Job Discussion Forums

[kellygreen]

Where were you when HR posted an inconvenient document for public consumption and took 4 days to take it back down after they learned it had been posted because they - HR (self confessed) couldn't find it themselves?

Word is college resources have been directed to search out and punish those who took this publicly shared document and passed it around (as HR did in the first place by posting it) to others. No word on whether the poster and the lack of controls on posting such documents will be dealt with similarly.

There's yet another salary fiasco which will be long and drawn out no doubt.

These and other issues may explain the lack of communication on any level and the reason for no signed contract of renewal with the State.

[ntropy]

What did the document say?

[kellygreen]

The hunt continues and people are being summoned for reprimands. During the interview with the VPs of Finance and Academics and their attempts to reprimand those who circulated a document shared with everyone with access to the college intranet, those being called on the carpet are sharing their thoughts and opinions during this interview, both about the reprimand in particular and management in general.

This (and the salary payment fiasco) is not going away anytime soon. Everyone is leaving for the holiday on Thursday, it's pretty certain a number will be heading for legal counsel in NL directly after they land in St John's.

These issues have nothing to do with the State of Qatar - they are all homegrown.

[kellygreen]

The information posted was sufficient for admin to issue a warning to all employees to monitor their credit ratings etc for the next 12 months to ensure no irregularities result.

Admin also posted that the document was available for 3 weeks plus before it was finally reported, and even then it took 4 days for admin to find it and remove it (in fact they didn't do it on their own, someone had to show them where it was posted).

Admin is NOW implementing a 6 stage process to safeguard confidential employee information - One might ask - why weren't policies and procedures already in place to prevent this information haemorage from happening at all.

Again, this is all admin's and HR's debacle - and still no word if any of them are being called to account - just that they are tracking down everybody else. What a joke.

As for the salary issues - now THAT is being revisited (after having blithely paid it out for the past 4 years) and will result in a further delay in it being disseminated despite the fact that the NL Dept of Ed Audit Team instructed CNA to pay it out as far back as 16 months ago - in 2 separate audit reports.

The same audits stated that Qatar was unaware of this issue simply because CNAQ didn't tell them about it). Another joke.

And all CNA's/CNAQ's responsibility. None of this has anything to do with the state of Qatar.

[kellygreen]

It's like those bad performance review cliches - CNAQ has hit rock bottom and has started to dig. Those identified in the witchhunt have now either been given (a) reprimand letters and or (b) suspensions of 10 - 20 days.

Even more stupefying is that 30 - 40 new people being brought in to work starting in January are no longer coming (at least for the forseeable future) - so now we have 30 - 40 people being suspended in February, no new recruits and CNAQ was already stretched to its limits faculty-wise even with OT being allocated with the view new people would be coming in (not happening now). So basically the college will be 60 people short over at least the next few weeks.

Administration/management trenches are being dug, sandbags are in place and communication has hit even lower lows. If one does get a response from any admin office in Qatar or NL it is generally, "it's not our fault" and to put up and shut up.

HR is completely undermined - confidence in management is nil at best - negative digits is probably a more accurate reflection of reality.

In all of this current mess, and going back over previous messes, management in CNA NL and in CNAQ are somehow avoiding taking any responsibilty for anything.

None of the issues employees have are with the State - it is all CNA.

[kellygreen]

The witch hunt continues to the point of checking photocopier files. The amount of time, money and effort that have been poured into finding out the culprits would be laughable except no one is laughing.

If the suspensions, written reprimands, etc. etc. actually take place it will be a blood bath legally speaking. While it is not public who advises CNA on legal issues, they should be disbarred.

Word is the state expressly indicated it did not want what is happening to take place.

Again, it seems the State is not involved in recent challenges - it is all CNA - and the general opinion is it is out of Canada. We are short at least 20 - 30 instructors, most who are here are doing 6 - 10 hours overtime (contact hours) per week already, BEFORE the suspensions are to be implemented.

Faculty not included in the witch hunt have stated that they will NOT be roped into teaching suspended teachers' classes.

As a point of information. The college came back on Jan 8th. The largest faculty in the college does not have a dean (or even an admin assistant to order supplies) and as of close of business today, the President has not communicated with the college in any way, shape or form.

Morale is now not just poor - it is angry and poor - And it is all on CNA - nothing to do with the State of Qatar.

