Job Discussion Forums

[Gathernomoss]

Can you tell me something about the conditions at the American University of Sharjah? Is it a reputable university? Is the salary comparable to what you would receive at other universities in UAE? I've read some thihgs on the discussion forum about 'the University of Sharjah', but I'm not sure if there's a distinction being made there between that and 'the American University of Sharjah'.

[veiledsentiments]

They are definitely two different places. The American University in Sharjah has one of the best reputations in the gulf. It also has one of the best pay/benefit packages - equivalent to HCT and ZU. You almost never see ads for their EFL department because apparently people don't leave very often.

Sharjah University is a segregated university which has a men's and women's section whereas AUS is fully integrated. SU had many difficulties when it first started out, but not much has been seen here in the last few years which suggests that it is not producing a lot of angry ex-teachers anymore who come here to complain.

But, still I would put AUS as one of the top 3 of the best employers in the Gulf... SU I would put in the mid-range.

We haven't had an identified AUS poster here for some time, so it would be interesting if one could update us.

VS

[ckhl]

They are definitely two different places. The American University in Sharjah has one of the best reputations in the gulf. It also has one of the best pay/benefit packages - equivalent to HCT and ZU. You almost never see ads for their EFL department because apparently people don't leave very often.


Did they change their package? A few years ago I made inquiries. The salary was the measly equivalent of US$ 26,000 a year, and this was before social security deductions for US citizens. Also, it was required to live in campus housing.

[MrScaramanga]

Ditto for AU Dubai. Had an interview there last year and the salary was same as quoted for AUS. Same deal for housing aswell. Passed on it even though contact hours were only 12/week and it was an assistant professorship.

[veiledsentiments]

The people that I have known there were hired awhile back - and started in the $3000+ a month range and the package was better than HCT and ZU. Now these were teachers who had been teaching in the Gulf for many years. There was talk here of changes in the benefit package which wouldn't have affected single teachers, but would have done so with the marrieds with children, but no final details were ever posted here. This was back when HCT was trying to do some cuts too.

Some people prefer on-campus housing and the two places that I saw were very nice - a one-bedroom flat and a villa - very well furnished with all American appliances including washers and dryers and microwaves. Sat TV and internet provided in the housing for no charge.

There is absolutely no relationship between AUS and AUD and their pay packages have always been at opposite ends of the scale.

VS

[MrScaramanga]

Seems the pay packages are now both on the low end of the scale...

[mishmumkin]

[veiledsentiments]

MM... the rumor, which was never confirmed here was that there would be a cap on the total benefit package. Thus there was no effect for singles and marrieds for no kids, but it was thought that it would mostly affect those with many kids to educate. No change on accommodation was mentioned. The single housing is small one-bedrooms. Since there weren't people here complaining, I suspect that the change didn't go through. This is back when all the places started talking about or actually cutting benefits.

As to the salary, it would appear to me that the suggestion above that it is around $2100 (8000 DHs) a month is not valid. The teachers that I know about were offered and/or accepted between 10-13000 Dhs in the past. They require an MA + 2 and I find it highly unlikely that an employer who seems to never advertise for new teachers and hasn't had any unhappy teachers posting here that I can recall is paying 30% less than the other tertiary institutions in the country. They would be here by the dozens whinging about the unfairness of it all and the university would have to be hiring constantly to replace the droves that would have left. I just checked the current faculty list and more than two-thirds of the names appeared to be native speakers just using the stereotype of name, so many of the other third are likely native speakers too. Now why would native speakers with MAs accept $2000 a month? This is out of the realm of possibility.

VS

[ckhl]

I just checked the current faculty list and more than two-thirds of the names appeared to be native speakers just using the stereotype of name, so many of the other third are likely native speakers too. Now why would native speakers with MAs accept $2000 a month? This is out of the realm of possibility.



All well and true. However, do you have any concrete, reliable info regarding the starting salairies of the ELT professionals who work there? I can attest that when I contacted them several years ago, the salary quoted was, yes, the equivalent of US $26,000 exclusive of soc. sec. deductions for US citizens. The on campus housing was acceptable but what about the gossip, the peeking out of windows as to your every move? A flat on the corniche in Sharjah would have been far more preferable.

[veiledsentiments]

[ShaikhRattleandRoll]

Why don't people from AUS post? They may have done, but their post got removed before anyone had a chance to read it. A few years back a friend of mine posted something about AUS offering "tax free salaries" when in fact Americans have to pay tax and the post was removed perhaps a day or so later, although all the information in it was true. Teachers are not allowed to live off campus but some staff are. The benefits being shifted over to a percentage of salaries (instead of free airline tickets, free education for the kids) is true. So now you use that money as you like. If you've got no kids then you'll have money left over. If you've got a family of 5 it won't cover all the tickets and tuition. The on-campus housing for single folks is as mentioned - a small one bedroom - which can become a two-bedroom if you get a rolling contract. Why don't people leave? In my opinion it's because it offers something no other place in the UAE does - REAL job security. Because they are fully US-accredited, they actually follow US review processes. There are no horror stories of showing up to start a new term only to find out you've been let go over the holidays. That makes people put up with lower salaries and having to live on campus.

[veiledsentiments]

[globalnomad2]

VS is correct. It doesn't matter who you work for: if you work overseas and fill out your tax returns correctly, you DO NOT have to pay any US income tax for income below $80,000 as long as you are outside the U.S. at least 330 days a year. I worked for Southern Illinois Univ in Japan and for the University at Buffalo in Malaysia and of course I didn't pay any US income taxes, only social security. It's a matter of first establishing "physical presence" and then obtaining "bona-fide residence." In 1986 I arrived for my first overseas teaching job in October so I had to send in a filing extension since 1986 would otherwise have been far less than 330 days outside the U.S. Then for the 1987 tax year I established bona-fide residence overseas, and that was the last time I had to do establish that, since my subsequent jobs were all overseas.

[ckhl]

It's a matter of first establishing "physical presence" and then obtaining "bona-fide residence

Actually this is not entirely accurate. You have the option of claiming either one. If you claim physcial presence you must remain outside the USA for at least 330 days a year. If you claim bona fide residence you are not subject to to this restriction. Claiming bona fide residence is easier than many people realise. Years ago I spoke with an IRS rep at the US embassy in Riyadh. She didn't understand why most expats didn't claim this. Got a residence visa for the country in which you work? A driving license? Any other basic documentation? You qualify for bona fide residence. I've been filing thus for the past 15 years.

[mishmumkin]

ckhl,

so if you start work abroad in Aug 2007, and file bonafide residence in your 2007 tax returns (despite not living abroad for 330 days at that point), does that mean your salary from 8/2007 through 12/2007 is tax free?