[5], AUM personnel decisions have also generated controversy, raising concerns about the legality of the new institution's employment policies and practices. aum
girne gau cyprus eduniversal economics This event coincided with the Planning Authority's adoption of a new policy to only disclose documents which are part of completed development applications. [6] Since the proposal was announced, Dock 1 in Cospicua was chosen for the head campus, while extensions are being planned for other sites in Cospicua and onqor, Marsaskala. [80], The American University of Malta Cricket Club (AUM CC), also called the AUM Knights, is the university's cricket club, and it is approved by the Malta Cricket Association. [46] Despite then-Provost Ryder's promises to eventually share enrolment figures with the media, none were ever officially released. In 1776, arcades were built over the existing building by Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc. [24] Front arsien ODZ and the University Students' Council spoke out against this proposal because it would still involve construction on ODZ land, although the former stated that it was better than the original proposal. [100], Investigative journalist Lizzie Eldridge has noted how the AUM's mass dismissal of faculty combined with poor quality assurance in hiring replacement faculty normalises unethical practices for new enterprises in Malta: "It becomes normal for a 'start-up' university to engage in mass firings of their newly employed and highly qualified staff and then hire both a plagiarist and a fraud.
[3] The university's administration also includes President Lewis Walker, Assistant to the President John H. Bing,[3] Interim Provost Narcisa Moteanu[77] and Vice President of Global Initiatives Khaled El Zayyat. [8][5], On 5 May 2015, the Jordanian entrepreneur Hani Salah and the Government of Malta signed an agreement at Auberge de Castille for the former to set up a private educational institution called the American University of Malta (AUM). "[113], On 4 January 2018, Provost John Ryder informed the 12 remaining AUM faculty members by e-mail that their employment with the university had been terminated without cause. [30], Candidates without the proper documentation or low proficiency may begin their studies through the English for Academic Purposes pathway program. "[19] El Zayyat initially hired and supervised IT staff at the AUM. Students are required to take a set of courses outside their major to develop their understanding of broad disciplinary areas and the connections between and among them. [30], Students in all undergraduate academic programs at AUM must complete the General Education Program. [73][74] Bartolo confirmed this once again in January 2018,[75] and in the following month AUM President Lewis Walker stated that development at onqor would only begin when the university has at least 2,000 students at its Cospicua campus. [66], Opponents of the onqor Point development set up the Front arsien ODZ (Maltese for Front for the Protection of ODZ) on 23 May 2015, and its founding members included then-Labour MPs Marlene and Godfrey Farrugia and former AD politician Michael Briguglio. 
(3)", "Is Newest 'American U. of' Really American? [33] After the conditions were accepted, the commission issued a 5-year university licence on 16 September 2016. A spokesperson for DePaul University issued a statement, qualifying the legitimacy of AUM's curricula: "Faculty designed degree programs in areas that were requested, with the dual goals of being academically well-designed and meeting regulatory requirements in Malta. [126], There is no greater gift the present can give to the future than a new generation of talented and inspired leaders, Knights' Building and proposed extensions, Lack of transparency and violation of public trust, Locating university in higher education saturated Malta, Faculty recruitment for accreditation purposes only, Low student enrolments and inability to achieve targets, Mass dismissals and other personnel decisions, Legal and ethical wrongdoing by Board of Trustees members, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Center for International Higher Education, "Get Closer to Your Dreams with an AUM Esports Scholarship", "Join us in congratulating Prof. Dr. Narcisa Roxana Moteanu on her new role at AUM as Interim Provost", "AUM student population is a fifth of promised number", "Investiment gan-naa t'isfel ta' Malta American University of Malta", "AUM Opens its Doors to the First Batch of Students", "Estimation of the Contribution to the Maltese Economy of the Development and Operation of an International Higher Academic Institution: Update Based on a Project Proposal Spread Over Two Sites", "Government to rent public land to American University of Malta on the cheap", "Heads of agreement for 4,000-student American university expected on Tuesday", "Faculty create curricula for American University of Malta", "Former Baku university rector to head 'American Institute of Malta', "AUM owner aspires for 'higher education diamond in the Mediterranean', "From Baku to the 'American University of Malta', "DePaul University denies involvement in site selection for proposed American University of Malta", "When is a university not a university? 
