A Reflective Response to XXX XXX's Esq. criticism of [professor] Lai and the English Language Centre of United International College , Zhuhai:

I concur with the thrust and factual base of Mr. XXXs ' criticism against Lai and United International College 's (UIC) department known as the English Language Centre (ELC).

Clearly with the passing of Lai's husband, the indignity of her battle with cancer and Lai's obvious signs of decrepitude, her inability to control her undeveloped emotions and her complete lack of anything resembling social skills, UIC has needed to ask itself for sometime, in what way Lai has been the best candidate to run and important [academic] department. In what way has Lai qualified for that important post? What special skill or ability has Lai brought to ELC to warrant her continued employment as [Director]?

One simply needs to ask, if Lai wishes to carry the title [Professor / Director] what initiatives, what programs, what ideas, what inspiration, what systems has Lai developed? What research has Lai initiated to assess the effectives of what is being taught or implemented at ELC? In what way does Lai contribute to the morale or the forward motion of ELC's direction? To what extent is ELC's English learning helping students is something Lai has consistently failed to research. The very basic question, what are UIC students learning English for, has not been satisfactorily researched by [Director Lai ]. Simply running around like an over-emotional Idi Amin involving herself in the minutiae of every decision shows the short-sightedness and ineffectiveness of her stunted management ability.

Mr. XXXs is correct when he asserts that Lai is unprofessional. Within several weeks of my teaching post beginning Lai was disciplined by Dr. W. Chan , Vice Principle for her blatant misuse of email protocol and unprofessional behaviour against me. Indeed, Dr. Chan , during a private discussion with Human Resources and myself, expressed concern over Lai's emotional health and mental faculties due to her recent battle with cancer. Though, Dr. Chan finally tried to pass off Lai's unprofessional and unacceptable behaviour as a [cultural misunderstanding], it showed the paucity of UIC's ability to deal with problems effectively, though UIC likes to see itself as a modern educational institution working alongside leading Hong Kong and Western institutes. (Proof available).

Mr. XXXs is correct again, I have received no apology to date from Lai for her unacceptable action, though she was disciplined by senior management. Mr. XXXs is again correct; on nearing the end of my contract at UIC I asked for two days leave to pursue another job; not an unreasonable request. Lai instantly wrote to HR to state that I was asking for too much time off. Lai had misread my request though written in plain English.

Lai is either deceitful, a bully or simply incompetent: case in point.

On Monday, May 13, 2013 12:32:43 PM I write: ".........., do you still require me to assist with interviewing prospective students on the 16th, June, 2013?
This is actually an important date for me if you do not require my services."

On Mon, 13 May 2013 13:32:59 Lai replies: "No, I do not require you to help on June 16th.
Thank you."

On Monday, May 13, 2013 7:18:52 I write: "What about the 23rd, June 2013? Do you still require my services to assist ELC?"

Lai replies: "The next day is 23rd July. I do not need your help.
Thank you."

Shortly afterwards I request in writing [two] days off as my contract nears its end to pursue other job opportunities; that is two days request leave of absence in two years.

" Saturday, May 18, 2013 2:06:08 PM." Message reads: .......... have, however, been scheduled for an important test on the 21st, May 2013 with my future employer. Proof of this can be supplied on request. Therefore, I will not be able to attend classes on the 21st, May 2013."
The other date was the 1st, June . Email request sent.

However, on Saturday, 18 May, 2013 2:13:10 PM Lai replies: "I am copying this to HR because it is the third time you asked to skip your duties: first exam invigilation, second admission exam and third this one."

(complete email proof / work rota list available)

Clearly, Lai cannot read an email message in English. Lai hurriedly wrote an email to UIC's HR to slate my behaviour when in fact she was factually incorrect. UIC's Human Resource Department made no attempt to factual check Lai's absurd accusation, which again shows the un-professionalism of ELC interacting with UIC.

To date, I have received no apology from Lai.

Again, Mr. XXXs is correct, [students] being asked to evaluate professional English teachers has long been a bone-of-contention at ELC according to Dr. Towey , though Lai has consistently refused to acknowledge or provide teachers with a platform for their own professional views, as one would expect in an academic institution to contribute and help develop a quality system. Sharing ideas and opinions is the lifeblood of a university one would have thought. Lai has particularly used the mid-term questionnaires to berate teachers at her slightest whim and gained a well-deserved pejorative reputation among her colleagues; yet the mid-term questionnaires are anonymous, non-constructive and unsupported, with students often struggling to write their teacher's name correctly.

