Sunday 30 October 2011

Provost Drummond, the Lonesome Cowboy

It appears that HCT’s Provost, Mark Drummond, is not only keen on ripping off colleges but also enjoys cheating on his wife by looking for a bit on the side too. This little page appears to indicate Mark is in the market for some extra-marital ‘activities’, as he claims to be ‘a really active guy’ who has ‘nothing in particular against "one nighters"’.

When he’s not on the lookout for easy meat to screw, Mark (or is it 'Marshall'?) likes to try ripping off the hard-working staff of HCT, as these following emails regarding withholding valid leave payments prove.

From: Dr. Marshall Drummond
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 8:58 AM
To: HCT-COLLEGE-DIRECTORS
Cc: Salma Elansary; Christine Luscombe-Whyte
Subject: settlements

Directors – I have just received a number of final settlement forms to sign which trouble me greatly. Most of these employees:

- Have accumulated leave of 20 or more days

- Are working through June 16 or June 23

- Most are “general interest terminations”, terminations or non-renewals

Why on earth we would not manage down this leave completely stumps me. I refuse to sign these liberal “going away” leave payouts for these employees.

Please take immediate actions to advise any and all departing parties that meet these specifications that today is their LAST WORKING DAY. In that way we can manage this excessive leave down a bit.
I know that there are occasional exceptions but overall I view this as sloppy management.

You will be notified of specific names by Salma this morning.

Mark Drummond

Provost

---

From: Dr. Marshall Drummond
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 11:01 AM
To: HCT-COLLEGE-DIRECTORS; Christine Luscombe-Whyte
Subject: managing leave

Directors – there are a number of employees complaining to the press about being “forced” to use accumulated leave prior to separation. My note to you was a general critique about management of accumulated leave. Some of the departing ones had 40+ days of accumulated leave – which to me is unacceptable.

In cases where teaching faculty accumulated leave during the Spring Term and have not been able to utilize it – my suggestion to you was to work with them and try to get them to agree to leave early and thus use some of the accumulated leave. If they absolutely refuse then you will have to honor their leave balance but you should have this conversation with each and every one of them. From the reports coming out today I think that some of those conversations have been muddled.

At any rate – you need to always be on top of accumulated leave balances for all employees and be certain that you subordinates are working with faculty and staff to plan to use any and all accumulated leave.

We should not get surprised at the end-of-service by demands to pay out extraordinary amounts of unused leave.

Mark

So, Mark comes on as the hardened cowboy at first, telling college directors to despatch employees homewards immediately in order to save paying out a few extra dirhams in holiday pay. Then, when news of his attempts to ILLEGALLY withhold employees’ payments reach the press, he caves in, turns round and blames the directors for having misunderstood his directions.

And just what were those directions?

“Please take immediate actions to advise any and all departing parties that meet these specifications that today is their LAST WORKING DAY.”

Hmm, looks pretty final to me, I must say. But apparently Mark had no intention of forcing employees home. No, what he REALLY wanted to say was this:

“my suggestion to you was to work with them and try to get them to agree to leave early and thus use some of the accumulated leave”

So the order to take ‘immediate action’ was, in fact, merely a ‘suggestion’, in Drummond-speak. Quelle surprise, Romeo!

Now, although we can all laugh at Drummond’s cowardice and incompetence (which is fairly standard for HCT senior managers), the emails above do highlight an extremely important related issue, namely employees’ end-of-service payments.

Sources close to the gang of incompetents who call themselves the HCT Senior Management Team have reported that discussions have taken place regarding a unilateral "amendment" that will be made to ALL end-of-service payments. Any long term HCT employees who have a significant end of service balance due should start getting extremely concerned. In simple terms, HCT will simply refuse to honour their contractual obligation to pay it. They know very well that they can easily get away with ripping off their own employees, as a court case could conceivably take years to progress through the lazy, sleazy Emirati court system – and no teacher could deal with that and remain in the country, probably living at their own expense.

