Job Discussion Forums

squirk · Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Posts: 33

As a newbie in the English department, I am very worried about a strange practice called the Faculty Incidence Report system (FIR). Basically, if you do something stupid (usually out of ignorance or not having been informed or having someone squeal on you), ou get hauled into the boss for the dumbest things. If you challenge it, he becomes very confrontational. There is a whole surveillance team watching your every move. I have never worked in such a bizarre place; some teachers are quitting, including newbies, as the monitoring, workload, agenda, and attitude are not really workplace friendly. Teachers have been told that their evaluation will be affected by this FIR thing. The FIR goes into your file forever!! The ironic thing is that teachers are supposed to be given a verbal warning about problem areas but these people don�t even follow their own guidelines. Why not? Another strange thing is waiting until Christmas to tell people if they�ve had their contracts renewed. Teachers are complaining this is a tactic to upset people. Why? What is the motive? I don't get it. Don't ask questions is what one teacher was told. The housing is really bad, we live in a state of siege in a compound full of teenage hoodies. Some people are trying to move but it ain't easy.

Has anyone else ever worked in a place with this FIR thing?

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

Every university has its own system of reporting "incidents," but most involve something being put in writing into your files... permanently. If you feel that it was unjust or incorrect, you could request that you be able to have included in writing your side of the incident. One rarely wins these little debates with management... wherever one works (everywhere in the world)... and one always has to be very careful how one disputes it. We have only your side, so it is hard to say whether you provoked the confrontation.

Obviously if you want a clarification of your departmental rules, this board is not the place to ask. Ask your management.

As to notification of contract renewal, QU is one of the earliest notifiers. Many employers wait until late February or March... and some don't bother until just before summer leave. Most notify soon after the start of the second semester. So, you are complaining because they notify people early?

VS

lollaerd · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 337

lollaerd · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 337

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

Written reports of problems like this is standard in US universities, so I expect that most of those establishments out in University City have a similar type of thing. Whether there is an official form with a special name is rather moot - it could be a mere memo. As an employee, if my employer has a problem with me or something I did, I want to see it in writing and be able to write my side of the story... and I want it in my file, so that a new manager isn't depending on the departmental grapevine for the story a couple years later when contract renewal is coming up.

We are all familiar with the fellow(s) and all their various screen names who got 'not renewed' or whatever 5 or so years ago. They really do need to get over it. We've all known and worked with teachers who got the ax who could never understand why... but all the rest of us knew. Laughing

Sometimes it is just a personality clash with a supervisor or a class, but that is why written reports are such a good idea. You can't then say that you didn't understand what you were doing that management didn't approve of...

I still stand by my opinion that December is more than fair for notification of renewal or non-renewal. At universities in Oman, the UAE and Kuwait, I got mine in January or February at best. It is rather unfair to compare notification time at QU with its EFL staff of well over 100 teachers to most of the small places out in university city which have a handful of EFL teachers. And those that whinged that it wasn't nice to tell you near Christmas would have whinged at how late it was if they had waited until after the first of the year. Rolling Eyes

Here I was thinking that you were Wilbur... but you are starting to sound like the socks...

VS

lollaerd · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 337

millie18 · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 185

But aren't most of the teaching faculty at the US universities from the home campus? So it's not really a matter of a contract renewal, especially if these people have tenure.

They also have recourse to a grievance procedure (and labour laws) in the US should they have a dispute, or am I misinformed on that?

Very different from being employed on a 2 or 3 year contract subject to the whim and whimsey of sometimes unpredictable management (not necessarily at QU - but I've seen it happen in Oman and UAE)

As for notification - I was surprised when I was told I was renewed before December - I've always been told in late January/early February in the past as have friends working at other tertiary institutions in the GCC.