Job Discussion Forums

[veiledsentiments]

I shouldn't laugh... it's too close to reality.

VS

[globalnomad2]

Woohoo! Donuts! Arrgghh arrgghh arrgghh arrgghh glug. I love donuts but cannot eat more than a fifth of one.

Woolongong offers instant gratification with their upsizd easy bachelor's, I hear.

[eha]

"Would you like super sized fries with that inflated grade? Pull your car to the next window to pick up your diploma."

"Woolongong offers instant gratification with their upsizd easy bachelor's, I hear."

Do such comments constitute libel? How come comments like this aren't censored, while some perfectly legitimate threads, carried on in less offensive tones, are?

[globalnomad2]

Well..all I know is (and I'm not sure how relevant this is to your question), this is a US-based web site, and in the US it is quite difficult for a public figure or a well-known corporation/entity to sue an individual for libel...at least, very difficult to win such a lawsuit. Complainants must prove several things, including (a) the offending comments are completely untrue, since even a little truth is the best defense; (b) the defendant had shown reckless disregard for the truth (basically an intent to lie, which is hard to prove), and (c) damage has occurred because of the defendant's comments (also hard to prove, especially when the defendant is an ordinary consumer).

I think Dave's tries to deter personal attacks, not so much for litigious reasons as to maintain some kind of collegial format here. Obviously a lot of ad hominem posts occur here anyway, but the moderators try to filter out the egregious ones, and besides, most of us are using pseudonyms. Sometimes they get trigger-happy with their censorship, but nobody's perfect.

Looking again at my Woolongong comment, I suppose some might construe some sexual innuendo or double meaning there, but none was meant. My point was I have heard from an ex-lecturer that there are certain easy routes to a bachelor's at that institution.[/i]

[eha]

I know what you meant! And I'm not disputing it--- don't know anything abt Wlngng--- but do know lots of other institutions in region. I meant: isn't there a danger that some touchy administrator would think you intended a slur against his institution? And get litigious about it? I thought that was why threads got barred, etc.

[trapezius]

[veiledsentiments]

[eha]

"Most are locked because they have gone into off-topic bickering and/or dead horse kicking."

... because someone with the power to decide, THINKS that they've gone off into.... etc, don't you mean? After all, one person's 'bickering' may be another person's 'meaningful exchange of ideas'. Actually, my impression is that 'bickering' is actually preferred; rational debate seems to bore people. And not only on this forum.

[globalnomad2]

Agreed, eha. And I'll be the first to admit, sometimes I'm guilty of less-than-collegial remarks myself. I get impatient sometimes....

[eha]

'I get impatient sometimes....'
Would this qualify as 'euphemism of the year'? Certainly would in my case!

[veiledsentiments]

[eha]

'And then you have the debate about the problem of what is or is not 'rational'.
Yes, wasn't it wonderful? It's what used to be called 'education'.

[Harriet]

Veiled Sentiments --
I've just happened on this thread ands thought I owed a comment...

The American University in Washington DC is NOT affiliated with AUS or AUD; AUS and AUD are connected to each other through (and run by) a company in Lebanon. (I learned this when I checked out employment at AUD a few years ago.)

Regardless, don't imagine the AUS has anything like the prestige (nor curricula, nor indeed the same accreditation) that The American University does.

[veiledsentiments]

AUS had/has a "management contract" with AU in DC - not an affiliation as such - and they provided most of the management people within departments for many years - vetted higher level jobs that sort of thing. I know that this was true up through at least 2002 or so, but it could have changed. They did not set it up and AU/DC has never been affiliated with another university in the Gulf with the first words "American University of" that I know of... It was very low key management contract which resulted in the good reputation that the place developed over that period. No sudden purges of staff without whatever kind of passport... stringent interviews in all departments and the hiring of people with good credentials.

I was flown in for an interview with their business department because the AU/DC person wanted me for a position, but the department eventually decided that they had to have a PhD because they were still working on their accreditation. I had a very interesting lunch with 4 of the AU/DC people, half of whom were Arab Americans.

You are right that the degree at AUS will not have the prestige of an AU/DC degree.

VS

[dubaiteacher]

Harriet:

The Lebanonese company you are referring to is not in Lebanon, it is in Dubai with the ruler of Dubai as a major stockholder. Although that was changed a few years ago when AUD become part of �Dubai Holdings Company� � the Freehold Company that runs Media/Internet city The people in Lebanon supplied the "seed" money and are stockholders, not managers.

AUD and AUS are not connected to each other by business ties. AUS was support by Sharjah interests. They are however joined because of social connections. If you work at AUD, you become very aware the AUD and AUS are in many, many ways rivals since the current VP (founder-part owner) of AUD is Lebanese.

Given the choice of working at AUD or AUS, most will pick AUS, at least at AUS the faculty are not "chained" to their desks from 9-6 with Administrative Assistants spying on them if they leave early or come late. Also at AUS the faculty are given more time off to do research and the like. Moreover, the final word, the salaries at AUS are MUCH higher.

BTW, if you read the above correctly, you get the hint at AUD is in the Freehold area of Dubai which means, it can pretty much do/treats its employees as it likes without repercussions, and it does.