Don’t believe us? Just hang on and wait – or rather, leave NOW before it becomes policy!

55 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have these photographs of Mark Drummond and his sexual solicitings for extramarital sex (a transgression punishable by death; it's called adultery) been fabricated? If they are authentic, why is this man the provost of a college struggling to become a university in a Muslim country? His personal values are inimical with the values of Islam. He should be gone before the end of this week.
If on the other hand, somebody has fabricated all this to cast doubuts upon a most moral and upright man: shame be upon you.

Anonymous said...

last year was a tough year for HCT when Faculty decided to bite back: reporting their honest-to-God feelings on fewer holidays than ZU, UAEU, no increment, poor management, declining student numbers, a lack of academic vision at hct. RAK colleges used to be a great place to work, until Dr Bog Moulton came.Then, the rot set in.
A reporter might ask Dr Bog the following

RAK (MENS) WAR
Why did the president of the Student council resign last year? He and all his team? They quit, en masse. Contact them and find out.

Why did the MOST FANTASTIC Emirati Student Counsellor resign? If you wish to know more about his side of the story, I will provide. Teachers, students and anybody who knew him supported him in his struggle against Moulton and Mansoori for what was right.

Why did you replace the elected student council with your handpicked president last month?

Why did you replace the qualified student counsellor with a local elderly intrapanoor with no counselling skills? Why did you tell Saeed that his main job would be to keep the new council under strict control? And you're gonna bring guys from Dubai mEN'S to show RAK guys how to run things? YEah!

Why did the vice chancellor TK have to set up camp in RAK Men’s college for 2 days last semester listening to conflicting complaints? He shoulda come for one day only and ended up coming back to spend a second day cos Bob and Ali insisted on listening in on everything that dam first day hoping to crush da opposition -- yeah, including complaints against themselves, Hoping to silence the opposition they did to their stupid and authority regime. I guess that's why bob's now punched in the face on line so much you know he command no respect.

Anonymous said...

So, is he a Doctor or a Marshall? Either way, he seems to be a complete c*nt and has no place at HCT.

I would have thought that publicly advertising your tendency towards martital infidelity was a no-no in the the UAE, but perhaps I'm wrong. So many Emiratis are such total hypocrites, after all!

Raja Karma said...

Provost Drummond "a most moral and upright man"?

Just take one look at his past antics and you'll see how much of a joke that suggestion is.

Mark much prefers the horizontal type of righteousness!

Poodle Pelham said...

Those of you/us who feel the need to know our enemies more closely can find out more about Dr Drummond on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Drummond

I can't help thinking the entry needs a little updating and a few additions...

Anonymous said...

This gets "curiouser and curiouser".

It would take quite an imagination to make this stuff up.

delma said...

Just what is a 'general interest termination', and how is it different from any other termination or sacking?

I suspect it means something like this: HCT don't like you, even though you've not actually done anything wrong.

Right?

Anonymous said...

Right-o! It's like, "I've given the CLAW a sledgehammer and told her to go 'swat a few flies'". So, she gets the IT people to snoop and snoop and they come back with the story that this one, and that one, and that one, and that one, etc... have viewed the hate blogs from their tablets.

So, in her little star-chamber, she informs Tubby and Mark of this.

Tubby sez, "Off with their 'eads, Off with their 'eads", to which Mark (Gently reminding the Tubster that he's not a British monarch) sez, "Well, we really can't fire 'em for cause, 'cuz we got no cause."

So, Tubby sez find some sneaky way to rid me of these people (whilst paying all that is due to them).

Voila! General Interest Termination ala Tubby-Mark-CLAW!

Anonymous said...

Ann Mroz
Editor, Times Higher Education, UK
Ann Mroz is the editor of the Times Higher Education, a division of The Times newspaper – one of the UK’s most well-known media publications.

It started in October 1971 when it was formerly the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES). It is a weekly British magazine based in London reporting specifically on news and other issues related to higher education. It is the United Kingdom’s leading higher education news publication.

