Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/992522
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 JUNE 2018 WITNESS This article was originally published in Isles of The Left and is being reproduced by the author of the piece THE following is a descrip- tion of my personal experience with the American University of Malta and provides some background to the joint Judicial Protest recently filed against the university (by the former lectur- ers). I call on the Maltese pub- lic and their representatives to investigate this institution, the directors and the shareholders, and question as to whether they ever had any honest intention to establish a bona fide university. To provide some background: on 1 May 2015, scandal broke out in the Mediterranean Island of Malta when the government announced that Sadeen Group, a Jordanian construction, trav- el and tourism company, would be granted ODZ (protected) pristine beachfront property to open the new "American Uni- versity of Malta"– a venture that was not spearheaded by any Americans. In the next few years, bit- ter battles ensued; environ- mental activists and advocates for higher education united against the proposal. As Malta is the most built-up country in the European Union, many were outraged that the new campus would take away pro- tected natural land located on Zonqor Point. Advocates for higher educa- tion were also alarmed as they felt that a construction compa- ny was not qualified to create an accredited university, and that the very act degraded the meaning of higher education and had the potential to divert governmental resources away from the well-respected, cen- turies-old University of Malta. Compromises were reached: Sadeen would be given a chance to prove itself before being al- lowed to open the university upon the ODZ protected land. They agreed to employ Ameri- can academics (in the executive and administration, as well as instructors) and they were to have their curriculum overseen by an accredited American in- stitution. They were allocated an abandoned historic building and told to refurbish it, getting the university up and running before being granted Zonqor Point. John Ryder, an academic who had substantial experience teaching in the State Univer- sity of New York public col- lege system, as well as serving as President of Khazar Univer- sity in Azerbaijan, was chosen by Sadeen Group to lead this institution at the initial stages. In Nov. 2016, the new Provost and Acting President started recruiting his team of instruc- tors. He was adamant that all had Ph.Ds, an excellent teach- ing record, and impressive stu- dent-service experience. During my own interview, John expressed his visions and dreams for the American Uni- versity. He wanted to shift it to- wards a Humanities focus, and create innovative programs. Persuasively, he described how lecturers who came in on the ground floor would receive opportunities for promotion, rising to the level of Chair or Dean within a few years. When he offered me the job in March 2017, I was elated. The salary they offered was extraordinarily high, twice the amount we would have been offered for an equivalent posi- tion in the United States. When I asked the Provost about it, he explained that Hani Salah, Sad- een's owner, was a millionaire who had "money coming out of his ears." (I surmised that John Ryder had manipulated Salah into granting lecturers high salaries in order to reflect his profound commitment to edu- cation.) But when we were given our contract, I was taken aback. There was a confidential- ity clause which stated that we would have to pay back twice our yearly salary, if we broke it – a provision that is quite bi- zarre in America, and unheard of in Malta. John apologised for it, emphasising that the owner did not know anything about higher education, was not will- ing to learn about it, and that he was in the process of wrest- ing control from Sadeen. He promised that next year, we would have a better contract and assured us that, he, too, was forced to sign a similar document. Reassured, I signed. My colleagues and I made ar- rangements to leave our life in the United States and move to Malta. It was not easy. Some of us sold our homes. Some of us had to make arrangements to bring our spouses, children, and even parents overseas. Some of us left our old positions. Others gave up lucrative opportunities to teach in other countries. All of us had to figure out what do with our possessions – some of us spent thousands shipping them over the ocean; others got rid of them altogether. We also had to find accom- modation in Malta. We had to locate homes ourselves – and many of us spent several thou- sands of additional dollars fur- nishing them. We were required to report to work by mid-August (person- ally, I was quite upset that our starting date was just a few days before the North American eclipse). We arrived unneces- sarily early in Malta, as once we arrived, the administration decided to put off the first day of classes for weeks because: 1) their building was not fin- ished, and 2) they did not have enough students and were hop- ing to get more. While we were getting ready for our coming semester, we were greeted with the unfortu- nate news that the Marketing Director had been fired. This was shocking, as she was the only one working to build cred- ibility for the institution with the Maltese community. When we asked John about it, he ex- pressed a genuine sorrow and could offer no other rationale other than that Hani Salah was a Trump-like figure who de- rived pleasure in firing people. And so we began with a skel- eton staff. The Registrar, who didn't arrive until weeks after the semester began, was a one- woman show. The library had zero books, and a staff of one. There was one Admissions of- ficer. There was one person in the Human Resources depart- ment. John often complained that he, himself, was doing at least five jobs, as well as tak- ing on the roles of all the Deans and Chairs. Even still, a purge of admin- istrative staff occurred that semester. Sadly, one of our col- leagues fell sick and, without warning, was given one week's notice. With shock, we watched the further dismissal of the Vice President of Academic Af- fairs, the Admissions Director, and various IT staff. (The Dean of Student Affairs found out that he was going to be fired and opted to resign.) When the Human Resources Director (a longtime friend of Provost Ry- der's) too, was terminated, he warned us adamantly not to trust John. He informed us that newly instilled Vice President Khaled El-Zayyat had greater power, and we were likely to be fired in January. To make up for the lack of staff, many were assigned "committee" positions to help make up for the lack of person- nel, especially in Marketing, Were AUM lecturers attracted to Malta on high salaries just so to be used until the university gets its accreditation from the NCFHE? My colleagues and I made arrangements to leave the United States and move to Malta. It was not easy. Some of us sold our homes A former American University of Malta lecturer speaks out