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MT 19 November 2017

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maltatoday SUNDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2017 6 News KURT SANSONE AMERICAN University of Malta provost John Ryder has admitted the start-up institution has only managed to recruit 23 students in its first academic year. The university had to scale down its initial target to attract 300 stu- dents in the first intake, he told MaltaToday. But despite the "slow" start, Ry- der insisted the university was still committed to the project for the long term. The AUM started academic op- erations last month at the Cospicua campus, where it occupies a histori- cal building on the water's edge. However, the poor intake has raised doubts on the project's vi- ability, including the need to build the much larger campus at Zonqor Point in Marsascala. It was in September 2016, just after the university received its op- erating licence from the education authorities, that Ryder told The Sunday Times of Malta he was ex- pecting 330 students in the first in- take. He now admits the projections were ambitious for a university with no track record. "We began to scale that back as the year progressed, and in fact the number of faculty we hired was only appropriate for far fewer students than the 300 mentioned," Ryder told this newspaper. He said AUM realised it was nec- essary to "begin small" and develop the reputation to gradually attract students from markets abroad. "Building a reputation for a new institution takes time, and it is more so for a university, but rest assured that we are committed to this pro- ject for the long term, and all the rumours to the contrary are totally unfounded," Ryder said. He remained positive the fledgling university would achieve its targets over time. "I truly cannot understand why the entire focus is on numbers, rather than the quality and content of education delivered… The pre- sent count of students stands at 23, but more will be joining in January and still others for the 2018-19 aca- demic year," he said. Ryder said university students interviewed by Lovin Malta had a positive outlook on the education they were receiving from AUM. He was referring to a critical report that appeared last week on the apparent lack of progress at the Cospicua campus and the poor student num- bers recruited by AUM. Students who spoke to the portal had praised the one-on-one attention they re- ceived at AUM. The university's Facebook page lists various recruitment drives un- dertaken abroad, including Egypt, Lithuania and China. Ryder insisted with this newspaper the student numbers will grow. "If that means that in these initial days we provide more focused and individual attention, so be it. All this can do is improve our reputa- tion out there in terms of personal attention we give to our scholars," he said. In the aftermath of various media reports casting a shadow on AUM's viability, Education Minister Evar- ist Bartolo told Parliament he pre- ferred "a slow but steady start" to the project. He also told TVM, the State broadcaster, that if it was up to him AUM should only start building the Zonqor campus after fully utilising the Cospicua facility. Research undertaken by Malta- Today shows that despite the low intake, the university has not fallen foul of contractual obligations. AUM was given a two-year cush- ion by the government when it signed the contract for the transfer of public land in Cospicua and Mar- sascala to Sadeen, the Jordanian company behind the university. Signed on 11 March 2016, the contract says AUM will attract "ap- proximately 4,000 students by the fourth year from the date of com- pletion, with an annual intake of ap- proximately 1,000 students". The 'date of completion' is further defined as two years from the sign- ing of the land transfer deed. This means that AUM's obligation to start attracting approximately 1,000 students per year comes into force in March 2018. However, this date has been pushed forward by a year after the length of time it took the National Commission for Further and High- er Education to award the start-up institution a university licence. Ryder shunned suggestions AUM was running into financial difficulty as a result of the poor student in- take. He said the financial support for and commitment to AUM "re- mains strong as it always has been and will continue". Asked about media reports of lecturers being laid off because of financial difficulty, Ryder insisted that the university had only one lecturer less than when it started operations. He said there were several vacan- cies, some of which were a result of "AUM's actions and some due to employee resignations" but pinned this down to the fact that the or- ganisation was "growing" and "still finding its feet". He did not elabo- rate. AUM is facing legal action by one of its former employees who was dismissed during the probationary period. "We will not, as a matter of pol- icy, comment on any staff actions, either specific or general but if the real issue is whether the university continues to function and will con- tinue to function at full strength, the clear answer is 'yes', because we are replacing all vacant posi- tions and are shortly beginning searches for additional faculty per- sonnel for the next academic year," Ryder said. ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt POSTS OF TRAINEE LAWYER AT THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL e Oce of the Attorney General Agency is inviting applications for posts in the grade of Trainee Lawyer. e selected candidates will be employed on a full-time basis and will be required to work for a minimum of forty hours per week. Applicants must be in possession of a LL.D. degree. Letters of application, including a detailed CV, should be addressed to: e Administration (JobsPlus Permit 591/2017) Oce of the Attorney General, e Palace, St.George's Square Valletta or Email: ag@gov.mt and should be submitted by not later than Friday, 1st December 2017 at 1200 hours. CALL FOR NWAR PROGRAMME TUTORS WITHIN THE NATIONAL LITERACY AGENCY Jobsplus: 442/2017 The The National Literacy Agency, within the Ministry of Education and The National Literacy Agency, within the Ministry of Education and Employment, is seeking to recruit Nwar Tutors to deliver family literacy sessions within the Nwar Programme. The eligibility criteria for this post are: A qualified teacher (recognised teaching degree, Level 6) or a qualified LSA (Diploma in Facilitating Inclusive Education, Level 5); Successful completion of the Nwar Training Course or Diploma in Literacy or DQSE Basic Skills Training Certificate or equivalent; A minimum of 3 years' experience in the related field; Fluency in written and spoken Maltese and English. Fluency in written and spoken Maltese and English. Candidates Candidates should submit their letter of application, together with a summary of qualifications and experience in a European Curriculum Vitae Format, a copy of their relevant scanned certificates by email to john.b.farrugia@gov.mt or by post to Mr John Farrugia, Executive Secretary, National Curriculum Centre, Joseph Abela Scolaro Street, Hamrun HMR 1304 by not later than Monday 27th November 2017 at noon. Applications Applications by post should be sent by registered mail, allowing sufficient time to ensure delivery by the above deadline. Applications will be acknowledged in writing within seven days. Further information may be obtained from Mr John Farrugia on 2598 2997 or via email at john.b.farrugia@gov.mt American University has just 23 students but provost insists it is here for the long term John Ryder (inset), Provost of the American University of Malta, insists the university is still committed to the project for the long term

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