GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Levels, Courses
The program consists of four levels: pre-beginner, beginner, intermediate, and advanced, corresponding, roughly, to CEFR levels A0- high B1. The overall IELTS score of a student entering the advanced level would be 5 with a 4.5 in writing. Both campuses have approximately 500-550 students each.

Under the Director, Chair, and Associate Chair, each level has a level representative or coordinator to direct work on standardized assessments, guide the instructional activities of the level, and liaise with instructors and other coordinators on each campus as well as administrators. The students weekly program involves 22 hours of direct instruction in English a 10-hour Communication Skills course: listening and speaking, vocabulary and grammar, a 10-hour Writing Skills course: reading and writing, vocabulary and grammar, and a two-hour project-based Enhanced Learning course, plus, for those at the intermediate and advanced levels, a two-hour Study Skills course, including instruction in Microsoft Office apps, taught by Preparatory Program instructors, and 5 hours of mathematics taught by mathematics instructors.


QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE (REQUIRED)

Degrees and Experience Requirements:
Note that currently online degrees cannot be validated for work visa purposes by the Saudi Cultural Mission; however, a few online courses as part of an on-campus program may be accepted.

A Ph.D. is required in EFL/ESL/TESOL/TEFL.

A Masters degree is required in EFL/ESL/TESOL/TEFL is sometimes acceptable. Other masters degrees, such as in English literature or language, applied linguistics, reading, teaching of other languages, second language acquisition will be considered if the applicant has a Cambridge CELTA (or the equivalent CELTA or TEFL from, to mention but two possible examples, Trinity or International House) or the TESOL International Core certification or the equivalent*, or were willing, within the duration of the first contract, to obtain one of those certificates or do course work at their own expense in the following areas: language teaching methodologies, the nature of language/languages (e.g., introduction to linguistics), the structure of English (e.g., syntax, phonology, morphology, discourse), second language acquisition, intercultural communication (e.g., sociolinguistics, cross-cultural studies), practicum experience (supervised). A Cambridge DELTA combined with another masters degree and or two years of university teaching experience would also be considered.

*CELTA/TEFL/TESOL Core certification programs should be verifiable and include at least 120 hours of course work and at least six hours of supervised student teaching/practicum.


English Language Proficiency

All candidates must have demonstrable native or near-native proficiency in English.


Experience

All candidates should have at least 2 years of experience in teaching ESL/EFL at the university level, in preparatory bridge programs/foundation programs, but candidates with experience teaching high school will be considered.

Flexibility and the ability to teach English at all levels and Study Skills, including the applications of the Microsoft Office suite, are essential. Interest in research and publication and knowledge of standardized exams such as IELTS are also valued. Experience teaching abroad, in the Middle East, in Muslim cultures, and in the Gulf makes a candidate's application stronger.


Probationary Period for New Hires

New hires are subject to a ninety-day probation period with the possibility of multiple classroom observations.


Candidates with Ph.D. degrees

Please note that candidates with doctorates who wish to teach PMUs Core written communication essay writing and research writing should apply for instructor and assistant professor positions in the Core curriculum.


KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (REQUIRED)

Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to influence and motivate constituencies which could span multiple organizational boundaries.
Demonstrated a record of planning and analytical skills.
Demonstrated ability to make sound business decisions using good business judgment and innovative and creative problem-solving.
Excellent interpersonal and communications skills with the ability to cultivate professional and business partnerships.
Relevant subject matter expertise.
Experience managing research projects or research laboratories.
Enthusiasm, responsibility, and team-building skills.
Ability to work under pressure.


DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Teaching Schedules, Office Hours, Preparation, Service, and Professional Development
The teaching load of each instructor is 22 contact hours per week along with 5 office hours outside of the lunch hour, 8 hours of grading and class preparation (instructors may be required to share lesson plans with administrators), and five hours for department-related work such as work on assessments, accreditation, assessment proctoring/invigilation (including occasional assignments to proctor university exams), training on Blackboard, Banner, and new technologies or other EFL professional development as needed, and department and university committees.
Teaching schedules may be from 8 am to 4 pm, but classes are also offered in the evenings to as late as 11:00 pm and at the weekends, so schedules will vary. Instructors may also be assigned to work in other departments where needed; this may include work on Saturdays.

Expectations of Faculty Members
The ability to carry out the mission of the Preparatory Program, including incorporating PMU Core Competencies where appropriate, to follow the set curriculum, student learning outcomes, assessment schedule, and department decisions, to plan effective lessons ahead of time, to motivate students and to provide them with effective oral and written feedback on assessments and assignments, to follow good classroom management procedures contributing to positive learning atmospheres, and to maintain accurate attendance records, all contribute to helping students to achieve the program outcomes.

Additionally, the ability to communicate well, including by regular reading of email, work well as a member of a team or as a team leader, interact collegially, professionally, and ethically with students, colleagues, and administrators, report problems in a timely way to coordinators and administrators, engage in professional development as a life-long learner including active membership in local and international professional associations, contribute to assessment creation, accreditation and other department committee work, be punctual, accept correction and/or guidance from those in-charge, and respect students and colleagues from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds are all essential qualities found in successful applicants. Interest in doing research and publishing as well as obtaining higher degrees is also a plus.

All university employees are expected to respect local customs and laws and to contribute to the strengthening of the reputation of the university.

Performance Evaluations
Yearly performance evaluations take regular classroom observations, professional development, department, university and community service, and student evaluations, among other areas, into consideration.