The latter was originally intended to be the university's primary location, but on 20 August 2015 it was announced that the Maltese government and Sadeen Group had agreed to split the university campus between the two sites. [125] In an interview with investigative journalist Lizzie Eldridge, Provost John Ryder admitted that foreign students had used the AUM as a launch board into Europe. A former staff member has called the AUM's social media and marketing campaigns "smoke and mirrors," meant to hide the "AUM's activitiesfrom the public eye, behind a Facebook page designed to make you believe you've entered an idyllic higher education wonderland, in which it's nearly impossible to distinguish between fiction and fact, fantasy and reality, glitz and horror. Candidates must provide proof of English proficiency in order to receive full admission to the University. In addition, new buildings were to be constructed on nearby sites: an administrative building was to be built between the British and Knights' Buildings, and a building which housed student accommodation and a multistorey car park was to be built on the site of a nearby public car park. [93] In response to this, lecturers at the University of Malta disagreed with the use of the term "monopoly", stating that the university already competes with other institutions such as MCAST. [11] However, the university has consistently failed to meet its recruitment goals. [10] The government approved the granting of land for the AUM after a 15-hour long debate in parliament on 15 December 2015. The project was intended to regenerate the South of Malta and give said area an economic and social boost. "[36], In the AUM's first two years, refusals by then-Provost John Ryder to publicly release the official enrollment figures was a recurring flashpoint of controversy. "[104] In November of the same year, the Times of Malta reported that the AUM's revised plan was to enroll 330 students in its first semester, but the "university managed to attract 15 students. [24][69] The move was welcomed by the Cospicua Heritage Society, who said that the Three Cities and Kalkara would benefit from the project. An almost identical building which was located on the opposite side of the dry dock was demolished between 1972 and 1974. [2] Moteanu became the university's interim provost in 2020 until a new provost is appointed. 
Arkansas State University reconsidered its earlier decision to collaborate with the AUM on dual degree programs after uncovering former employees' negative comments on the site Glassdoor describing the mass termination event. [59] The formal refusal of planning permission was made on 21 November 2019. [25][43], AUM offers 10 undergraduate and 3 graduate degrees in the areas of Business, Engineering, Technology and Arts. "[105] The figure was denied by university officials. . 
While specifics of any DePaul contract are proprietary, I can tell you that it went through the usual, internal multi-step review process. Fresh Hell For American University of Malta as Five Sacked Lecturers Spill the Beans", "AUM signs collaborative agreement with Arkansas State University", "AUM deal with Arkansas State University frozen after nearly all staff dismissed", "American University of Malta appoints Adrian Hillman as trustee", "No conflict of interest with American University of Malta appointment, says BOV chair", "Adrian Hillman loses gaming authority contracts, AUM board role", "Allied Group managing director Adrian Hillman denies allegations", "Middleman's letter links Schembri and Fenech to Daphne murder", "Four American University students 'disappear' before reaching campus", "Interview: The Man who came from Baku (2)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_University_of_Malta&oldid=1086431237, Educational institutions established in 2016, Wikipedia neutral point of view disputes from August 2020, All Wikipedia neutral point of view disputes, Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from August 2020, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 6 May 2022, at 04:10. The dismissed deputy manager filed a judicial protest against Sadeen Education. [20] As of September 2016, demand for property in Cospicua reportedly increased as a result of the university project. tony phd It was also damaged during World War II and it remained in a dilapidated state. [37] These mistakes included hiring too many faculty members for the 2017-18 academic year,[citation needed] firing those same faculty en masse in January 2018,[citation needed] consistently hiding student enrolment figures to avoid media scrutiny and enacting poor quality assurance processes,[citation needed] resulting in the hiring of faculty who were guilty of academic plagiarism and degree fraud. [61] Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stated that constructing the university in Marsaskala would pressure the owners of the former Jerma Palace Hotel to redevelop the site, which has fallen into disrepair since being closed down in 2007. "[16] In 2018, the AUM hired an American president, Lewis N. Walker, as well. [14] Ryder's qualifications for the post included a terminal academic degree in Philosophy and two-years' experience as president of Khazar University in Azerbaijan. [19], Philip Altbach, Boston College faculty member and director of the Center for International Higher Education, expressed concern that institutions such as Sadeen-owned AUM are "business interests starting universities to make money using the American brand. [8] Asked how many students the AUM admitted for the Fall semester (academic year 2017-18), then-Provost Ryder would only say that student recruitment was proving to be challenging. malta university american [26] In January 2016, the National Commission for Further and Higher Education announced that Sadeen Education Investment Ltd had been given a licence to operate a Higher Education Institution under the name American Institute of Malta. A spokesperson for the Maltese Ministry of Education stated, "Mr Adrian Hillman will no longer be the Government nominee on AUM. sadeen malta university american Arkansas State University, which signed an agreement with the AUM in