[17] The American standard for a liberal arts education combines a general and a specialized type of education. [citation needed] Ryder was promptly replaced by another American higher education administrator, Jeremy Brown. [15], The project, which was also entrusted to Edwin Mintoff Architects, was to include alterations to the Knights' Building which consisted of the demolition of parts of its interior as well as the construction of an additional floor and a new wing. [29] On 6 May 2016, Economy Minister Chris Cardona said that he had "no doubt that this will be a University and not an institute. "[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. [10] The government approved the granting of land for the AUM after a 15-hour long debate in parliament on 15 December 2015. [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. The designs of the proposed campus are by the architect Ray Demicoli. accreditation. ", "NGOs urge publication of Sadeen deal for university", "Smoke and mirrors: The personal account of an AUM staff member", "Promise and Betrayal: Former American University of Malta Lecturer Speaks Out", "Ombudsman asked to investigate restriction on information on planning website", "Of Universities, Monopolies, and Public Goods", "Government seeking to end University of Malta's 'monopoly', "Lecturers rubbish PM's claim of university monopoly", "Oxford researcher seeks Malta accreditation for world's first 'Blockchain University', "Martin Scicluna's commission duped by AUMformer lecturer", "Disgraced lecturer forced to leave AUM after reports of plagiarism", "American University of Malta Lecturer Suspected of Lying About His Oxford PhD", "Minister would rather see the American University of Malta 'start small, grow gradually', "AUM student enrolment is 'proving challenging', provost says", "AUM firing staff after failing to attract students", "AUM says it has more than 15 students, but still doesn't divulge number", "AUM rector says original targets were not realistic but is confident for the future", "Only six new students enrolled at AUM so far", "This is What the American University of Malta Looks Like Two Years Later", "American University of Malta deputy manager says claims against him were fabricated", "Couple file judicial protest claiming unfair dismissal by Sadeen Education Investment Ltd", "In judicial protest, former assistant director at AUM claims breach of contract", "BREAKING: American University of Malta Has Sacked All Its Faculty", "AUM full time lecturers said to have been 'dismissed by email', "Sued! "[97][90][98] In the aftermath of the mass firing event in January 2018, new faculty demonstrated reduced qualifications, received significantly lower salaries and, in at least four cases, were guilty of ethical improprieties of which their predecessors were not. [91], The Maltese government has also been criticized for permitting AUM, a foreign university, to establish itself in the small country of Malta, which is already home to several higher education institutions. [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. [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. "[102], The Maltese press raised concerns that the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) turned a blind eye to the mass dismissal of faculty in January 2018 in a quid pro quo arrangement with the AUM. [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. Individual faculty members were selected with the help of teams -- composed of associate deans, school directors and department chairs -- in the relevant colleges. The American University of Malta (AUM) is a private, American-style liberal arts college in Cospicua, Malta. "[105] The figure was denied by university officials. [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. [99] Due to inadequate quality assurance, Ryder and Allam allowed a second faculty member, fraudulently claiming to hold academic credentials he did not, to join the AUM faculty. The lecturer reports: "There was a confidentiality clause which stated that we would have to pay back twice our yearly salary, if we broke ita provision that is quite bizarre in America, and unheard of in Malta. [35][36], In the first three years of the AUM's existence, the higher education institution has been plagued by a number of controversies. "[16] In 2018, the AUM hired an American president, Lewis N. Walker, as well. [55] Other critics of the extension included Yana Mintoff[56] and Labour Party MP Glenn Bedingfield; the latter was opposed to the accommodation which would have a swimming pool on the roof. [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. [121], Board member John Ryder, who was appointed immediately after his resignation as provost, undertook the mass firing of faculty in January 2018 as well as hiring replacement faculty with histories of plagiarism and fraud in the aftermath. [citation needed] Despite suspicions of ethical impropriety, an inquiry was never conducted. This event coincided with the Planning Authority's adoption of a new policy to only disclose documents which are part of completed development applications. The General Education requirements are a total of 41-42 US/82- 84 ETCS credits. [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. [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. [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. This is part of a process, but the project will result in a University". (3)", "Is Newest 'American U. of' Really American? [30], Students in all undergraduate academic programs at AUM must complete the General Education Program. In 1776, arcades were