Read all about it right here! The crazy goings-on at Abu Dhabi Wankers' Camp ... er, sorry - Abu Dhabi Women's College!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

ADWC - "a broken institution"

The item below appeared as a comment on a certain other blog last week. As it clearly pertains to Gulag 41012, otherwise known as ADWC, I have taken the liberty of appropriating it for these pages (and editing it ever so slightly). I do hope that the exceedingly well-dressed gentleman of the dunes pictured alongside, otherwise known as Dr Tayeb al-Kamali (who enjoys an extra-curricular role as stand-in for Inspector Poirrot) will actually sit up and take note of the way he is mismanaging the entire situation.

I don't know if this has ever been reported, but in Spring 2010, ADWC pressured 2 of the best teachers in the system, from the Applied Comm. department, to quit because of failing a student (deservedly).

The student, with major WASTA went on Arab radio and publicly accused the first teacher, named Cordula P., of prejudice, unfair treatment, cultural insensitivity, etc - you name it. The student was completely in the wrong, but of course that didn't matter.

The 2nd teacher, Andrew, went through the exact same garbage from this student. The teachers were ordered immediately out of the country until someone pointed out to TK that there was nobody to teach their classes. So they remained until the end of the semester before leaving.

I'm not sure about Cordula, but Andrew remained on the payroll until the end of Fall semester 2010/11 because he knew something potentially damaging and they wanted to keep him quiet.

The fallout from this mess continues, as Cordula in particular was nothing short of being the much-loved cornerstone of the whole Applied Comm. division. Several key Applied Comm. teachers have subsequently quit, not just at ADWC, but at other colleges as a direct result of this incident.

ADWC's Applied Comm. department was especially decimated by mass resignations last semester to the point that the programs can't be taught because they only had two faculty members left.

ADWC is a broken institution and a good example of the rot of the whole of HCT.

The above story is nothing abnormal in the history of HCT under King Tubby's dozy 'leadership'. He is quite happy to allow perfectly good teachers be humiliated by unethical students and then disposed of by the equally unethical management. It's almost become accepted practice there now.

A further example of TK's idiotic running of the place happened several years ago, when many IT teachers were not renewed because they had no Masters degrees. Quite why he had decided that teachers of typing needed MAs was never clearly articulated by the ADWC management, which is no surprise at all, seeing as anybody who is even remotely articulate would not ever want to be part of the HCT management Goon Squad.

The consequence of the above 'executive decision' was similar to that mentioned above - not enough staff to teach IT. As a result, an e-mail came round ADWC asking if there was anybody who would like to do a bit of overtime ... teaching IT!

So a situation in which IT had been successfully taught for many years by a knowledgeable team of experienced IT faculty members was transformed into one where it was a merely 'delivered' ... by inexperienced amateurs from the English department! In short, it was another glorious triumph for ADWC and their efforts to bring quality learning to the pampered young ladies of Abu Dhabi.

So, well done, King Tubby - your HCT legacy is really standing up straight ... as straight as your tie!

33 comments:

Suede Oasis said...

Oh, Kamali's the one to blame alright. But let's not forget the US and UK stooges who willingly defer to him.

Their logic is, of course, impeccable - "I was only following orders"!

Anonymous said...

So what you're saying is HTC once had Professors of Typing!? These you characterize as "knowledgable and experienced IT faculty members" who were callously dispensed with by your King TK. Were they on the same full expat package + benefits as say, other faculty with advanced degrees and credentials teaching upper division courses in the bachelor programs, with complex assessments and many hours of marking? (Answer: yes they were). I suppose you want us to beleive the former Professors of Typing were such wizards of QWERTY their students were moved and inspired as if it was freakin' Dead Poets Society every day? But seriously, I'm sure the "inexperienced amateurs from the English dept" appreciated the overtime they got for, as you put it, merely "delivering" a few keyboarding lessons that anyone with 10 fingers and half a brain could teach in their sleep. Money for jam.

Anonymous said...

Here’s what really happened. Some time ago all faculty without MAs were told they'd need to get one or at least seen to be in the process towards one if they wanted to be renewed. This was a requirement of the US accreditation HCT is/was working towards. Some people didn't bother and they weren't renewed. They got their gratuities and left. So what's the problem with that?

