Job Discussion Forums

[Bklyngrl]

I don't know where to begin...UAEU is by a long measure the most corrupt and ill-managed university I've ever workd for. And I've worked for the world's worst universities in many countries for approx. 15 years. The most basic statement I can make is that the staff and administrators are moral cowards.

I only have the time to elaborate a bit, but here goes. The housing is sub-standard, yes, but this isn't the issue. We've been put up in a Hotel for 2 months--not a great start, but this isn't the issue. I'll offer one brief vignette with a housing staff member to demonstrate the problems here.

We saw a flat after 2 months in the hotel. "You'll move in within a week. You can sty in the hotel until then. I promise." Call after a week. "So, when can we move in?" "Uh, not yet. I was in the middle of an email to you. You need to get out in 3 days. We'll put you in a temporary flat until then. It's like a hotel. Has all you need. Gotta go. Another call-will call back in a minute." Hang up.

No email came. No return phone call. The promise was a lie.

Next day a note was slipped under the door. "You must be out tomorrow." That's 2 days, not 3. And it gives us less than 24 hours to move. More lies. A call to an administrator revealed that he doesn't have the guts or human feeling to do anything about it. You're lied to, treated like dirt, kicked out with little notice...? Nothing I can do. Sorry...These men make ridiculous sums of money and they don't want to risk that by asking questions or rocking the boat, even if it means that the people they're paid to serve and help are abused and lied to. Cowards.

The temp. flat is filthy, too dark to read, has moldy kitchen wares, not enough towels for our family, etc. etc. When we email housing to ask when we're going to move in to our permanent home, they don't answer. They don't answer texts or phone calls either. And this is tolerated by the admin.

Everyone hates the university and many are leaving already. The only reason anyone stays is fear and security.

These issues have nothing to do with the UAE generally. I've worked in the country before, w/o any of these issues. This is a problem with UAEU.

Some faculty are treated a lot better than others--not based on rank, but seemingly at random. There's no sense of equality or fairplay. One new faculty member was bullied by housing into accepting a dank, windowless, health-risk of a flat. He argued and was told that he would be fired if he complained. He was udner a lot of stress and quite upset. He was healthy and had no history of heart disease. He had a heart attack and died last week.

Sadly, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Many people are leaving so I presume that many new jobs will be posted. Avoid them!

[uaeguy]

wow!.....that poor man.....I feel so bad for him and his family. Thanks for the "heads-up." I was actually thinking of applying there for a job. This has definitely changed my mind.

[Stephen Jones]

The basic problem appears to be that the rental market has shot up, and they simply can't get the apartments for the money they have been allocated. I suspect that this is happening in plenty of other places as well.

[eha]

'....Some faculty are treated a lot better than others--not based on rank, but seemingly at random. ...'

It's not random. And it was ever thus.

The man who died was a friend of mine, somewhere else. He was a good guy, and a popular and capable teacher. I wouldn't want to blame his demise on the housing department at the university--- but in my time there, I did hear complaints about housing, and things were actually better then. Stephen J is right: the housing situation everywhere has become disastrous.
However, I never found housing to be the problem. Post again when you get into the 'teaching'!

[Tom Le Seelleur]

If you still need accommodation try the banks - they have a portfolio of properties, do not normally charge a fee and are usually very reliable and offer an excellent service.
Dubai Islamic bank and other islamic banks (Abu Dhabi) NBAD, NBD, are also good avenues
Tom

[uaeobserver]

Wondering if UAEU recruited HCT's old PRO! Sounds really similar.

Al Ain isn't the easy-going zone it used to be.

When they closed the border to Oman --- that forced people to change their commuting patterns (you can't do a 15 minute drive across the border, anymore). That forced a lot of people into Al Ain.

Wonder if UAEU's new Academic Officer from California was treated the same way?

Go easy on the housing officer --- life is not very pleasant for those guys. They're coping with rising rents, national identity cards, and the whimsical government system.

Also - remember that your PRO thinks about shame/honor more than he thinks about truth/non-truth. You mentioned living in the UAE, before - so the reminder is likely not necessary.

[Judson]

[like2answer]

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Well done, in a nutshell l2a...that's why I've decide to leave. I can only prostitute my M.Ed. in TESOL for so long...

NCTBA

[eha]

'...Also - remember that your PRO thinks about shame/honor more than he thinks about truth/non-truth....'

Fascinating. Whose shame, exactly? Whose honour?

'...students have to be trained how to behave....'

In my experience, it wasn't only the students who needed training. Sadly, there didn't appear to be many role models around......

[BigSS]

I've had almost identical problems at UAEU. There's a new HR director, MOD EDIT. I asked him for help, and cc'd my Dean and Chair. He didn't reply. I emailed again. His reply was: "It is not my practice to respond to emails that have been widely copied." I've never heard that you could simply not answer emails if there was a distribution list! Golly, and I've been teaching Business Writing for many years. This man is a pioneer in vacuity and laziness! Moreover, is a sender list of 2 "widely copied." Knudson seems to be an arithmetic pioneer as well.

The old HR man was no treat, either. He put my family of 4 in a room with 1 bed. For 2 months. When I approached him, he said "1 bed is adequate." It was a single bed. I'm not even sure how to comment on this. Luckily, the hotel upgraded me at its own expense. I've found that at UAEU anyone will treat you better than the people paid to help you. Secretaries, random colleagues and chambermaids have all been generous and affable and helpful, whereas the admininstration has been vindictive, dishonest and cruel.

[eha]

'...I'm not even sure how to comment on this....'

This is a fairly common symptom of 'Gulf syndrome'. Words fail one. Well, no, not exactly; but you really had better not use the ones that come to mind. It's also true what you say, that you can meet with amazing acts of random kindness. But ---at least in my time--- you were far more likely to get the cold shoulder from colleagues if word got around that you were having any kind of difficulty; indeed, many of them seemed to be just waiting to get into the act, of pecking the troubled one to death. It wasn't one of the more humane working environments I've ever encountered.

[Iamherebecause]

BigSS: I suggest nect time you send an e-mail to the new HR director you bcc it rather than cc-ing it.

in an earlier post uaeobserver said

[007]

[BIGGESTOFA]

Yes but will they negotiate?

Is it possible to pile it on laying on the colorful adjectives and gain favor of these big bosses?