In 2011 Times Higher Education was awarded the titles of Weekly Business Magazine of the Year and Media Business Brand of the Year by the Professional Publishers Association. Annually, it publishes the world university rankings.


So I just emailed her and the paper a list of electronic "resources" regarding Higher Education in the UAE, specifically the Higher Colleges of Technology. I asked her if she thought it was a appropriate that she allow an institution to fly her to the UAE, put her up in a hotel, feed her, and then go back to being the editor of the Times Higher Education. She will be attending the Festival of Thinkers.

Unbelievably, I recieved the following message back from her office "We appreciate you notifying us of these allegations. We will look into the matter and respond accordingly. If there are individuals who are willing to come forward and tell their story, we would be most appreciative".

So there you go, I told mine. Now it is up to some other people.

Anonymous said...

Where is Rudi when we need him? Moonlighting at the CHE? A general interest termination means HCT can dismiss you for no reason. This can be for cause or just because but the employee does not have be informed of any reasoning, or lack of, for the dismissal.

Poodle Pelham said...

"We appreciate you notifying us of these allegations. We will look into the matter and respond accordingly. If there are individuals who are willing to come forward and tell their story, we would be most appreciative".

That's great news. I have sent my 'story' already. I'll follow up at FoT too!

Anonymous said...

Anyone else heard a rumour about gratuities being turned into government super?

Anonymous said...

super or supper?

Whatever, they will be gone soon.

Time to go.

Anonymous said...

Time to leave indeed. With 15+ years of EoS payment to consider, it's not worth the gamble.

My resignation latter will be finished very soon!

Anonymous said...

I had 15 years in too, and cashed out recently. I'm not a gambler either.

I started at the HCT when there were 14 contact hours, and 14 students per class. No classes on Wednesdays, this was prep time, and nobody monitored your comings and goings, and TK was just a humble teacher like the rest of us, and not a bad chap at all. The golden age of HCT. Where has it gone? What a shame.

A former colleague says it just gets worse and worse, but like the frog in the pot, you don't notice the heat increasing until you're cooked.

Time to get out while the gettin's good.

If a large number os people resigned and the HCT were to honor their EofS obligations, they would have to close the college for a couple of years as there is no money set aside for EofS. Oh yes, oil hit a 14 week high today.

In the movie Syriana, the American advisor tells the Sheik:"100 years ago you people were f'ing sheep in the desert and cutting each others heads off, and a hundred years from now you'll be doing the same thing."

That pretty much sums up the fate of the Gulf states.

BTW, enjoy the upcoming festival of wankers! That's where your EofS benefits are going.

Anonymous said...

No, that's not where MY EoS payout is going, 'cos I'm quitting at the end of this semester.

It's all been signed and sealed, so now there's just the small matter of delivery.

Am I ... worried?

Anonymous said...

You should be!

VERY worried indeed - scared, even!

Anonymous said...

Yes HCT is not to be trusted. Remember we lost the merit pay without warning. Right up until the last minute supervisors were forcing their staff to do extra duties on the pretence they would get the merit pay. Then this year no 4% pay rise even though prices are rising. Gratuity has to be the next in line it's the only thing left apart from increasing class sizes - woops they have already done that or increasing the number of class contact hours - woops they did that a while ago. Hmmm gratuity and put into a government super and invested in the UAE.

Tayeb Kamali said...

We are extremely grateful for the post above. It should come as no surprise that you are all, ALL, a bunch of losers and rightly should be grateful for our employment of you. With your countries in economic turmoil, where else are you going to get jobs?

Now, enough with the dissention! To review:

a.) You are all losers who couldn't get jobs without our largesse.

b.) You are ingrates.

c.) There are no jobs for you to go to.

d.) I am YOUR God.

e.) Kiss my ring!

f.) EOS is dead. Long Live the EOS!

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't someone start a petition to present to Festival of Thinker speakers to have them donate part or all of their fees back to HCT to fund this year's missing faculty salary increment?

