RAS AL KHAIMAH // The American University of RAK has made nearly three-quarters of its administrative staff redundant in the past month.
The senior management dismissals began on May 27 with the university's president, Sharon Siverts, and ended last week.
Other faculty and administrative staff have been told to take pay cuts or accept termination in what the university has termed a restructuring effort.
One faculty member, who asked not to be named, said: "Considering we have fewer than 100 students, there were just too many highly paid members of staff and the management have just come down on everyone. But without the level of faculty, they will not retain their accreditation status."
Earlier this month, the two vice presidents, assistant vice president and a series of directors and other staff were handed letters of termination.
Originally, the university employed about 50 staff and faculty. It is believed that 75 per cent of the administration staff have been dismissed.
On June 14, the Commission for Academic Accreditation assessed the university's status.
A new acting president, Dr Shaukat Mirza, has been appointed.
Prof Ian Cumbus, the commissioner at the Commission for Academic Accreditation within the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said the commission was "very concerned" with the situation at the university, adding that there is a need to improve the organisational structure and financial "overspend".
"Authorities there decided that there was overspend in relation to the staff and in terms of the numbers of students. They looked at it critically and wanted to make some changes," he said.
However, he said the quality of programmes offered by the university still meets the commission's standards.
While no faculty members have been affected by the restructuring, Prof Cumbus could not rule out more redundancies. "We will be keeping a very close eye on it," he said.
The faculty member said that that meant "we and all our students all very unsure of what will be our fate".
Independent consultants reviewed the university's management structure in November.
Before it was the American University of RAK, it was George Mason University. In between, it was closed down last year after just three years of operation because of "budgetary issues" between the university and the RAK Government.
The university offers bachelor's of science degrees in biotechnology, business administration, management, electronics and communications engineering and computer engineering.
It embarked on a major student recruitment campaign last autumn, but has not reached the kind of numbers it needs to justify its costs.
No one at the university was available to comment on the redundancies.
@Email:mswan@thenational.ae
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
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The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5