Anonymous said...

While a number of bad things seem to have happened, most seem 2-3 years ago. What is happeneing today? Better? Worse? Same as it always was?

Anonymous said...

Poddle, the facts in the tale you repost here are already contradicted and refuted by your own fucvking blog earlier, you dimwit: http://adwcamp.blogspot.com/2010/04/asshole-management-overview.html (see comments)

Khalifa Exile said...

The 'facts' of this matter seem to be hotly disputed, and their interpretation appears to depend on whether you're a member of Goon Squad Central or Happy College Teachers (HCT) Inc.

Perhaps we need a little more input from some witnesses?

Anonymous said...

Far from being "hotly disputed", the facts seem from 2-3 years ago and more. Pelham is gone, Rula is gone and others, according to this blog, are on the way out the door. Are there any current facts about life at ADWC?

Anonymous said...

Forget about ADWC...look at the whole 'system'...What about the whole "foundations" as it is a complete mess? What about practically everything at HCT where everything gets worse every year? Discuss....

Poodle Pelham said...

Hmm, I see that the Goon Squad's reading skills are letting them down again (Anon, 5.43, March 21) - no real surprise, is it, chaps?!

Firstly, whether a fact is 'hotly disputed' or not bears no relation to whether it was last month or 2-3 years back, or within any time span at all. Think Lockerbie, Princess Di's death . . . even creation itself! Not hard, is it?

Secondly, the events in question actually took place less than a year ago - a long way short of the '2-3 years' claimed by the anonymous HCT Goon.

Of course, Goon Squad Central would like you to think that such things happened way back in the past, but it ain't true. ADCW is still sinking, and recent events - resignations, disciplinary actions, foundations messups - will be reported on soon.

Anonymous said...

C - love your work mate but gotta say, the whole Goon Squad!, Goon Squad!!, Goon Squad!!! schtick everytime someone even slightly disagrees with your version of events is getting pretty tiresome, not to mention shrill

Poodle Pelham said...

Take your point, mate. Anybody think of a few synonyms?

And just who is this 'C' you are referring to?!?! It's 'PP', I tell ya!!

Suede Oasis said...

How about 'Whores of the Dunes', 'Supine Superiors', or 'The Empty Quarters'?

No, maybe not. . .

Anonymous said...

"recent events - resignations, disciplinary actions, foundations messups - will be reported on soon."

When?

Poodle Pelham said...

As soon as I receive the reports. But it could take a while, as my informants appear to have gone to ground. But not as moles ...

Anonymous said...

Dunno C, maybe they've just decided to move on with their lives, like you should...

Anonymous said...

or maybe they were finally disgusted by the 'hilarious' sex tapes April fools post on your other site - you know, the one that you/your alter-ego Swede sweatily typed with one hand, posted, and then sheepishly pulled after the backlash.

(BTW, not sure what C stands for, unless its 'coward')

Poodle Pelham said...

Not guilty of either charge, 'mate', but I am glad that 'HCT management' (if that's not a total oxymoron) are still taking such an interest in this site!

Khalifa Exile said...

PP, you appear to have drawn the wrath of 'Big Phil', the one-time HCT supervisor who left before the depth and breadth of his ignorance got rumbled.

At least, he always said he'd left voluntarily . . .

Anonymous said...

C = Crank?

Anonymous said...

C for Crusader?

C for Credible?

C for Challenger?

Anonymous said...

Courageous?

Anonymous said...

What's courageous about anonymously slagging off people on a blog?

Khalifa Exile said...

Two things I guess. First, those people utterly deserve it, and think they're invincible. They'll think twice about acting like the odious despots they are in future, knowing that their every act of human degradation will be shown to the world here.

Secondly, the author of this blog works a mere stone's throw from ADWC now. In fact, he's changed one 'zoo' for another, if you get me. But he's still keeping up the assault on the old one, thus risking his job.

Anonymous said...

No, the author's new 'zoo' is the one in Dubai, not AD.

Just to clarify.

