Job Discussion Forums

[Iamherebecause]

I know the demise of UGRU has been announced on these pages before but this time it looks as if it will be true.

HCT have been asked to take on the English language part of University preparation and UGRU is going to shrink rapidly. Anyone who interviewed for a nebulous UGRU post at TESOL Arabia (or elsewhere) probably needs to realise the prospect of a job was not just nebulous, it was a mirage.

[veiledsentiments]

I heard about it by email this morning. It sounds like it will wind down gradually over the next 2-3 years as they spread the students around to various HCT and/or ZU branches. Some teachers will end up with the option of moving too. (an option that may not interest a lot of them...)

It is said that it will start with the students of the smaller Emirates first... and then expand. This will be a major money saver if you think about it. All of the students provided with housing and travel expenses can now stay at home.

But, based on the transition of MLI to HCT... it won't be smooth for the teachers involved. Most teachers will likely be able to finish their contracts, but I would bet that they won't be hiring any new staff.

VS

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Hopefully, unlike the demise of the MLI, which had a year to prepare, UGRU WILL NOT call in staff on Wednesday night and tell them where to report to work, ready to teach, at 8 on Sunday morning.

Some of those poor ba$tard$ who were banished to Fuj, spent weeks commuting every day from RAK as there was no accomodation for them in Fuj!

NCTBA

[secretsquirrel]

I heard a rather nasty rumor this morning that many of the UGRU teachers will be sent to Abu Dhabi Women's College, who can't recruit anybody to work there due to the foul reputation of its awful management.

If that is the case, perhaps it would be better for the UGRU teachers to quit rather than submit themselves to the monsters known as The Claw and The Vulture.

[bje]

[veiledsentiments]

I'd say that is what is commonly known as "trolling."

VS

[MrScaramanga]

The official announcement has yet to be made, but, if this is indeed the end of UGRU, it will also mean the end of a very good life for many ESL teachers out there... My few years of teaching there were some of the best years of my life
RIP UGRU,
MrS

[Sheikh N Bake]

[MrScaramanga]

I maintain: a very good life it was. And, yes, we'll always have Al Ain and that beats the hell out of Dubai in my humble opinion.
So, right back at ya, SNB!!!
MrS

[Sheikh N Bake]

Well I'm the first to admit that there's nothing like hitting the Al Ain Hilton pool after work or on the weekend and seeing all your UGRU colleagues there. The good life.

[Neutrino Girl]

Indeed, the prospect of changing what we are currently very happy with is very sad for most of us. I am convinced that it doesn't get any better than working at UGRU when you look at the entire package, location, just everything!

Rumors are, of course, flying around and it's best not to take anything seriously until we hear it out of the horse's mouth. The only thing we know for certain is that a proposal has been put out to HCT to take on the Foundation students and dissolve UGRU (nothing has been said about Zayed though, VS....just HCT). We've been told it could take anywhere from 1 to 3 years, but no one can be sure. For all we know, it could take longer or it could not happen at all. We do know though, like VS says, that the process will be gradual and the students from other emirates will be the first groups to start at HCT. It does totally make sense financially...no more weekend buses shipping students to and from their home emirates, no more putting them in the dorms / feeding them, etc. The university will save a bundle this way.

We are assuming that HCT would hire many of us on, as naturally the need for Instructors would increase with the increase of their student base, but again this is not certain.

When we were officially told the news, we were also told that they are hoping to have more details over the next 4 to 6 weeks. So, we are waiting for that to happen and are trying not to take all of the rumors seriously, as they mostly seem to be conjecture and nothing else at this stage.

[veiledsentiments]

Thanks Neutrino... if there is one thing Gulf educators are good at... it is rumor and conjecture.

As usual... watch this space...

VS

[Neutrino Girl]

[MrScaramanga]

[veiledsentiments]