Anonymous said...

If you take a look at the Festival of "thinkers" you will see that they are at the end of their careers (if they ever had one) and are in the UAE topping up their superannuation. Maybe that's where the end of service gratuity is going to go - into superannuation for the speakers. Aha!

Anonymous said...

Festival of Thinkers is a joke. Along with the UAE in general. 40 years the place will be a desert again, who cares about anything they do. They wear sheets for christ sake. Sheets, like call it identity, I laugh, you have an identity - you all look alike. Even the sheets cant hide that. No wonder they cant get the id cards straight, they all fn look alike.

With all that money you think they could wear something different. The women don't want to, because they don't want to show off what they got. And thanks be to god for that. Because I have seen some nasssstyyy sh**. Deformed, hairy, date eating monsters. I mean some of them look like there parents are siblings, oh wait thats right......

No one in the world takes them seriously, but they do take their money. Make sure to play the game if you are there, take their money, say nice things to them to make them feel important, and then sit back and laugh as some guy named Sheikh Nayan uses his money to gain respect, because we all know he never went to university. The only difference between you and sheikh nayan was sperm - so be thankful. You need to look at it like this, your father and his sister could have been your parents, or mom and her brother, or grandpa and mom, or grandma and dad, and with this you could have loads of money - plus extra digits on your hands or feet, half of your head could have hair, you could have multiple nostrils, one eye, no teeth, half a mouth, bones that break in the wind, drive like a complete ahole - Or you could make a decent living in decent country, where your parents met because they wanted to do it.

On top of it, think about the conversations you have had with your colleagues in other countries. My colleagues would take a trip to the UAE or host them at their university in heartbeat - they pay for everything. Tayeb Kamali isn't respected anywhere, he is the guy who shows up with the bag of money and he is well received, other than that, nada. They pay for everything. That's all it is. Tayeb is a joke. If he wasn't a joke, he would be invited outside the country. He flys places because he pays to go. He is never flown anywhere or invited somewhere where other people pay. He surronds himself with south asian because they are obedient, and believe me people take notice. You will also notice once they visit, few come back, and few publicize that they were even there. Tayeb is basically Shitface Nayan's own little indian.

There is no credible emirati professor or student anywhere in the world. Think about the things they do, jetski's, shopping, media, fashion, they buy things that other have built and cant understand why it isn't successful once they buy it. I mean c'mon. When they invent something or offer a bit of originality, please let me know. They will never be a western country, ie great place to live. And you should consider moving back to your wonderful countries becasue they could use your brains and western education at this time.

Make money, travel, buy things, but at the end of the day really, ask yourself this, do you take them seriously?

I thought so.

Anonymous said...

Nov 17, 8:37am

Don't hold back, tell us what you REALLY think.


With rare exceptions, spot on.

Anonymous said...

Couldn't be more accurate. No amount of money can fix that place, and they have unlimited amounts.

Khalifa Exile said...

There's no will to 'fix' things at HCT, since they're all in denial - there's no problem!

Those occasional ructions are partly the outsiders' fault, of course, but mostly it's due to those within the organisation who just don't see things in the right way.

That's why they get sacked.

The logic is impeccable!

Anonymous said...

Logic has no place on the HCT curriculum - everybody knows that.

They tried to introduce Critical Thinking as a subject once, but nobody could understand it (including management).

In the end, it was so watered down it was unrecognisable - more like a bit of light reading followed by a 'what do you think?' section. True!

Anonymous said...

"Critical Thinking" of the retards and inbreds of the ADWC that I taught consisted of, after I gave them a handout and they gestured at the paper saying, "Shu Hada", and me saying, "Read it and ask me what you don't understand"...now here comes the "Critical Thinking"...

Neurons are issued instructions to go to the fingers with the command "Grasp and bring paper to face" and, and at the same time, neurons are shot to the eyeballs with the command, "Look and read the words on the page, you dimwit" and, after a short period, the retard would nod in understanding...