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with crusading for the basic rights of HCT staff to be treated fairly, which has been denied to the them up to now. The above comments which seek to undermine PP's credibility are merely a feeble attempt by management staff to stifle the only avenue of protest that HCT staff have to redress the deplorable way they are treated.
How can they expect any other form of protest other than through anonymous postings, when it is professional suicide to voice them openly - as the surgical sackings of last year were meant to clearly demonstrate.
Keep up the good work PP. Your cause is noble, and the frustration of the management to deal with your postings, other than by ineffectively trying to discredit them, demonstrates that they are being forced to take notice, and will need tone down the draconian management practices of the past.

Anonymous said...

The gratuitous poofter jokes destroyed any credibility PP (n)ever had. BTW, I say this as an ex-ADW faculty member, not management.

Anonymous said...

Shame to throw out the baby with the bath-water, but you can't please 'em all, can you?

Bubba said...

How can they expect any other form of protest other than through anonymous postings, when it is professional suicide to voice them openly - as the surgical sackings of last year were meant to clearly demonstrate.

Huh?!? There was NOTHING surgical or (for Christ's Sake!) professional about the sackings last summer! And, if it was "surgury", then it was the "Meatball Surgury" as depicted on M*A*S*H*...'cept they left out the laugh track.

That certain sycophant J.P. was assigned to inform on those in Higher Diploma and performed her job with the precision of an al-Gharab warder. One might think it difficult to look others or oneself in the face after that...but it takes all kinds and they picked their minion well. Quite the system when people who honestly disagree with the incredible amount of CYA make work that S. resisted, or the incredible distain shown to the staff at a meeting that B. openly resented...or the disinterest that I showed at the same "meeting" in which the South Asian Sycophant-in-Chief ordered all of the extra mentoring to "help" the "Líl' Princesses" in order to make his life easier. Obviously, someone forgot to remind them of the heavenly obligation, "God Helps Those Who Help Themselves". THAT was subverted into choruses of "What have you done for me, lately"!

Obviously, I was ready for greener pastures and have landed a fine job in which my students (mostly Arabs) are instructed to take control and responsibility for their education. Certainly a challenge that certain colonials have devised to make them Western-dependent throughout their lives, but, happily so, once given an opportunity to stand on their own two feet, the overwhelming majority, happliy do!

Khalifa Exile said...

I hear that Jo Probert, the backstabbing brown-nose veggie bitch of ADWC, is due for a placement on punchinthefacebook.com soon.

Can't wait!

Bubba said...

Oh, I almost forgot, my open satarizing of him and his pathetic ending of ALL emails, yet heaping MORE work on his overworked "team"...

"Do the needful"...which I set to the tune of "Do the Hustle" da da da dada dada da da, da da da dada dada da da...ad nauseum...

Waddajackass!

Anonymous said...

Over the past year, things at ADWC have gone from bad to worse. The much-feted 'improvements’ of the English syllabi have proven to be disasters, and everything is more than a bit sour.

A lot of people would like to jump ship if there was anywhere to land.

Tayeb Kamali said...

Sa'alam Alaykum,

As I told senior management at our end of year reporting session. "Those who don't approve of my management style can take a walk."

I'm tired of second-guessing and want this trival whinging to stop!

Tayeb Kamali said...

Hello, my pretties!

As you well know, Operation Turning Of The Screws is well underway. How was your first week? The grumbling has reached my ears and, let me let you know, it's as pleasant to my ears as the rumbling of a distant thundercloud about to burst...giving renewed life to the desert. It will bloom as sure as you will.

Erm...getting back to the present operation. The first act, of course, was the unannounced unilateral ending of the annual increments. I had always felt that this was way too much coddling as, just the fact that we have given you jobs, should be payment enough!

Enough of that! I'd like to introduce you to my newest minio...erm...Director.

http://faculty-center.org/hargis

He gives excellent mustache rides and is sooo much more compliant than that woman!

It is expected that you will give him as much respect that you have for me. Walk by his glass cage every once in a while and have a glimpse. But, BE AWARE, do not STARE...unless, that is, you fancy being turned into a pillar of salt!