March 2019 to offer dual degree programs, decided in September 2019 to freeze and scrutinize the AUM agreement after discovery of the mass firing of faculty in January 2018. [40] Its architect was William Scamp, who also designed the rest of the dockyard, and some alterations were carried out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [112] In a judicial protest, the former Assistant Director of Admissions alleged that the AUM fraudulently misrepresented salaries to prospective hires (wage agreed to in Euros but remunerated in U.S. [42], The Planning Authority approved the restoration of the building to house part of the AUM campus on 25 August 2016. [47] Sadeen Group decided to appeal this decision, and the case is still ongoing as of 2020. aum The general one focuses on a broad approach to education, while the specialized one is simply the major that takes an in-depth approach. [48] The NGO Flimkien gal Ambjent Ajar was also opposed to the internal demolition of the Knights' Building, and it stated that the project would have a negative impact on the quality of life of Cottonera residents. [114][99][100], On 23 January 2020, Adrian Hillman, former Allied Group managing director, was removed from his role as the government's representative to the AUM board. A new water polo pitch would also be built to replace the one demolished to make way for the university. aum Provided that a week's notice of the termination of employment has to be given to the other party in the case of an employee who has been in the employment of the same employer continuously for more than one month. Ambassador to Malta G. Kathleen Hill insisted "It's not Americanit's not an American initiative but an initiative by the Sadeen Group which is out of Jordan. [31][32] Sadeen asked for a compromise on these conditions, but the commission insisted that they were not negotiable. university malta american process controversy affect diligence political due did [21] Also, concerns have arisen that the university's presence threatens the heritage and quality of life in the Bormla community and Three Cities region. [107], At the start of the subsequent academic year (201819), the AUM's provost and the director of student recruitment only disclosed the number of countries from which it received applications, but not the total numbers of applicants or enrolments. The designs of the proposed campus are by the architect Ray Demicoli. It turned out to be much more difficult than we thought. 
. "[85], When asked in an interview about her views concerning the controversial American university in Malta, outgoing U.S. [81], The university also has an esports team which is also known as the AUM Knights,[82] and it offers esports scholarships. The apartments are co-ed, such that males and females can live in the same apartment but they cannot share a bedroom unless they are a married couple. He responded by saying that the public was informed on the first occasion. [30], The National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) officially accredited the AUM on 30 June 2016, after a 14-month process which included financial and academic evaluations. Currently the AUM is accredited by the Maltese National Commission for Further and Higher Education, but has not been able to meet the more rigorous standards of U.S. [17] The American standard for a liberal arts education combines a general and a specialized type of education. [3] The university also has a Chief Executive Officer, and this post is held by Ziya Alpay as of 2020. [17], The original curricula of the AUM were provided by the DePaul University. [17], The American University of Malta is open to receiving both domestic Maltese students and international students from all over the world. 
[46], The Knights' Building was commissioned by Adrien de Wignacourt, Grand Master of the Order of St John, in 1689. who reported to El Zayyat, David Aquilina, was dismissed,[citation needed] the Maltese government hired the same individual to work in an identical capacity in the Office of the Prime Minister. [60], When the university project was announced in May 2015, the government offered Sadeen Group 90,000m2 (970,000sqft) of Outside Development Zone (ODZ) land near onqor Point in Marsaskala on which to build the university. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was accused of a lack of transparency with regard to how government agreements with Sadeen were made. "[85], Criticism has also been levelled at the AUM and Maltese Labour government for keeping the contents of its agreements secret from the Maltese public. [123][120][124], In February 2018, it was revealed that four AUM students never attended any lectures and they were believed to have used their student visas to travel from Malta to other countries in the Schengen Area. [72] In November 2017, after the university had started operating but had attracted significantly less students than expected, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo and Prime Minister Muscat stated that construction of the onqor campus would only begin once the Cospicua campus is ready and when it nears full capacity. [48][52] Opposition to the project was mainly because public open spaces would have been built up, and the proposed extensions would have obstructed views of the Senglea fortifications from Cospicua. [18][13] However, a member of DePaul's executive administrative team, Khaled El Zayyat, became the AUM's first Vice President of Global Initiatives: "El Zayyat previously held teaching and administrative posts at DePaul University, Chicago, and supervised dual degree graduate programmes for DePaul University in Jordan. 
[30] The EAP program at the American University of Malta is designed to help students who meet all the requirements for admissions except for the language proficiency and need to improve their English language skills in order to begin their degree program. [6][9] The project has an investment of over 115 million, and it was intended to create around 400[6] to 750 jobs. [22][23], The university originally planned to take in its first students in October 2016, with lectures at SmartCity Malta until the head campus was completed.
