Job Discussion Forums

[vunderful]

Things are not looking good for the lads at P.M.U. It is rumored that 8-9 teachers are leaving by the end of the current term. That would bring the total up to roughly 15-18 teachers leaving within the first year alone...halfway through the initial contract. Even the department chairs on both the men's and women's sides are leaving. The question, then, is: Why?

From what I've heard, things are going a bit helter skelter there. The American consortium that was brought in to organize the whole PMU project has brought in an American-style ESL curriculum for students who are struggling with the basics of the language. So, for example, Ahmed and Fatima are learning about the present perfect progressive before they can even understand the vocabulary from their grammar books. This isn't extremely shocking, but the news on the street is that, as it often goes at universities in KSA, curriculum promotion is taking precedence over students' needs. No efforts are being made to make the materials more accessible to the students.

I'm guessing that this is why a major majority of the more qualified teachers are leaving PMU like mice running from the flood waters. There are smaller issues, such as a general lack of facilities at the teachers' compound (no gym, supermarket), a Human Resources Department which, from what I'm told, cannot process paperwork in less than four or five months, and a random promotion of teachers who have a limited understanding of life in general. But a rather large part of the onus rests on the management's inability to manage and get ahold of the situation before the whole campus empties out.

As all sad stories go, the more qualified teachers go off into the sunset of higher salaries, and the goonies are left to run the show. If you happen to have a B.A. in Numerology or the like, however, I've heard that PMU is hiring.

[Stephen Jones]

[vunderful]

True, the facilities are a rather small issue (as I said), but I would disagree with the statement that the salaries are "amongst the best around." I've seen a number of posts for positions which offer more than 11,000-12,000 SAR/month (the salaries that most non-PhD teachers have at PMU).

The point is...why are the teachers leaving? The positions with the worst classroom environments (generally with contractors) in KSA pay the best. Given the beautiful three bedroom villas, you would think that all the teachers would be begging to stay. They're not. Why? I'll leave that for the philosophers.

[balqis]

Vunderbar to your courage, vunderful!
There is more things at P.M.U that 's dreamt of in philosophy.

Personally I wouldn't compare teachers who leave this horror amidst the deserts to mice. I would go for a more noble and graceful term. It is not only a matter of taste.

Best of luck,

Balqis

[vunderful]

True. Maybe the exiting PMU teachers could better be compared to the great mammoths of the Ice Age thundering away in fear of their imminent extinction. That is a little dark, but, of course, I am wearing my black hat.

There is a definite implosion that I believe will occur beginning next semester at PMU. A curious question for this board may be just this: what does it take to successfully complete a contract at a failing university with at least half your wits about you? I guess one answer could be: if you're halfwitted to begin with, losing the other half doesn't seem to matter.

All in all, though, it is not the teachers who remain's blunder for the early miscarriage of PMU. From the beginnings of the school (so I'm told), there has been a daily bumbling about by the Too Idiotic, Ever Confused admnistration to figure out how to run the school. Students do not have their required books, class schedules change with the tap of a keystroke, and teachers have lost promised overtime halfway through the semester.

To end on a happy note, though, the semester is almost over for those poor chumps, so they can go back to their lands of smiles and baste in their happy places for a spell.

[scot47]

I hear the housing is a lot nicer than in other institutions in the area !

[Cleopatra]

I'm wondering if we're getting the full story re. PMU?

Sure, from what you've said, the situation there sounds none too pleasant or professional, but to be honest it doesn't seem all that much worse from many other places in KSA, particularly start-up ventures. Poor curriculum planning, inadequate housing facilities, lousy admin.... I'm willing to bet just about all of the posters here have experienced one or more of these at one stage in their Saudi stays. And isn't it a bit too early in the day to write off PMU as a 'failing university'?

[vunderful]

Cleo, I would absolutely agree that PMU has a chance to make a comeback. In fact, because of its name, PMU will most definitely not close. And again, I would concur that all of the problems that I have heard are happening at PMU are par for the course for any new university in KSA. Losing nearly twenty teachers in the first year does raise at least my eyebrows, though, and joining this particular phoenix might not be the best idea now.

The question is, then, when do universities that are failing begin to make at least some turn for the better? I would offer that most beginning universities in KSA do not begin to make changes until the students stop registering and the moolah stops coming in. Like any other beginning university in KSA, PMU is heading in exactly this direction.

No money for the uni=no money for the teachers=job instability, nice housing or no.

It really doesn�t matter a whole lot to me what is done with the info. Just a simple messenger giving the warning call. I would be lax in my duty as a fellow teacher if I didn�t offer at least that.

[Cleopatra]