built over the existing building by Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc. [6][11][12], 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. A new water polo pitch would also be built to replace the one demolished to make way for the university. [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. [116] According to Maltese Labour law, the six-month probationary rule stipulates that "[t]he first six months of any employment under a contract of service is deemed to be probationary employment, unless otherwise agreed by both parties for a shorter probation period. [120], Board member Taddeo Scerri was accused of ignoring conflicts of interest between his AUM board appointment and his current and past professional positions in Malta's financial sector. An anonymous source at the university divulged to the Times of Malta that six new students had been admitted in the fledgling institution's second year of operations. [6][9] The project has an investment of over 115 million, and it was intended to create around 400[6] to 750 jobs. "[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. [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. A spokesperson for the Maltese Ministry of Education stated, "Mr Adrian Hillman will no longer be the Government nominee on AUM. 1 in Cospicua. [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. 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. [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. The commission imposed a number of conditions on the AUM, including an annual audit by the Clemson University. [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. This was the first step in the process to acquire a university licence. "[19] El Zayyat initially hired and supervised IT staff at the AUM. Two former employees of the NCFHE, both directly involved in the AUM's accreditation, were hired as lecturers by the university in August 2019, less than two years after the dismissal of the university's entire faculty: "Manuel Vella Rago was until recently Head of Quality Assurance at NCFHE, while Audrey Abela was its Head of Accreditation, both key roles in the regulation of the AUM. When Malta was under British rule, the building's upper level was used as a sail loft and ropery. [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. "[36], Another source of controversy is the alleged legal and ethical wrongdoing by members of the AUM's board of trustees. The board members are (1) Prince Jean of Luxembourg (chair), (2) John Ryder, (3) Taddeo Scerri (chairman of the board at the Bank of Valletta), (4) Hani Salah (Chief Executive Officer of Sadeen Group), (5) Taher al-Masri, (6) Derrick Gosselin and (7) Carine Boonen. Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia noted that "the man the Jordanian outfit has chosen to be rector of this questionable 'university' is John Ryder, who is the only American aspect of the project. [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. 1, which was being constructed for the British Royal Navy. "[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. [31][32] Sadeen asked for a compromise on these conditions, but the commission insisted that they were not negotiable. [62], The proposal to use ODZ land raised concerns among environmentalists, and multiple NGOs, the Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) political party,[61] the Malta Developers Association,[63] and the Church spoke out against the proposal. [20] As of September 2016, demand for property in Cospicua reportedly increased as a result of the university project. [28], However, on 11 March 2016, Sadeen Education Investment Ltd was notified by a judicial letter that licensed higher education institutions are prohibited from using the word "university" in their advertising and publicity, unless they have been granted that status formally. "[85], When asked in an interview about her views concerning the controversial American university in Malta, outgoing U.S. 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. [1], The AUM welcomed their first small cohort of students in September 2017[8] while their main campus underwent major restoration. (1)", "Sadeen's five-year licence 'dictated by law', "Xhieda li l-American University of Malta bdiet tagti spinta lin-naa t'isfel ta' Malta", "Cottonera activists urge residents to petition against AUM extension", "Cottonera residents unite against over-development", "House approves 'American University' property motion after night-long debate", "American University of Malta formally becomes American Institute of Malta, process to acquire university licence in process", "American Institute's degree 'equivalent to university's', "Watchdog fines Sadeen for marketing unlicensed 'university', "American Institute courses could start this year", "American University of Malta gets accreditation at last", "Conditions imposed on Sadeen Group for university licence 'are not negotiable', "No university licence for Sadeen, one month before 'first student intake', "Sadeen granted 5-year licence to run American University of Malta", "American University of Malta Hires Two Lecturers from Its Own Education Regulator", "Interview: The Man who came from Baku (3)", "American University Of Malta's Head John Ryder Will Retire This Month", "Concerns halt partnership between AUM and US university", "American University of Malta Company Reviews", "Cospicua's Dock No. [46] Despite then-Provost Ryder's promises to eventually share enrolment figures with the media, none were ever officially released. [5], AUM personnel decisions have also generated controversy, raising concerns about the legality of the new institution's employment policies and practices. [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. It was also damaged during World War II and it remained in a dilapidated state. [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. [92] The government stated that the AUM would end the monopoly that the University of Malta has on higher education. 