Job Discussion Forums

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

Also... don't just compare salaries. Be sure to factor in the taxes and benefits. While you may be able to get a higher salary even as an adjunct wherever you are (UK?), you are paying high taxes and your own rent.

Look at these factors wherever you are job searching. Also, since this is your first job with a brand new PhD and you said -0- teaching experience, you are truly at the bottom of that particular academic level on the salary scales. Realistically the first job probably won't be stellar...

VS

trapezius · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:09 pm Post subject:

What other benefits will you get aside from the SR. 12,500 salary?

Assuming free housing (or a housing allowance), and taking into account 0% taxes, cost of petrol being 10% of what it is in the UK, the salary (GBP 25,000/year) is equivalent to at least a GBP 40,000 salary in the UK, maybe even GBP 50,000.

cheguvera · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Posts: 24

cheguvera · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Posts: 24

I am totally convinced with the constructive intent in all of your advises. VS, It is absolutely true that a fresh PhD stand in the bottom line of an Assistant Professor level position. A general impression I got from many of your post is that, 12.5 K is a reasonable bid for a fresher and it is most likely that they will not push it further. Still I may ask for it in a polite way. If they say No, I can back off and continue with plan B&C. I strongly believe its better try to get whatever you like, rather than trying to like whatever you get. In this career move, the one and only one motivation for me is �money�, on top I like teaching. As many people say, the ideal time to negotiate is when you are out side the system; i.e. before signing the contract. Once you are inside, you are obliged to go with it for 24 months for the next revision in normal circumstances. They have already spent ~ GBP 400 to set up a personal interview. Even if I had to back off, I am happy. At least the next candidate after me will be offered a slightly better scale. If few people should had done that, that would had prompted them to think about the hardship of getting an earned PhD. It�s 4 years of real hard work and I worth every penny what I am asking for. The lack of standardisation is there because there are many jobless academicians in this world, who are even able to compromise even for half of the salary range which we are talking about.

Furthermore an Assistant Professor rank in a higher education institution has got a better hierarchical status than (BA/BSc/MA/MSc +teaching diploma +� n� years of teaching experience) category because of the professional training and calibre to conduct R&D and it should reflect in their salary scale as well. Do they require researchers or not is a different scenario. How long Saudi universities can buffer with English language training and foundation level programs? Sooner or later, the country has to have strategic investment for extensive R&D to survive in the competition. Anyone out there, who gone through the hardship of securing an earned PhD will understand what I am talking about.

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

Well... I don't think you got the impression on salary from me, as I never talk about salaries much here and never on the Saudi board. Try to negotiate and see what happens. Laughing

Just don't expect them to put a high value on research. Your last paragraph referred to the thinking in many countries, but in the Gulf... not so much. It hasn't even occurred to Saudi to think about "strategic investment for extensive R&D to survive in the competition" and I don't expect that they will until about 15 minutes before the oil runs out...

Whole different situation in Gulf tertiary education... I have worked in smaller universities where the profs taught 15-18 hours per week.

VS

7atetan · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 6:14 am Post subject:

umzakaria · Joined: 23 Jun 2006 Posts: 58

mashallah: approximate meaning, what Allah wills; so it could fit the context in which it was used.

cheguvera · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Posts: 24

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

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

In your position coming to KSA is entering a cul-de-sac. Most people outside KSA will see those years in Saudi in your future cv as a black hole. Your opportunities for research will be minimal and no one will take seriously an "academic" who taught at a Saudi University.

Of course you may have religious reasons for coming here. KSA is full of people from Lahore and London who came here because they wanted to be near the Holy Sites.

Not really what you wanted to hear ? The truth is painful.

7atetan · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:13 pm Post subject:

trapezius · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:16 pm Post subject:

^^ Scot, I already told him that:

The other thing is, if you ever plan on being a professor in the UK/US, you
can kiss that plan good bye if you are going to spend some time lecturing at
any Saudi university.

His response:

7atetan · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:27 pm Post subject:

trapezius · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:37 pm Post subject:

^ Well said.

About the dumbed down content, I could post anecdotes here that would be shocking.

I also teach content (math), and I try as much as possible to stretch their minds (very very hard to do), and I often have to listen to "but the other professor gives us MCQs on test", or "but Dr. so-and-so makes his tests open-book", etc.

It is extremely frustrating.

However, semester after semester, they keep coming back to me (even the moaners), because they know that with me they actually learn.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Original thought and the ability to analyse are not common amongst our students.

My understanding of "Mashallah" and the context of its use is to say something like "Behold the wonders that the LORD has wrought !"