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]