Job Discussion Forums

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[Fafour]

Kefi--as stated earlier in several posts, University of Sharjah's IEP may or may not get back on track. The mission statement of the teachers who went there is now to bring the CC government gimme one year "diploma" some university standards--limagine trying to turn New Horizons into a model of an ambitious start up university with deans, department heads, committees, etc--CC is for all intents and purposes an institute. The U o S teachers assigned there raised helll about the chaos and sub-standard grading system and were then handed an additional duty--if it's broke, fix it. I know for a fact, not rumor, that CC faculty with dubious credentials and low student evaluations should now start considering fall back positions--ADU may take them. In the meantime, as the CC is brought into the U o S IEP department, it is hoped new hires for the CC will continue to upgrade standards. Believe or not, some of the worker bees , non=wast'ed locals working towards this dubious diploma actually want to walk away with legitimate training and have demanded a better quality of education--they are wasta-less for the most part--customs officials, police officers, low ranking soldiers, Etisalat desk clerks--grunts and low ranking NCOs, and when they have to put onto practice what they'be been "taught", they had better bring something to their superors proving them worthy of a promotion.

[veiledsentiments]

[veiledsentiments]

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[helenl]

Wow, I'm a topic of conversation on Dave's!! I feel I have finally arrived - now if I can only become the topic of a real thread my life will be nearly complete.

I have received a personal message requesting I clarify who I am (and am not).

Facts:
1) I have never commented on any UofS thread except for generalities concerning commutes, University City and Sharjah/UAE. This is because I have never set foot inside the gates of UofS.

2) I have only had one friend who worked there and HE left 3 years ago.

3) If the powers that be at UofS haven't figured out that people on these boards rarely (except if they've left the Gulf for good) use their real names in order to protect their paycheques - then there's not much I can say or do to convince them otherwise.

Helen is a fairly common name in Europe/Australia/UK/North America and South Africa - and in various forms in any Romance language speaking country world wide. I have no intention of changing my "alter ego" (not that anyone has asked me to) - but surely there's someone with a grain of commonsense to see that I don't work and have never worked at UofS.

Whoops! Western moment - let me go find someone to slap me out tof that!

[kiefer]

Helen,
So you're not Giovanni Belleni, the Sharjah Italian/American capo and muscle who collects on outstanding get well card donations?

[Sheikh N Bake]

No, I am. Youse don't donate, bada bing, bada boom--you're in the American Hospital with your leg up in the air. Oh, wait a minute--I forgot...I'm not Tony Soprano...that's in another thread. I'm Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. What the hell is this thread all about, anyway? I...want...answers...Miss Helen.

[helenl]

I am not the muscle - I'm a stoolie, I rat out those who have not contributed to the gift fund so Gio can put the arm on them.

[Fafour]

U o S faculty and their "on loan" faculty, in fact the old CC faculty are all being constantly being reminded (warned) that there is a stack of Cvs sitting on the director's desk and since many contracts are up for renewal, she is trying to beat the faculty to the punch--"you can't' quit--you've been fired."

They at CC have three and a half weeks to prepare students to write not one both two suggested prompts--you know how it's usually choose prompt A or B and write X number of words? With many text still on order the writing program is non-existent.

Of course since A. most students can't write at the sentence level and cannot comprehend an unguided, work banks quiz, they too really are asea on midterms three and a half weeks away. Level Two has yet to receive their textbooks. "Writing is writing" is here motto and that means dig up material somewhere, anywhere, use I in class into the books do arrive.

It would be something of a joy to let her see how the students won't be able to handle two prompts on exam. I imagine many will fail miserably which brings us back to the you can't quit, you've been fired scenario.

[kiefer]

Farfour,
I dont know the source of your information, but as for the writing exams, nothing has been finalized. Only suggestions have been made and nothing has so far been made official.

You may PM me before you post and I will help you sort out the truth. Some of what is being said here on this forum is based on hearsay and conjecture.

[Fafour]

Kiefer,
I can see that you're a "company man"--reading your old posts you once stated that the University of Sharjah was one of the best places in the region to teach. And your posts here have been somewhat more positive than others--certainly in conflict from what I hear, not overhear.

My information is not based on third person hearsay but from friends who are University of Sharjah teachers who either have not be transferred yet and are aware of the chaos as well as a former colleague who didn't take the bait, didn't volunteer to go but was ordered to go when word got around that this promise and that promise were nothing more than bait and switch. Conscripts if you will.

Granted, I do not work at the University of Sharjah, but when I am PM'ed words like "pandemonium", "topsy-turvy", "maelstrom," "bedlam" and "absolute imcompetence" (an oft repeated word from more than one source), one has to wonder if there might be some truth to what is going on in this so-called college.

What I have heard from reliable people, trusted former colleagues reminds me of a scene from Apocalypse now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mANbl6QX9ok
where at 4:39 Martin Sheen asks a soldier, who's your commanding officer and the soldier answers back "Ain't you?"

If the mods remove the link, Google: Youtube Apocalypse Now Do Long Bridge

[johnslat]

Dear kiefer,

"I can see that you're a "company man"- . . ."

Well, if you stick around these boards long enough, you'll see everything.
That has got to be the first time anyone has hung that label on you.

kiefer, the company man - what a chuckle!

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

[kiefer]

Well, perhaps I am not a company man, but I think it may be too early to come to any conclusions. We teach. We go home. We try to relax and prepare for the next day.