Job Discussion Forums

alien-resurrection · Joined: 30 Jun 2010 Posts: 16 Location: UAE

Check out this site if you really want to know the answers to your questions:

www.uaeuniversitywatch.net

It might help.

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

Not much there... very few posts... I assume that you are flagging your own website?

VS

alien-resurrection · Joined: 30 Jun 2010 Posts: 16 Location: UAE

No, not mine VS. But I know who it belongs to and I admire this person very much. She/he has done a great service to the ESL and more importantly, world academic community, for having the courage and humanity to create it.

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

It seems to me that there is just as much usable information for the novice here. I find websites like this too often dedicated to personal vendettas and unsubstantiated rumors (which the Gulf is famous for) than real helpful stuff for new applicants - though this blog is better than most. For most new applicants, the past doesn't matter - nor do they know individuals who are being talked about. They want to know about pay, benefits, students, and housing... not that there are a group of teachers pissed off because their buddies were shafted. ...know what I mean? Too often these blogs are a rather juvenile list of childish names for the management foes that the blogger didn't get along with... I see that the owner of this blog is trying to keep that crowd out.

Al-Ain is still a nice place to live and teach, but the big (HUGE) negative is now the loss of any job security in TEFL... we can and have passed on that information to anyone that asks.

The new post was interesting that supposedly 60 teachers will be axed this month with no severance pay. It seems that this number of teachers can get a good legal case going and get that money if this is true. That is the type of case that does succeed in the Emirates. And why are they interviewing new teachers right now, if they plan to cut 60 this month? Confused

VS

Ka-CHING! · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 102

"Personal vendetta" is an apt description. The identity of the site owner is an open secret. As for admirers, he has at least one in himself.

alien-resurrection · Joined: 30 Jun 2010 Posts: 16 Location: UAE

I honestly don't think the site owner of www.uaeuniversitywatch.net really cares if it is an open secret or not. He's out for their blood and by the look of things, he's getting it. I know that UAEU management is greatly concerned about this new site. And in my opinion, they have only themselves to blame.
HCT has its detractors and blogs like HCTsucks.blogspot.com (and rightly so) and so, it was inevitable that UAEU got its.

Gus Barkley · Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Posts: 78

I'm not a stickler for intentions. Who knows what a person's real intentions are for most things. I am a stickler for truth. The "they are gonna can 60 teachers at Christmas and not pay them the six months promised on their contract" seems far fetched.

Why? There's a shortage of teachers for the spring. I'll be surprised if anyone is canned.

Second I just don't believe the U would not honor the words in the contract. I'll be happily corrected if I hear something new.