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. [59] The formal refusal of planning permission was made on 21 November 2019. [106] Four days later, Ryder acknowledged in a Television Malta interview that the AUM student body numbered 23. [citation needed], Ryder's decision to hire too many faculty before the first academic term and fire them without cause at the start of the second term damaged the institution's international reputation and complicated efforts to make cooperative agreements with other universities, even after his departure. . [] During the probationary period, either party may terminate the employment at will without reason. . An almost identical building which was located on the opposite side of the dry dock was demolished between 1972 and 1974. [24] The beginning of the first academic year was later moved to 28 August 2017, with lectures held at the Dock No. [46], The Knights' Building was commissioned by Adrien de Wignacourt, Grand Master of the Order of St John, in 1689. [31], In at least two instances, Provost John Ryder and Quality Assurance Manager Rania Allam failed to meet minimum quality assurance standards for recruitment and hiring. [2], Members of the Maltese political elite, media, civil society, academe and the diplomatic community have all raised critical questions about the university. 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. "[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. [26], The British Building was built between 1841 and 1844 as a workshop within Dock no. There are plans to extend the campus into nearby buildings in Cospicua, while a second campus at onqor Point in Marsaskala has also been proposed. [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. [citation needed], In July 2019, Provost John Ryder announced his resignation, stating that he had fulfilled his contract with the AUM but would have "loved not to have had some of the problems or [made some of the] mistakes" he did. 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. ", "When is a university not a university? "[36], As of 2020, the American University of Malta is housed in a renovated building at Dock no. The latter occupy the site of a water polo pitch and 18,000m2 (190,000sqft) of adjoining ODZ fields, and it would consist of three faculties and student dormitories, with a maximum height of five stories. 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. [33] After the conditions were accepted, the commission issued a 5-year university licence on 16 September 2016. [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. It turned out to be much more difficult than we thought. 1 and what it replaced", "AUM British Building Campus by Edwin Mintoff", "Edwin Mintoff Architects win top international award for AUM's British Building", "American University of Malta will not divulge number of new students yet", "Planning Application Case Details: PA/07496/16", "American University Malta's extension plans opposed by residents, PN", "PD 'to safeguard public interest' in relation to AUM extension", "AUM extension threatens residents' wellbeing and area's historical heritage, Curia warns", "Watch: Cottonera activists use Paris and Rome to make their point", "Civil action group urges people to sign petition against AUM expansion", "Planned AUM extension will have 'direct detrimental impact' on Cottonera, FAA warns", "American University parking spaces should be given to Borlma residents, mayor says", "Last ditch attempt to 'safeguard' skyline from American University Malta plans", "Yana Mintoff files objection to American University expansion in Bormla", "Labour MP: 'No Space For Swimming Pool And Dorm At American University Of Malta In Bormla', "Proposed dormitory 'too big for AUM's dozen students,' MP Glenn Bedingfield says", "Planning Authority to reject American University extension", "Jibda l-appell sabiex jitkabbar il-kampus tal-Universit Amerikana fil-Kottonera", "Church slams government's handling of university bid", "University plan 'puts pressure on Jerma site', "Fort San Leonardo may be incorporated in new university campus", "Tan-nofsinhar jibru petizzjoni favur il-proett tal-universit", "The American University of Malta Preliminary Alternative Sites Evaluation Report", "Godfrey, Marlene Farrugia join 'Front Harsien ODZ,' group says Zonqor project can be stopped", "Government announces reduced university plans for Zonqor", "KSU disappointed by the governments adamant decision confirming the American University of Malta at Zonqor Point", "Cospicua Heritage Society qed tappoja l-proett tal-universit", "Front slams vote for 'American University', "Developers of American University of Malta request planning permission to start Zonqor campus", "AUM should not build onqor campus yet Education Minister", "AUM Zonqor campus only once first phase is completed Muscat", "No Zonqor campus until Dock 1 reaches full complement is condition, not opinion Minister", "Plans on Zonqor will only start when Dock 1 campus nears full capacity new AUM president", "American University developers Sadeen buys Tarxien hostel for 2.5 million", "Join the World of Esports with the American University of Malta!
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