Yeah, Jeanette, I wasn't as "pastoral" as the retard princesses demanded and you complied with Pavlovian relish.

I may have lost my job for trying to teach responsible learning, but I left with all of my EoS and my dignity.

You are still there talking nasty shit behind Tubby's back and cackling!!!

Anonymous said...

Critical thinking amonst other liberal studies course is being 'taught' at SHCT this semester.....wonder how that's going to turn out...

Anonymous said...

Yes, I rather prefer the term 'delivered' instead of 'taught', as the latter implies some sort of learning going on.

Or perhaps 'spoonfeeding' would be even more apposite?!

Anonymous said...

Critical thinking at Sharjah? Even the faculty are afraid to think critically so how could they possibly teach students to analyse any situation from a critical perspective? I heard they also tried to teach ethics.................

Anonymous said...

I just hope it's not Sharjah college's business department that's trying to teach critical thinking. The business supervisor there tells any of her staff who offer constructive criticism to get on with it or leave. In fact tells them to act like Stepford teachers - smile on -correct , brain empty - correct!

Anonymous said...

Festival of Thinkers to have a European version (Staff Reporter)

16 November 2011, 10:44 PM ABU DHABI - The Festival of Thinkers will be extended to Europe following an agreement on this regard by the organiser, the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and the Dublin City University (DCU), on the sidelines of the conference in Abu Dhabi.
The agreement was signed by Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and HCT Chancellor, and Brian MacCraith, DCU President.

Under the terms of the agreement, both parties will look at co-organising the proposed Festival of Thinkers – Europe. The HCT will assist DCU on festival requirements, including branding, concepts and format. The DCU would act as the regional organiser of the Festival of Thinkers – Europe, which will be hosted in Ireland.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2011/november/theuae_november430.xml

Anonymous said...

Microsoft and HCT sign Education Alliance Agreement

Deal will establish Microsoft Learning Centre at Higher Colleges of Technology

By Mark Sutton
Published November 18, 2011

Microsoft and the UAE's Higher Colleges of Technology have signed an agreement to establish the first Microsoft Learning Centre in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Under the Education Alliance Agreement, the centre will be established at the HCT, to provide a resource centre and laboratory for faculty and students to use Microsoft products such as Windows Phone 7, Windows Azure, and Kinect.

Dr Tayeb Kamali, vice chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology said: "We are committed to providing a world-class educational experience for our students as they prepare to enter a competitive knowledge-based economy as graduates.

http://www.itp.net/587062-microsoft-and-hct-sign-education-alliance-agreement

Anonymous said...

I see that Farid has now promoted the unqualified one who knows how to simper and flash her eyes at him in order to get in his good books. She always calls him Dr O'han to be different. She laughs behind his back at how he loves her calling him that rather than Dr Farid. Of course it's the unqualified Miss Lauralee now promoted to Associate Dean. At least she hopefully wont be able to sack PhDs for being over qualified. Now the Business Dept are worried she will be promoting her protegy the brown nosed, brown tongued long streak of p@@s.

Anonymous said...

How come HCT has money to create jobs where they didn't exist (yet another management position) so that one director can promote a favorite, yet they don't have money for the annual increment? Strange!

Raja KArma said...

I now hear that the much-despised Foundations 'chair' (although she needed a sofa, given her size) at
ADWC has been shafted and sent packing.

Was this a response to public demand? Or just another example of The Claw's evil tactics?

More info needed, please!

Khalifa Exile said...

This is off-topic I know, but I just discovered the following about HCT's Chancellor on wikipedia:

"Despite his role as an academic leader and representative of research institutes, Sheikh Nahyan has no academic or scholarly achievements himself. However, according to Emirati tradition, anybody with the appropriate beard and expression may informally refer to themselves as a 'professor' and undertake representative duties in scholastic and academic settings."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahyan_bin_Mubarak_Al_Nahyan

Interesting, or what?

Anonymous said...

