the end of the contract (normally contracts are extended for 3 years and of course are renewable subject to the agreement of both parties) you will receive a one-way airline ticket to repatriate you, as well as a maximum of a US $3K shipping allowance (this is not cash a disbursement) however, is paid directly to the shipping company doing the relocating.

Employees are entitled to a gratuity of 21 days per year of service. In the event that your contract is terminated before the two and half year period is up, no gratuity is payable."

[veiledsentiments]

It is a standard contract with two basic deficiencies. The furniture allowance is very low... only US$3000 whereas most places provide furnished (AUS) or give closer to $8000, but I note that appliances are provided which takes care of part of that difference.

Also it appears that they do not provide tickets for family? That could be an expensive one if you have a couple kids.

No school fees either?

Odd gratuity... 21 days?? The usual is one month's basic or total salary per year. Is that 21 days of total pay or just basic pay?

VS

[elazigspor]

the salary they offered to me is in mid-$50K's. other than that it's pretty much identical.
heard it's a place for rich and spolied kids.

haven't decided yet...

[uaeobserver]

This might be of interest

http://uaecommunity.blogspot.com/2006/12/american-intercontinental-university.html

[globalnomad2]

American Intercontinental is a for-profit corporate "university" and thus faces problems similar to the University of Phoenix, which just today has been written up in the New York Times as an institution with severe problems in quality and, as an ancillary item, extensive complaints from students. As someone with an M.S.Ed. in higher-education administration and as a former foreign-student adviser (and EFL lecturer since 1986) I still tell prospective students, both American and international, to avoid for-profit, corporate "universities." For one thing, Phoenix, for example, gets quarterly profit results, demanded by Wall Street, by hiring 95% part-time (poorly qualified in many cases) faculty, and by having essentially no admissions standards. A Columbia University prof said, in the New York Times article, "Phoenix offers an MBA-Lite. I've looked at their course materials and it's a very low level of instruction."

[veiledsentiments]

[titou_a]

Dear elazigspor

you are telling us that the AUD is giving you around $55K. I am assuming that you teach three terms to get that salary (fall, winter and summer). Am I right ?? I think they also take care of your dependents airline tickets. So that is a pretty good contract in my view.


Veiledsentimanets: you are very active on this forum (especially UAE). I guess that even though you are not in the UAE now, it seems like you enjoyed your experience there and you have kind of "nostalgia" to the place...

We all learning from your posts and your opinions. So please always keep us posted.