Job Discussion Forums

[cassava]

Many of the problems faced by the University of Hail are normal for educational institutions in the Middle East that are undergoing a process of rapid change. Critics of UOH tend to ignore this simple fact; instead they direct their rage and malice at easily identifiable targets. Their inability to see the big picture causes them to spew forth a steady stream of venom. This kind of attitude is unwarranted and does little to enable potential new teachers to evaluate the instituion in a fair and unbiased manner.

[southern bluefin]

Does anyone have photos of the living quarters and/or other points of interest to teachers for Hail? Thanks

[PeasAndCornbread]

[quote="brasscat"]Time for some truth, from someone who teaches ESL at Hail University.


3. You get to live in a place out in the desert called Mishar I. About 15 miles from any town. The housing is a nightmare out of the public housing ilk.

You complain about the housing being so far out. Would you rather live in the city? It's louder there. You have much less privacy. By living in Mishar, the employees and their families are free to relax, be themselves. Most likely, you would not have a house living in the city, but an apartment only.

A few years ago an American complained to the US umbassy about not having adequate security for Westeners at then Hail Community College. So they set up guards and walls. So, what you complain about is set up partly for your own safety and enjoyment.[/b]

4. Administrtion is at best caprcious. At worst vendictive.

5. The students are very much below the beginning level, yet are given technical English text books.

[b]New books are in use now.

6. Pay is unpredictable and sometimes late.

For employees hired by the university, this isn't true. Employees working directly for the univeristy are paid on time. I have heard that Al-Falek pays on time, but ther other agency does not always pay on time.

7. You can't open a bank account or own a car until you get an Iqama(usually takes 6 months).

Again, if you are an employee of the university, this isn't true. Plenty of families had an iqama right away, and the univeristy helped them to open a bank account.

8. Overtime pay is a sometimes thing, even when you report it.

9. You pay for your health insurance.

Ppl working for the university directly do not have to pay. They can go to any government clinic/hospital free of charge. For private clinics/hospitals, yes, they have to pay. But prices are usually better than in the West.

10. You will be teaching 5 classes per day.

Don't most teachers teach 4 classes or less a day? Granted the ELC department has the most students, and the teachers do teach more than many other departments, but 5 classes a day? No usual.

11. The quit rate for the first 4 months is: 50%.

[b]This is new. Before the agencies were doing the hiring most ppl did not leave so fast. Yes, now many people leave right away, but this is because of the agency's false ads or the person's dissatisfaction with the school, housing, etc. There are plenty of people who have been at the U of Hail for 2, 3, 4 years.[/b]

12. Very basic computer and university only Internet.

Again, not true. For the houses that were just recently finished, no phone lines were installed at first. But ppl who lived in older houses could have ther own private line and dial up internet connection. Many have had it for a few years.

13. Mishar I housing has no phones, TV, or Internet.

Why haven't you updated your post? So much of what you say here is outdated. Last month compound phone lines were installed to every house in Mishar along with DSL lines. Everyone has free DSL now.

[/b]

[southern bluefin]

[cassava]

I think that the major mistake made by the new University of Hail was to rely primarily on recruiters to hire teachers instead of hiring faculty directly. Many recruiters are unscrupulous, at best. They scrape the bottom of the TEFL barrel and pay their teachers much less than those recruited directly by the University. Many Al-Falak teachers are the whiners and incompetents who complain on this thread about the University of Hail. These people have absolutely no concept of professional ethics, are teachers in name only and do a great disservice to any institution in which they work. They play fast and loose with the truth, have little sense of commitment and denigrate and ridicule whatever does not conform to their narrow view of life. The University will do itself a great service by ceasing to rely on recruiters and giving the boot to the inept and the complainers currently masquerading as teachers.

[PeasAndCornbread]

[brasscat]

Nothing like a good company stooge to attract the unwary.

1. Try putting 64 people on a 32 person shopping bus, that only stays 2 hours and runs 2 times a week. Unless of course you wish a late night crowded bus on a work night.