1 campus in Cospicua. [47], This proposal was opposed by local residents, the Nationalist Party,[48] the Democratic Party,[49] the Catholic Church[50] and various NGOs. [12] The project's estimated economic output was speculated to be about 48 to 85 million. "[109] On the 13 October 2019, the Times of Malta reported that the AUM had only recruited one-fifth of the targeted number of students, 143 of the 710 it had promised the Maltese government. [5] By the time all campuses are complete, it is hope the university will have schools of business, architecture and design, engineering, arts, sciences, and information technology, each offering one or more Bachelor Degree Programs. 
aum Within a period of seven months, the employment contracts of 10 university employees were terminated, either by dismissal or resignation: (1) Deputy (Construction Project) Manager (dismissal), (2) Admissions Director (dismissal), (3) Marketing and Public Relations Director (dismissal), (4) Vice President for Administrative Affairs (dismissal), (5) IT Technician (dismissal), (6) Webmaster (resignation), (7) Admissions Counselor (resignation), (8) Human Resources Director (dismissal), (9) Professor of Finance (dismissal) and (10) Dean of Student Affairs (resignation). [13], In January 2016, John Ryder was named as the head of the American University of Malta, assuming the dual roles of Provost and Acting Vice President of the AUM. [88], Former AUM employees have criticized the AUM for its lack of transparency. "[35] According to investigative journalist Lizzie Eldridge, "Manuel Vella Rago's previous position [was not only] as Head of Quality Assurance at the NCFHE, . [1][34], Two former employees of the National Commission for Further and Higher Education, both directly involved in the accreditation of the AUM, were hired by the university as lecturers in August 2019. [57][58], On 26 September 2019, the Planning Authority board announced that it will reject the proposed extension to the university, citing the need to preserve cultural heritage, maintain public open space and ensure the continued view of the fortifications. [38][39] In an interview with investigative journalist Lizzie Eldridge, Ryder confessed that although he was not among the faculty fired in January 2018, it was still the "worst day of my professional life by far. Faculty then were asked to design the curriculum, and they were compensated for their work," also adding; "[t]he right to use our name (DePaul University) is specifically in connection to the curriculum. The American University of Malta (AUM) is a private, American-style liberal arts college in Cospicua, Malta. dhaka initu [110], Several of these terminations precipitated legal action by ex-employees against the university. [61] Residents of Marsaskala and southern Malta supported the university project by signing a petition in its favour. [citation needed] Former AUM employees have expressed concerns about the fledgling higher education institution. Soon after the mass firing of faculty in January 2018, the AUM recruited, hired and employed a lecturer with a history of committing plagiarism, clearly having violated the principle of academic integrity. 
.
This is part of a process, but the project will result in a University". [1], The AUM welcomed their first small cohort of students in September 2017[8] while their main campus underwent major restoration. 
[103], The AUM officially began offering classes on Tuesday September 12, 2017, rather than Monday September 11, to avoid association with the September 11 attacks anniversary. [43] The renovation was carried out by Edwin Mintoff Architects between November 2016 and March 2019,[44] and the project included conservation of the existing building, reconstruction of the parts which were destroyed during the war as well as the construction of an intermediate level and additional floors with a contemporary glass-and-steel design. 
[25], In December 2015, Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil stated that since the AUM applied for the licence of a "Higher Education Institution", its marketing of itself as a "University" is illegal. 
[92] The government stated that the AUM would end the monopoly that the University of Malta has on higher education. [53] There were also concerns relating to the project's potential impact on traffic and parking spaces,[54] and that the project was unnecessary given the small number of students enrolled at the AUM, with some residents being concerned that the proposed student accommodation would be converted into a hotel. trucas 
This is regarded as destruction of cultural heritage,[41] but it led to the creation of an open space which was rehabilitated and opened to the public in 2014. [31][27] This license states that AUM is fully authorized to deliver academic degree programs at levels 6 (Bachelors), 7 (Masters), and 8 (Doctorate), according to the Malta Qualifications Framework and the European Qualification for Framework for Lifelong Learning. [citation needed] Despite suspicions of ethical impropriety, an inquiry was never conducted. [48] A group of residents from the Cottonera area formed the civil action group Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura (Maltese for Action: Give Us Back Our Land) which held protests[51] and petitioned against the proposal. [citation needed], The university was originally intended to create a social and economic boost to localities in the South Eastern Region of Malta, which is regarded as being less developed than the rest of the island. The General Education requirements are a total of 41-42 US/82- 84 ETCS credits. [4], As of 2020, the university has 15 faculty members. aum [43] The conversion of the building won the Golden A' Design Award in February 2020. "[117] The five lecturers reached an agreement with Sadeen to settle the case before it reached adjudication, the terms of which were never made public. "[90], In May 2019, the AUM's plans to develop protected land in onqor, which were previously a matter of public record, disappeared from the Planning Authority website.
