Job Discussion Forums

[eha]

' I have seen Bull artists of the highest order get huge respect in Asia and the Middle East'

And in Europe, Africa and the Middle West, (North, South and East too!) In fact, it seems to be the Age of B*llsh*t, at least as far as education is concerned.
(Oops! I didn't mean to omit Oz. It was just an oversight)

[Geronimo]

Duffy wrote:

[isabel]

I guess things can really change in a couple of short years. Sorry to hear that!

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Short years? Fergit it! HCT Women's College in Abu Dhabi went into the dumpster between the months of June and August of 2009. Like I said to people... that Summer was like "Day and Night"...

NCTBA

[isabel]

[Beast]

Some in this thread have indicated they are at U of Nizwa and seem to champion the Non-Renewal letters. I did have some questions about the Non-Renewal letters.
Were these teachers ever observed in class?
Were they give any warning about their classroom teaching methods, etc.?

If they went through the process and still failed to improve, then they should not be renewed. If they were not given the letter of Renewal for no stated reason except a Gang of Roving Haters who profess, "I don't like her/him because they are not like me," or any other mindless reason.... then well... it's distasteful at best. These are people's lives you are dealing with and they should not be let go simply at the behest of the Gang of Haters.

In most Universities there are processes and procedures that are supposed to be followed and I assume these same things are in effect at The University of Nizwa. Or, maybe they are ignored because the cost of fighting it in court is prohibitive.

So, current employees and recently departed..... were these guidelines followed?

[veiledsentiments]

[isabel]

Non-renewal letters, changes in schedules, etc., are used in the ME in lieu of real management. Yes, people should be given notice, guidance, guidelines, etc. But this requires interaction and sometimes confrontation- painful work.

Much better to wait until it is renewal time, and let some people go. Sometimes almost randomly.

I know of an instance in the ME where a person was let go accidentally. They intended to let someone else go who had the same given name. When they figured out the mistake, they didn't reverse it (loss of face, etc.) rather, the one who actually deserved to leave got to stay.

Arbitrariness, randomness, senselessness, and people who take advantage of the mismanagement to behave badly and not do their work. This is the formula for the sort of chaos that overtakes some unis in the ME.

[Beast]

The question still has not been answered. What did these teachers do to not be renewed?

3. Whimsical is not a term to be associated with 'non-renewal' letters
This tells this thread nothing

And it does sound as if a few more non-renewal letters should go to the whingers
But, were they competent teachers?

Hopefully, all of those that are spending most of their time wandering about pissing and moaning can just move on to somewhere else and let those that want to actually teach get on with it.
How do you know they weren't looking out for what was best for the students? How can you be so sure that what the University is doing or has done is just plain nuts and makes no sense at all.

It's so easy to say, "They didn't get renewed so they must be Bad Teachers." Just maybe it's the Cheering Crowd in the Coliseum that is the problem.

We are still waiting to hear what these teachers did that was so bad. Does anybody know or care as long as it is somebody else?

[Beast]

The question still has not been answered. What did these teachers do to not be renewed?

3. Whimsical is not a term to be associated with 'non-renewal' letters
This tells this thread nothing

And it does sound as if a few more non-renewal letters should go to the whingers
But, were they competent teachers?

Hopefully, all of those that are spending most of their time wandering about pissing and moaning can just move on to somewhere else and let those that want to actually teach get on with it.
How do you know they weren't looking out for what was best for the students? How can you be so sure that what the University is doing or has done is just plain nuts and makes no sense at all.

It's so easy to say, "They didn't get renewed so they must be Bad Teachers." Just maybe it's the Cheering Crowd in the Coliseum that is the problem.

We are still waiting to hear what these teachers did that was so bad. Does anybody know or care as long as it is somebody else?

[isabel]

It seems that to answer your question would require naming names and revealing sensitive information (information I surely don't have, and probably no one posting here has).

Please give us an example of the transparent management style you are suggesting as a model. It doesn't exist in the ME, to the best of my knowledge.

Even the worst teacher deserves a chance to appeal, to be heard, to have his or her "day in court" as it were. But it isn't going to happen.

I can't say as I have ever seen a person not renewed who had any sort of due process. I have seen people let go who behaved so egregiously as to leave the management no option and I have seen good teachers let go. But I have seldom seen the ones who are lazy, ill-prepared, occasionally drunk (in class, at 8 AM in one case) even get a real warning let alone not be renewed.

So if you are suggesting that there may be some lack of fairness at play, I can't imagine who would argue with you.

[veiledsentiments]

[eha]

'I've seen teachers non-renewed... and their friends think it was a horrible unfair thing... and other merely nod and keep quiet that they agree completely with the termination. Some will feel that the person was a great teacher while others will feel that s/he was sub-par at best.'

But surely, in a rational environment---eg. a 'university'---- even an 'opinion' has to be backed up by reason(s)? And isn't the crux of the problem the fact that some 'opinions' carry more weight than others? And not necessarily for rational reasons; more depending on the deployment of power? Especially the power of gossip.

[March Hare]

[veiledsentiments]