While I can appreciate some of my colleagues were impetuous to transfer the document around, it is not illegal in this country (in fact, it is information that is commonly traded here).

[lukey]

I left CNAQ four years ago and it sounds like "situation normal" there now. CNAQ has been imploding and exploding for years - surprising it has survived this long. It has a history of ineffective Presidents. I thought once the infamous VP Academics left last year that things might improve a bit - sounds like the place is sinking fast - interesting.

[SecretAgent69]

Business as usual as far as I am concerned. Teaching my classes. Students are pleasant. Workload is light. Salary is phenomenal. Free housing is comfortable and centrally located. Excellent paid vacation. Chairs, Deans, colleagues (some nutters) pleasant to work with. Just got a 6% raise. Also getting a large lump sum payment of 15-20 000 dollars for another 6% owed from previous years. Not bad at all!

[kellygreen]

Points of clarification, we didn't get a raise, we got the 6% that CNA has been holding back for 4 years - and you've been cheated out of at least 1 full year of the 6% (which was stated in the original document to faculty in April 2008) and if you were with the college prior to that (as far back as 2005, you've lost 3 years of that 6% of that phenomenal salary.

OK, you're willing to forfeit that, others are not.

Light workload, great work if you can get it. I know of EFL teachers in my campus building who don't come in to work period if they don't have classes, sleep the day away at their desks if they do come in. Perhaps you are acquainted with the "substitute for the cover roster" - that's a running joke with other faculty.

But then EFL is spread all over the campus and the Dean for EFL can't be every where.

Agent 69 is happy with his lot (and I agree the $$ is good, housing is OK). I would assume that A69 also has an exit strategy (which we should all have - for singles this is an easier planning strategy than for those with families).

The college is on its second contract extension, why hasn't the state signed up for the next 10 years? Possibly because of the issue CNA has caused, exacerbated, with employees over the past 12 -13 years and can't seem to get "right".

This IS a good gig, but CNA is shooting itself in both left feet to the point where the State of Qatar will finally say - these people are crazy, we have to go in another direction.

BTW many of the EFL people at CNAQ don't have the minimum (on paper - they may be very good teachers but in the Gulf it's all about the letters after yourname) qualifications required at other GCC univerisity/college institutions and often they are employed because they are Canadian, not because they meet minimum GCC requirements - and those organizations only pay 50 - 75% of what is offered at CNAQ. I hope we get a renewal of the contract with the state because there will be a lot of Canadian EFL instructors left out in the cold otherwise.

[Anglophony]

so... 30 - 40 new people were being brought in to work starting in January -but are no longer coming. I guess that means that anyone hoping to apply in Jan/Feb for an August start will be out of luck... since 1/2 of those people will be waiting on the edge of their airplane seat.

When is this contract with the government due to be signed? We are to assume CNAQ will close it's doors if there is no re-signing?

[SecretAgent69]

There are a lot of rumours surrounding the recontract now of course. Most prevelant seems to be that the Qataris want to sign and it is the Newfoundland government/CNA that is holding things up.

In the end they are getting a good product. Students are coming out competent and ready to enter the workforce or continue studies abroad.

I agree that there are some issues at CNAQ but KG seems to be the one on a witch hunt with all the negativity. You clearly have some sort of axe to grind and can hardly be considered objective and balanced as a result. You choose to work there but rather than moving on with your supposed high standards you prefer to take whatever advantage you can and then talk out the side of your mouth at the same time. If its so bad Im sure the contract allows for you to resign with 2-4 weeks notice given.

We all have shit to say about our families but when a person talks too much shit about internal matters motivated by some sort of personal grudge to all asunder it gets distasteful and tiresome. You have very little credibility as a result.

Basically youre a whiner and youre part of the problem not part of the solution.

[veiledsentiments]

[It's Scary!]

[kellygreen]

I'll let the namecalling alone - as for the contract with the state, no one is saying anything anymore about it so it is all conjecture about which side is dragging their feet, if indeed foot dragging is happening at all.

I doubt if CNAQ would close its doors no matter the outcome of the contract. Would NL be handling the college - who knows?

[gulfcart]

Big meeting called by the CNAQ president for the end of the month. If it was good news the CNA president would be here wouldn't she? Worried I am!