2. If this place is so great, then why did the poor guy run for his life during the weekend to get out of here.

3. Phones in mishar 1; fun joke! Every extension is scrambled. No one knows which extension to dial to get another person.

4. Security, even funnier joke. Living next to a Carny Show is major security(not!). So we walk around town at all hours, what security?

5. Would you believe it only took a 45 out of a 100 mark to pass last term's final!

6. Direct Hire, now there is some fun. You wait 4 months for a sign-up . The rest of the staff does without, including pay for the summer months.

7. Just love those no notice firings. Soooo professional isn't it?
Just think you can be here 4 years and get fire over night.

These updates are a major achievement. What next repairs for all the leaky utilities?

P.S.
The DSL system at Mishar is a joke. The wireless set-up is slower than dial-up.

[abusalam4]

I might also be offered a job at Hail... but meanwhile there are some things that make me really worry:

- Many postings here concerning problems with paperwork getting done for a foreign teacher to get a legal status on which all other things (opening a bank account, etc.) may depend. Processing may not be without a lot of hassle and problems.

- Paying on time : not only a problem in Hail but obviously a common problem across the entire Arabic speaking world. I have some experience in that respect when working for FES University in Morocco in the 1980s. No thank you!

- Security issues: When the Americans or Israelis go to war with Iran, the entire Gulf region may somehow be effected. It is difficult to foresee what the implications may be for security issues in the Kingdom - especially in and around Hail, there may be Shia Muslims (I have read that somewhere). What will they do in such a case?

etc. etc.

I have now signed up for a job in China; that is a place I know somehow, and apart from all kinds of minor problems over there, it still seems the best option. So, when Hail will phone for an interview I will have to tell them that I have been hired.

I have done some research before deciding to decline any eventual job offer from Hail. But all what I have heard indicates that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not the place that I should go toi - whether Hail or any other place there. China is more easy-going, I know the language, nd so I expect no particular hassle.

I do not know whether brasscat is always right in what he critisizes but it ounds very familiar to what I have seen in Morocco and what I have read concerning Saudi Arabia in general. So, deciding to sign up for China again is my answer to the issue at hand.

[Stephen Jones]

There are plenty of reasons for choosing China over Saudi but not the ones you have mentioned.

[cassava]

Initially, I felt only contempt and loathing for Brasscat and his postings. Now my reaction has changed to one of pity. I have examined his latest accusations and could easily rebut all of them since I am quite familiar with the situation in Hail and know that his allegations are nothing more than distortions and outright lies. Brasscat is immune to rational thinking and is the kind of person who gives overseas EFL teachers a bad name. It is unfortunate that a new University has to endure this kind of person. Although there are some good EFL teachers in the Middle East, many are like Brasscat-individuals who suffer from deep, psychological problems and are determined to drag as many people as possible into the misery and despair of their private hell. I honestly believe that Brasscat needs psychiatric help. I think that he should resign from Hail and get the kind of therapy that he so desperately needs.

[brasscat]

If you find factual observation and warning other professionals of a poor deal, then do by all means come right to hail and enjoy the place.

Facts are, as of this post, 22 teachers have left Hail since Sept 2006.

We can't all be crazy.

Take your pity and peddle it down the road along with the rest of the name calling. If you can prove I am wrong, do so, but save the name calling for the kiddie playground.

The only people who like this place are the admin types, who don't pay the working faculty on time.

Check out the teacher whose pay check bounced 3 times. True story, check it out.

brasscat

[cassava]

If things are so bad in Hail, as Brasscat claims. Why is he still working there? Why hasn't he fled with the other quitters? He seems to be extremely unhappy, yet he clings to a job which he obviously hates. If Brasscat really believes all the negative statements that he has made so far, he would have left by now. The fact that he is still whining and complaining but continues to work in Hail strongly suggests that he is either lying about the true situation in Hail or that he is unemployable elsewhere.