Job Discussion Forums

[Splitting Hairs]

Peter Williams has put things into perspective. 120 teachers - does that make it the biggest single recruiter?

Peter, what qualities and qualifications do you look for in a teacher? Is an MA necessary to be a good teacher?

Can you join ADU (a tertiary college) without an MA?

[helenl]

ADU has had a very bad reputation and to date no one has provided us with more positive feedback to contradict the previous unfavourable postings.

[wordsmith]

I've read on this forum that things are better there now.

[helenl]

Yes, but you also posted they're offering 5 week term jobs with no legal documentation - sorry, that speaks volumes to me about whether this leopard has or is in the process of changing its spots.

A five week period can be endured for almost anything - even ESL

Your funeral

[veiledsentiments]

Things had pretty much nowhere to go but up there. They are very much an outlier as far as university employment... what with its odd contract structure (one year? open-ended? what does that mean? especially legally for the teacher...). No matter how roomy the villa, sharing flats is totally unacceptable to the vast majority of adult professionals.

No one has come on here bragging about how grand it is there... but it has been quite awhile since we had a flurry of angry teachers. So, if they are hiring people without MAs, it stands as a possible entry level... or likely only university that will hire you.

But, for people with MAs and good experience, this would still be a bottom tier tertiary position for the UAE.

VS

[Splitting Hairs]

VS
You've been out of work or out of here too long. One year contracts and then open ended is pretty standard. It just refers to a rolling contract - common in the Middle East. ADU has improved a lot. Just because you don't like sharing does not mean everyone else does not either - your opinion is far too biased and not helpful on a forum that is supposed to benefit new people looking for work here. It is now a very common practice to share if you are single and the UAE seems to be more interested in singles or small families these days.

[johnslat]

Dear Splitting Hairs,
Do you share? And if so, were you fortunate enough to get a roommate that you weren't occasionally tempted to smother in his/her sleep (or get one that wasn't tempted to do the same to you?)
Regards,
John

[PeterWilliams]

Splitting Hairs, yes, I think at one time that DID make ADU one of the biggest employers of English teachers in the region, and, yes, that DID lead to some pretty inevitable and intraactable problems during the start up phase of the business.

The MA vs. other qualifications debate is an interesting one. My previous post was as manager for the British Council here in Abu Dhabi and we saw a pretty good mix of teachers, often moonlighting from ZU and HCT in the evenings. I spent plenty of time observing CELTA, DELTA and Masters certified teachers (since the BC is one of the few employers who employed all three). It would be difficult to say which group showed the most skill. The DELTA trained teachers were extremely efficient and technically skilled - clear staging, good pacing, plenty of variety, clear instructions and good anticipation of language errors. Masters trained teachers impressed me greatly in the staff room - their depth of understanding of the process of second language acquisition, their research interests and plans for further professional development pointed to a long term interest in teaching. In the classroom, it was sometimes a little more 50/50. CELTA trained teachers neatly divided between those who had long term career plans and were incredibly keen to develop (often recruited from abroad) and those who were a little less interested and hadn't kept up with development plans since their initial certification.

Personally, given the teaching context, I always tried recruit DELTA teachers and CELTA teachers with promise but I appreciate that the tertiary sector often requires a different skill set and approach. I have always, rather perversely, respected the fact that the fail rate on the DELTA (and before that, the DTEFLA) was outrageously high - I remember only 50% of candidates passed one year - and that teachers I met in the BC would often try to pass over the DELTA to go for the "easier" option of a Masters degree. A longer slog but a higher pass rate.

I guess I am still holding to that approach given the kinds of vocational English teaching we do in our section of ADU. To be honest, as VS has pointed out, older hands with plenty of years of tertiary experience and Masters degrees would be better off applying elsewhere OR applying for faculty positions with the excellent Foundation and other language support sections at ADU. The kind of Continuing Education work we do would not really suit tertiary trained teachers.

On another matter, VS, there really is nothing confusing about the contracts we offer. I think I was fairly clear about this in my previous post on the Ambermax thread and since I sign most of these contracts, I've got a pretty good idea of what they say! We offer unlimited contracts to our full time teachers. From time to time, we also employ people on very short term contracts on a temporary basis.

HelenL, appreciate your sincerity and strength of feeling.

Peter

[veiledsentiments]

[helenl]

Perhaps Peter can clarify some questions about the 5 week summer positions being offered at ADU - how do you legally employ expats who only have tourist visas? Are their contracts registered at the Ministry of Labour? Should there be a dispute between the ADU and an "employee" under such circumstances - how would the Ministry of Labour view a complaint that was filed?

Sure 5 weeks is not a long time and of course 99.99% of people will stumble through without such serious problems - but isn't it still illegal and aren't employees who are "caught" subject to arrest and or deportation under UAE law?

As VS latest post says, there are probably 1000s of unmarried co-habitors in the gulf - but who wants to be the one who gets caught?

[veiledsentiments]

Did I say thousands? I must go and check that... seems a biggish number to me.

My last semester in the ME... in Egypt... at one of the most legitimate of employers, I taught the whole semester on a tourist visa. They told me at the beginning that the slowness of the bureaucracy meant that just about the time the visa might come through, I would probably already be back in the US.

I don't believe that the UAE is quite as slow as the infamous Mugamma, but I suspect that it would be darn difficult for ADU to get a work visa in 5 weeks. Of course, it isn't halal (kosher for the non-arabic speakers), but I can relate to the issues... that said, teachers that come should be aware of possible problems and be allowed to make an educated choice.

VS

[Tom Le Seelleur]

VS
The five week contract is only offered to those with residence. It is Cepa training for high school students. Pay is 23,000 for five weeks work.

[helenl]

If ADU requires the security clearances and medical checks and goes thru the motions of filing for a work visa - I'm sure the fact that employees could work on their entry visas (as many of us have done with various other employers when we began in UAE - HCT, AUS, ZU, PI)

However, ADUs reputation for not being entirely upfront in their dealings with employees does not give me much confidence in any of their statements.

However - the point is moot as Tom as clarified that the 5 week contracts are only being offered to those who have residency - does that mean they will be registered at the Labour office or as local adjunct hires - whatever that entails with the MOL?

[veiledsentiments]

But wait... I received a PM from a teacher in the past few days... who is not and never has been in the UAE... who has been offered a summer only position on this program.

There was another poster here on the board that asked about whether they could work on their tourist visa.

So that makes at least two that ADU has made offers to who do not have residence. I would assume that these two are a 'tip of an iceberg' thing.

VS

[volgaman]

I have been teaching ESL for over 15 years, and as a consequence have had more than my fair share of nightmare jobs! However, I feel ADU has come in for way too much unfair criticism on this board. Much of this criticism seems to be based either on unfounded rumours, or the bitterness of former staff who, for one reason or another, were scorched during the start up phase.

I worked at ADU from May 2007 until January 2008 on short term contracts of 2 months at a time. During that time I had no problems in getting paid on time & had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I left to take a senior position in Russia and when that contract came to an end, I had no hestitation in returning to ADU.

The teachers here are a talented and friendly bunch of people have no problems in welcoming new team members. The 5-week summer project will have its challenges, I admit, but as one of the teachers involved with developing the course, I am sure it will also be very rewarding.

As regards to accommodation, I am more than happy in my shared villa. We don't pay any bills, have a swimming pool on our doorstep & maid service.

I would have no hestitation in recommending ADU to potential applicants.