Job Discussion Forums

johnslat · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:51 pm Post subject:

Dear Mia,

" . . . in all sorts of odd places across KSA."

Now that doesn't really narrow it down, I fear. Very Happy

Regards,
John

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:56 pm Post subject:

Had no intention of narrowing it down. That would give away the identities of these guys, some of whom were just unfortunate victims of PMU mismanagement, and others who were just, quite frankly, scoundrels.

johnslat · Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 12:14 am Post subject:

Dear Mia,

I'm sorry. I didn't intend that you SHOULD "narrow it down." It was only an attempt at humor (in that ALL the places across Saudi are pretty darn odd - in my opinion. Very Happy

)

Regards,
John

isabel · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 510 Location: God's green earth

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Think about it carefully before signing the indentures for this - or any other place in the KofH.

prufrock101 · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 7

Advanced Prep students have just been informed that in addition to passing the usual final exam, they will be expected to pass an IELTS type exam to get into Core (not real IELTS, and the result of which is arbitrary as, well, a PMU exam result). Those poor students. It is week 9 of a semester!At least the pwers-that-be are consistent here: they change things every mid-semester. They tried this last semester and it did not work. Students were passed anyway after they complained about the new exam system. One does feel for the students though. Some of them are sincere about getting a good education.

isabel · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 510 Location: God's green earth

Grendal · Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 9:00 pm Post subject:

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 2:31 am Post subject:

So much to say, and so little time. I'll have to hold forth on PMU and these half-a$$ed "IELTS" things they cook up every semester at another time. For now, let me just say it is not a new stupid idea at PMU, but one that they keep trying to introduce every semester with constant resistance from the teachers and downright rebellion on the part of the students who do not wish to face another unfair, invalid exam for which they have not been properly prepared.

isabel · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 510 Location: God's green earth

Isla de la Mu�ecas | Scenery
30 Jun 2009 ... Near Mexico city is the Isla de la Mu�ecas. It is a strange and frightening place where the obviously troubled hermit Don Juli�n Santana ...
nicescenery.blogspot.com/2009/06/isla-de-la-munecas.html

If you look closely, you can see nature at work on my avatar.

I was actually pretty and young when I arrived in the Kingdom a few years ago!

isabel · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 510 Location: God's green earth

prufrock101 · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 7

It would appear as though the Chair of Prep will be elaving at the end of this semester. Already some teachers (who are not very eligible for employment in real schools) are fighting for his position. Really quite amusing. Wish one could they were fighting for a poisoned chalice. There would be something noble and romantic about that. It is more like a wooden spoon they are fighting for though.

The latest, more objective news is that they are asking instructors to use their office hours to tutor students. This needs to be structured and instructors need to tutor in a designated room. This follows the failure of the tutoirng system launched last semester.

This is what happens when you have a Chair on the way out who comes up with these half-baked ideas to window dress for the administration.

isabel · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 510 Location: God's green earth

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 11:44 pm Post subject:

Yes, they call it "tutoring" when it is actually doing the homework for the very few loser students who care enough to show up. Most of the time, it will be eight hours a week spent alone in a room by yourself when you could be getting things done.

When you promote failing students with lots of wasta to a level that is beyond their capability, and then expect for the teachers to spend their office time bringing them up to speed, you pretty much have a definition of "private university" in KSA.