Job Discussion Forums

[rickit]

Dear GN2

Ahghghhggh.... (supposed to sound a bit like Homer when he thinks of donuts....)

So you can't tell, eh? Never mind. I'm not in the UAE so I couldn't show up at the doorstep anyway! I'm always interested in talking to folks about their experiences though and we do want to apply to schools that look good all over the UAE so that we're sure to have options and will make the right decision. We want to be able to stay for a long time so we're being quite careful!

I'll look for those ads for GM Uni and keep on top of that. But if you're ever released from secrecy on the other, well....

YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME!!!

Yours,

Rickit

[globalnomad2]

Well, it doesn't really matter WHERE the new campus will be, since you can't apply for the position until they advertise it. Also...I don't know if you've been in the ME before, but LOTS and LOTS of people plan on staying there for a long time but wind up leaving after a year or two. Some people have told me leaving was "not an option." Yeah? Next year they were gone! I think this is especially true with couples. Having said that, there are, of course, other who stay on for 7 years, like I did, with my family.

[rickit]

True enough.

We've worked overseas for many years, but have only travelled in the ME. I'm fascinated by it, to tell the truth.

I know that sometimes people end up changing their minds for one reason or another. All we can say is this is how we'd like to play it at the moment and hope that things work out as planned...

Good luck to yours GN2!

The Ever Present,

Rickit

[rickit]

Sorry about that, I meant, GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND YOURS....

Yikes, sending too many messages. Must work on quality control issues here...

[veiledsentiments]

Hey globalnomad,

I talked to someone who interviewed with the new people at RAK from GM and their contract was found 'wanting.' Unfortunately I don't have definite details... do you know anything?

There are so many of these Western universities jumping into these 'new' university ideas with not much idea of what the heck they are doing. As far as I know GM has no Middle East experience. I'm afraid that I'd steer clear for a couple years. They're a great university in Virginia, but they have no track record in the ME that I know of. If they don't hire the right people to run it... ugh...

VS

[globalnomad2]

VS. I agree. But having done a little cursory reading, it appears to me that GMU has it thought out pretty well. Financing of the campus, for one thing, will be provided by the RAK government. They're going to be recruiting students from the Gulf area, including Iran and Saudi. I can't imagine they'd be interviewing for ESL people at this early date...I think so far, the only advertisement has been for the director of the whole campus. I imagine teaching job ads will come later, yah?

[veiledsentiments]

I know of a couple of people who interviewed with them to teach English. Once they saw the contract, they both refused. I wonder what the problem was... too little money? no benefits?

RAK is rather far from the action, so places give extra benefits - like HCT provided lots of things in their flats that we didn't get in the rest of the UAE... and they also got the same furniture allowance. (I wonder if they still do that...)

I note on another thread that you said that you wouldn't much like living up there.

VS

[globalnomad2]

That's right...but I tend to elevate my nose at any place in the ME that is not Dubai (unless I'm working for PI)...where the furniture allowance, did you know, is Dh. 44,000+

[veiledsentiments]

What was the payback schedule on that? Since you left after two years, did you have to replay any of it? When I started at HCT in '92, it was 30,000 and that really only covered the basics unless you could get to IKEA which was only in Dubai then. There were six months left on my 2nd contract when I had to get back to the states, and they made me replay like 5% of it or something.

Fair enough... I sold the remainder for significantly more than that...

VS

[grand fromage]

I won't tell your secret GN2 But if memory serves me right and if I'm tuned in to the right frequency and bandwidth, it will be in a place that has no western ESL teachers now. It could also be called... rural OK everyone, let the guessing begin

[zakiah25]

They are planning to initially set up campus in the old HCT building in RAK and later move to their own premises out near the RAK airport once it is completed.
They held interviews for teachers in June - 3 were initially required but I know that 2 refused after sighting the contract. The original starting date was September 2005 but I have noticed that a previous poster mentioned 2006. Perhaps there has been a postponement due to teething problems?

[veiledsentiments]

Goodness Zakiah... an airport in RAK? What next... their own airline? There is that new luxury hotel and now another university? Finally booming after all these years...

Hey GF... from both of you I get the idea that this new PI place is not exactly going to be in the thick of things. I hope this doesn't mean that when they open up for women students and teachers that they will be put out in the middle of nowhere. (that mysterous place that both of you seem to know... )

VS

[globalnomad2]

Hey there all--let's be sure we are talking about the same thing...maybe we should repeat the name of the institution we're alking about now and then (I got confused once and started answering a question about the wrong university). Petroleum Institute is the one opening a second campus in 2006 and also opening up to women students. George Mason is the one that will establish its first degree-granting foreign campus in RAK, also in 2006. No wonder some teachers had earlier been interviewed...from what you say, they originally had planned to open in 2005. No such luck. According to press reports and their home web site, it's the fall of 2006. Thus, there will be new chances for interviews and revised contracts, one hopes.

[veiledsentiments]

Well, I wasn't confused... that is why I made two paragraphs.

VS

[globalnomad2]

Yes, you did, VS. But some previous entries are confusing...not entirely sure which univs. they're talking about.