Job Discussion Forums

Hiawatha · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 62 Location: Oman

Students are completely in charge of this college, which is unfortunate, because they are not qualified to do so. As a result the good instructors are leaving.

The policy (or no policy) here is to reprimand instructors at the whims of the students.

It is not the students who are responsible for this, but administration. A Common sense approach to management, for the betterment of Higher Education is needed.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

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

A continual problem in the Gulf with the students going to the top to complain about usually trivial things. That is cultural, but the problem comes when the administration doesn't provide the reality check. This is much less a problem in Muscat area universities/colleges where management is stronger. I suspect it will take a few more years before this starts to get under control in the hinterlands.

I think that it also a reflection of the agency hiring system. When the employer hires direct, they seem to do a better job of getting experienced teachers and managers. There is an HR department that has a vested interest in hiring competent people. Now when they have problems with the people hired, the Ministry just blames the agents and then gives them a new contract to keep it up.

VS

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

Hiawatha,

Where are you????

eha · Joined: 26 May 2005 Posts: 355 Location: ME

What assistance? There's nothing anyone can do in these situations, EXCEPT WORDS OF SUPPORT. And you don't need to know the identity of a person for that. You either say that it's the same in your establishment and we just have to grit our teeth and put up with it, while supporting each other sounding off on forums like this, or to a few (a VERY few) trusted colleagues in our own establishments. Or else you say that, no, it's not like that where you are; aren't we lucky; it must be horrible not to be able to trust students or colleagues.....etc. Why do you need to know the person's identity (if you know the establishment, it's all too easy, in the incestuous environment of Gulf Tefldom, to get the skinny on the staff) . Anonymity is crucial on these boards; apparently there have been cases!

The first move towards change is to TALK ABOUT IT --- supportively, of course.
Incidentally, I suspect Hiaw isn't in Oman at all. Wasn't he in New England somewhere?

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

eha,

Thats a load of KAK!!!

If you are in an accident what do you do?? Either call the emergency services with all the details of where you are etc. OR you shout into the howling gale or freezing snow - or whatever and never get a reply!!

In my book I cannot help a person unless I know at the very least, where they are.

temujinsky · Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Posts: 35 Location: Where I am

Meneer, in other parts of the globe excrement is called by many names but in South Africa and in parts of Zimbabwe kak represents all that is worthy of the handle marked flush.

Hiawatha · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 62 Location: Oman

I agree that our anonymity needs to be valued and protected here. (One's place of employment is an essential part of it.) I for one in fact get much from encouraging other expats in similar situations, both on and off this board.

eha · Joined: 26 May 2005 Posts: 355 Location: ME

All right, all right, Duffy; I'd say Hiawatha has probably given up on getting words of support anyway, judging by the way the thread is going--- not unusual, unfortunately. If you personally need to know someone's ID before helping him/her, then I hope you aren't the first person to come along to that hypothetical accident you were talking about.

temuj: do you mean 'flush' in the cloacal or in the financial sense?