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redeyes · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 254

A brief search of some of the UAE threads on Dave's ESL and you'll see repeated talk of HCT management problems -- any updates on these or have they been resolved?

like2answer · Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 154

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redeyes · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 254

like2answer · Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 154

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willynilly · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 14

I think HCT mangement problems at a system wide level are:-
Keeping their staffing levels, because UAE nationals and expats will be resigning in greater numbers as salaries fail to keep up with inflation and currency depreciation. Qualified UAE nationals can now earn at least double their salary by moving to the real 'federal/public sector' and gaining the recent 70% rise. The HCT is of course not counted as a federal body despite being funded by the government!

Related to above, lack of communication is a major issue, silence is golden seems to be the VC's policy, don't tell the employees anything!

Local management are also having to cope with the first year of 'merit pay awards' so cherry picking some staff and giving them a bonus and excluding the majority may well have some effects on staff morale come August.

Coupled with that it is rumored that some colleges are having to offer a higher starting salary to attract new staff, more than existing teachers with years of HCT experience may earn! That is bound to cause dissatisfaction!

Anyway life goes on, rumours persist that the management do realize that there are problems and will have to make a decision about a salary raise very soon, we will not be holding our breaths! Laughing

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

HCT's management problems have always been... and likely always will be... over-management. Too many layers of bureaucracy... too many managers with little to do but have endless meetings and make the teachers' jobs just a little more complicated with each decision. Not that unusual in academia... add in the mix of nationalities and approaches... and the problem becomes obvious.

That said, teachers can ignore much of the silliness above, teach one's classes, and try to stay out of it. The problems tend to be individualistic by branch. For years on here we read nothing but complaints about branch X, then the problems seemed to move to branch Y, next years it will be another. Management changes with almost the same regularity as teachers, so just like any job, you take a chance that you will not click with the management of the branch that you are assigned to.

And BTW, redeyes, they assign you to the branch where they need you. They will ask your preference, but chances of your preference matching their need is a crapshoot.

VS

saluki · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 30

uaeobserver · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 236

HCT has a wonderful future. They'll have advanced degrees --- accomplished researchers ---- and international accreditation. There will be bigger and better conferences than ever before. Guiness Book officials will be on hand to confirm this fact....... (blah blah blah blah).

In all sincerity --- let me say this.

In spite of all its brutal, savage, and ludicrous politics du jour -- the legacy of HCT is not conferences ---- is not press releases ---- and won't even be the scandals. I sincerely expect and hope that the legacy of HCT is changed lives. HCT serves more UAE nationals than any school in the country. They are better positioned to change lives --- and they do. Even if it's only 50% ---- that's more than any school in the UAE.

10 years from now - there will likely be different management. There might be different teachers. The footprints from all the Nobel Laureates will have been cleaned up by the tea boys (hmmm ---- wait ----- Abu Dhabi walk of fame???). The press releases will have long been recycled into toilet paper. However - the UAE will still have UAE nationals whose lives were changed by attending college.

I sincerely pray for the long-term success of HCT. I enjoy thinking about them --- and am pleased to have worked with people from there.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

My sentiments exactly uaeobserver... especially the lives of the women students (of whom I have such fond memories).

VS

like2answer · Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 154

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redeyes · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 254

it seems clear that by far the vast majority of posters here have really enjoyed their time at HCT, and are full of praise for the place.( I have yet to read even a single out and out put down of HCT).

like2answer · Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 154

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colt · Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 86 Location: Milky Way

No matter where I've been (7 countries), the students make it worth it in the end.

redeyes · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 254

So, the management troubles at HCT seem a bit of a roll of the dice, depending on which branch you are placed in.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

All of the office politics that you describe will be found to varying degrees in every location. Like management trouble... a crap shoot...

Since most staff at HCT have MAs, there isn't as much of the degree debate. I found the Brit/Yank debate to be the worst in institutions where these two were about 90% of the staff. But at HCT, even when I was there, we had such a good mix of British, Irish, American, Canadian... with a few Australians and NZers, that we all got along just fine with very little of the traditional 'debate.' Laughing

I know the large branches of HCT have open plan offices (loathe them)... is there anyone out there who can tell us if any of the smaller branches have actual 'offices' for the teachers?

VS