Job Discussion Forums

willynilly · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Posts: 14

It seems that the men�s colleges within the HCT are suffering from a crisis in student recruitment for the next academic year. The guys have so many options out there now that they would rather get some kind of �degree� from the multitude of Universities now available than an HCT diploma or higher diploma. This is having repercussions for staff numbers as men�s college management now realize that they are overstaffed, so �excess� staff are being told they have to go to women�s colleges, CERT, Military Colleges or outposts like Ruwais or MZ. One men�s college has just told 12 English teachers that they have to move out! Meanwhile the female �captive� audience is still there so look for a huge gender imbalance within the HCT in the future. Wouldn�t surprise me if men�s colleges became redundant in a few years and the HCT becomes a female only institution like ZU. Idea

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

This was why I wondered why ZU was heard to be opening a men's branch. I thought that a few years back HCT had added 'degrees' to their diploma programs... or was it all talk and no action?

VS

turtlepi1 · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 94

Are you sure of your facts?
My understanding of what is happening...aside from the reduced numbers is the overall complement calculation formula has been changed which is also fueling the problem. Where before a program with 8 students would just continue to run, now the college is being held accountable.

As for the reallocations it is not only the Men's colleges. The women's colleges have also reallocated staff. (Some to the Men's colleges)

Seems to me there seems to be more going on than just the one factor you have pointed to.

George R Stewart · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 19

Well, CERT will be having a merry time drumming up business to keep all the teachers busy. I wouldn't worry too much about 'losing your job', because of increased competition. As always, there will be a great influx of wasta students once September comes. Miraculously, money will be found, students will be admitted and HR will exhaust themselves trying to find staff. Meanwhile, teachers will be doing overtime and getting paid for it monthly and not having to wait till the end of the year. Ahhh, silverlinings.

mandalayroad · Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 115

What's the pecking order for prestige and academic challenge at UAE universities? I assume it's UAEU first, then ZU and finally HCT. Is that correct?

smedini · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 178

mishmumkin · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 929

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

Back when I was at HCT, every year you had a batch of 10-30 *wasta* students who would show up as the annual September surprise. (that number is probably larger now) Their daddies had gone to the Sheikh in charge of the MoHE and used their family connections and obligations to get their darling, but not terribly bright, daughters/sons into the college - even though they had not achieved the levels required on the school leaving exam. But, they were only given a limited amount of time to get up to speed and if they weren't willing or able to work hard enough to do it... they were failed out. As I recall, about a third to a half of them succeeded.

mandalayroad · Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 115

Iamherebecause · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 7:40 am Post subject:

Prestige? Not sure the term can be used in the same way here as in other countries. The best HCT students are as good as the best UAEU/ZU students, but the worst are definitely not as good (this is what friends who have transferred from UAEU to HCT and vice versa say). Also at HCT

Although UAEU does take in a lot of students who are not exactly university material, they tend not to make it out of the foundation programme. So people who only work on the foundation programme don't have an accurate picture of the quality of students, many of them will never graduate. As for accreditation, UAEU is doing this one faculty at a time; for research it's ranked top out of all GCC universities - and whether you like it or not research is really where a university gains prestige.

redeyes · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 254

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

By prestige, I guess we would need to define what we are referring to... prestige in the world educational community? prestige in the Gulf? prestige within the country? prestige to local employers?

I hope it has improved, but when I was there, the completion rate (annual intake versus graduation rate) for women students in the UAE was about 10%... and the number that hit the job market was less than 1%. At that time in UAEU, they had people who had been in Foundations for between 5-10 years. If nothing else, they were tenacious...

VS

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 4:25 pm Post subject:

Iamherebecause · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject:

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

You need to read more carefully... it says "back at that time" which doesn't suggest now - at least not in my dialect. The HCT CERT program was specifically developed back in the mid-90's to alleviate this problem... ie give them somewhere to go.

VS