Scottish teacher sacked for offending the UAE

http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/scottish-teacher-sacked-for-offending-the-uae-2011-11-29-1.430660

Anonymous said...

Even welfare recipients get a raise. But HCT faculty have still not received their 4% increase for the 2011-12 academic year.

================

President raises salaries of Federal Government staff

Nov 30, 2011
ABU DHABI // Sheikh Khalifa, the UAE President, today ordered increases in the salaries of all Emirati federal Government employees to mark the UAE's 40th National Day.

The pay raises, which begin at 35 per cent, will take effect in January, according to the state news agency, WAM. Employees in higher pay grades will get a 45 per cent salary increase. The decision also provides for a special bonus to the salaries of ministry undersecretaries and assistant undersecretaries.

Judicial authority employees will receive 100 per cent of their basic salaries as a “special bonus”, while health and education ministry employees will receive 100 per cent of their basic salaries as a “technical bonus”.

Some people who receive welfare from the Social Affairs Ministry will receive 20 per cent more in their allowances.

The decision is being met with excitement by Government employees.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/president-raises-salaries-of-federal-government-staff

Suede Oasis said...

This is great news for the Emirati staff members of HCT - they'll be getting a whopping payraise, while their non-Emirati colleagues get sweet FA!!

Anonymous said...

Or what HCT cronies do get instead is have a job created for them so they get a pay rise. Pity for the rest of the plebs!

God Willing said...

I do remember that ten years ago, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the UAE, all expat staff at HCT got an extra month's pay as a bonus.

I wonder what they have planned for this anniversary, the 40th?!

Suggestions below, please!

Anonymous said...

Maybe this time they will TAKE back the one month's gratuity. Got to fund the increase in Emirati salaries from somewhere. Besides we will all leave at some time in the future and we would only take it with us. Better for it to be used in the Good Old UA of E.

Anonymous said...

Marshall, I just saw your online photo.

You've gotta pretty mouth!

Kin I fvck you in it? I won't tell the wifey!

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid I don't find the previous comment very funny at all. Rather juvenile to be honest.

God willing said...

Yeh, that's right, Drummo boy - far too infantile. Just ignore these retard teachers who come on here and upset you - you're worth MUCH better!!

Anonymous said...

The posts should be moderated otherwise it descends into a cess pit that will not be taken seriously. There are teachers who post on this site who have valid grievances and writing puerile nonsense does not add credence to the blog at all.

Anonymous said...

O.K., let me get this straight. He can, in an unfettered manner, perform the same act on teachers...but when a teacher mentions doing that self-same act on him...erm...it's out-of-bounds?

O.k., he did in Dr. Dummy's office in a business suit, but I do it on a hate blog.

My, aren't we cutting that slice of cake rather thin???

Republocrat said...

He's rich (Anon, 1.42), Suede. Too much name-calling tends to diminish the stature of this site, which is probably read all round the world (we hope!).

Get a grip on those commenters who take the low road, and encourage more whistle-blowers to reveal the awful truth of working for HCT. We need you to do that, for our sakes and for the sake of education in general.

Republocrat said...

Oops, "He's right", I meant to say (above)!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Republocrat. How can this site be taken seriously when it descends to the level of toilet wall graffiti. I have put valid comments on this site about good teachers who have suffered at the hands of an incompetent supervisor only to have the comments belittled by uncouth graffiti.

Suede Oasis said...

See what happens when I take my eye off the ball for a short while?! Shame on you!

In future, all comments carrying gratuitious obscenities and the like will be deleted. If you want to throw that kind of sh*t around, go to the other HCT site.

SO

Anonymous said...

Well that's 2011 seen out. Any sign of your money yet Steve? Thought not. Don't give up hope though!

Delma said...

Oh, don't worry. We'll be here all the way through 2012, and the following years if necessary!

It's not a matter of hope - just one of constant effort!

Anonymous said...

Why complain after working for Arabs in Abu Dhabi. If you sleep with dogs, you will get the flies!