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Robert2 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: China

Warning - The opinion of an ex-teacher.

First let me say a very big "thank you" to Google.
Google has done more for Freedom and Democracy than any thing on this planet.

Bell/Obekan KSU

"Perhaps those working there are AFRAID to post here ?" Scott47

Well I worked there for 7 months. In one word "Hell"

Not the students, not the course materials, not the salaries.

But the crass, incompetent, disrespectful, dishonest management.

Greed drove me to KSU. Obekan/Bell management drove me away.

Some Points (opinions)

1. No Orientation Program - Nothing
2. "State of the art facilities" Ha Ha Ha
The worst facilities I have seen at any of the Universities I have been to. (I have taught in a number of Universities in a number of countries)
3.Visas - Dreadful Situations
(a) I went to 8 consecutive "HR" meetings and waited for over 45 minutes to be seen (they were late at all of them).
Then on the 9th meeting they kept me waiting for 5 hours and 19 minutes,
before I finally got my passport (back).
(b) Iwas kept waiting for weeks in Thailand at the start of the contract for the documentation for a visa. Again I was kept waiting for weeks in Thailand mid-way through the contract for the documtation
to re-new the visa and then told to fly to London at my own expense.
4. Morale. I have been working for 46 years and I have never seen morale as bad as that at KSU. Herzberg's theories really proved correct.
5. Management. There are countless examples.
One example:- A very easy going,intelligent teacher from the UK went to see the management. He was told "Come back after lunch"
He waited 2 hours, then knocked on the door again. He was told "I am busy. Come back later" Real "people friendly".

I could write a book about how bad things are at KSU but you can e-mail me for details or specifics.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Interesting, but is there only one who is brave enough to voice an opinion ? Is someone prepared to say that Bell/Obeikan is a nice place to work ?

wulfrun · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 167

yes, interesting indeed

who are the management - saudi, ex-pat, ... ?

Robert2 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: China

Two companies.

Bell - ex-pats (appear to be untrained in HR management)
Obekan - Bad Saudi Company.

Not a place you want to work unless you are ONLY interested in money.

Paul in Saudi · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 404 Location: Doha, Qatar

Unless the OP can be more specific, his post seems only a brief and useless impression. Those of us who have not been there need more to understand what the problems are there.

I want to know more, please tell me.

Does it pay especially well? Is it the standard "foundation year" thing?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Obeikan seem to make a reasonable job of running a chain of bookshops. Why not run a chain(gang) of teachers too ?

Paul in Saudi · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 404 Location: Doha, Qatar

I have a phone interview with these guys in six hours. I wish you folks would have provided me with specific complaints and problems instead of a vague warning.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Given the number of teachers on this oproject it is strange that NOT ONE has posted. Fear ?

Robert2 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: China

Actually Greed and Fear.

Many of the teachers there are very unhappy.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Two
How do you know ?

Robert2 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: China

47

I asked a passer-bye in Riyadh.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

But you are in China !

Robert2 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: China

TEFL teachers like me (complainers - whiners) tend to move around.
I am not in China.
And I certainly knew how the teachers at KSU felt before they went on "break".

All this ofcourse is my opinion. You do not need to heed.

I like to warn teachers about companies like Obekan and Bell.
Bell really disturbs me, because it is a UK company and should have trained staff at senior levels (NOT cowboys with Phds) and should use the business ethics that one could associate with the UK.
In China I would accept, in fact expect, gutter ethics and managers
not trained in human resource management.

desert_traveller · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 335

provided that there is another live thread on this forum named KSU -Bell/Obekan, started by the same OP, would it make some sense to drop this one and join that one?

as a bait, let me tell you that i am going to comment on this line of a previous post Bell really disturbs me, because it is a UK company and should have trained staff at senior levels (NOT cowboys with Phds) and should use the business ethics that one could associate with the UK. in the other thread

see you guys there

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

"It is a UK Company"
Are you saying that means they should be more honest ?

Who is being naive here ?