2nd ELC meeting 2012-2013, Wednesday 26h September, Room: D407 Time: 2pm: Lai stated:- "For the benefit of new colleagues she explained that she believes these evaluation forms are a good instrument in determining the effectiveness of teaching and its reception by students." Lai denied in the subsequent meeting that this is a personal statement, when challenged and tried to present it as a given fact! Lai has failed to provide any evidence or proof of what she has stated, or state why she claims this is not a personal statement. As The Chair she refused to have my comment entered into the minutes. Students at UIC have written comments such as: Fuck this course! Waste of time! Fuck UIC! Give my money back! (Proof available). However, when challenged about the effectiveness of student questionnaires, Lai had opted to negate all responsibility for them by stating that the questionnaires are the responsibility of quality control, yet on numerous occasions has involved herself in the wording and the timing of the questionnaires.

Why isn't Lai assisting teachers to help students to understand that firstly they must take responsibility for their comments / comments are welcomed / opinions and criticism must be constructive, balanced and fair / evidence and facts should be provided and opinions should be fully explained and extended / progress and improvement is the objective? Wouldn't this be worthy of a higher education and of how language should be used?

Why hasn't Lai implemented, alongside student questionnaires, a peer-teacher monitoring system, whereby professional English teachers observe and assess each other's classes on a regular basis / possibly based on an agreed standard criteria; a system whereby the more senior teachers / (retired) Emeritus Professors visit classes and observe, as they do in Nanchang, Jiangxi, inter-department class observation and assessment by other Professional teachers from a variety of disciplines, possibly a teaching competition, possibly an attempt by teachers to provide a model lesson, a more detailed and thoroughly thought out questionnaire / changing / challenging, more developed series of questions? Students can write a class diary keeping an ongoing record of what they have learned with additional assessment comments [see attached / two examples].

Wouldn't a variety of these methods implemented provide a more fully developed picture of where a teacher is with his professional development; as opposed to students writing:- 'my teacher is bore lesson' with Lai, encouraged by UIC's senior management's, perceiving this as some sort of intellectual breakthrough?

Again, if Lai believes questionnaires to be "a good instrument in determining the effectiveness of teaching and its reception by students", then why aren't questionnaires used to determine the effectiveness of Lai's management ability? Why isn't UIC's senior management addressing that question with the energy and determination it implements questionnaires for its own professional teachers? Dr. Towey previously informed me that this suggestion has been repeatedly rejected by UIC's senior management without good cause. Dr. Towey has since left UIC. [Email correspondence dated: 28, March 2012-03-30].

To be perfectly frank; the utterly ridiculous and repetitive questions teachers are expected to provide for the students in ELC's questionnaire are of the quality that I feel sure more subjective and pointless questions could only be written by paramilitary police conducing a survey on their own policing methods in a political detention facility in the centre of Mogadishu, Somalia.

Again, despite Lai's pretensions of being a [professor], she has yet to explain why students from levels 1 to 7/ [8-9] are expected to cover the same amount of work in the same amount of time / yet students never fail due to an ever more creative scoring system. Where is her professorial expertise that explains the teaching / learning methodology behind that thinking? Though Lai feels the need to give ad hoc advice on a whim to overseas teachers, can Lai identify the teaching theories she bases her unique advice on, as this would be indicative of her professorship? Is it possible Lai could identify what [recent] research she had conducted in the field of education / teaching methodology / learning strategies, so teachers can learn from her alleged expertise she believes she possesses?

Clearly, Lai is not fit to run an important English department in an institution that likes to see itself as a progressive institution working alongside a reasonably rated Hong Kong university and other western academic institutions. The senior management at UIC is doing itself a disservice when it continues to employ an incompetent such as Lai. Though Lai likes to wear the title Director, I doubt she could direct her own urine successfully. Lai's antiquated, authoritarian [attempted management style] should have long been consigned to the Museum of Antiquities to sit in obscurity alongside other relics such as Mr. James Hargreaves 's spinning jenny and Sir Humphrey Davy 's eponymous Davy lamp.

Regards

Mr. XXX

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"Dear Eva ,

My experience of working at UIC was very different to what I originally expected. UIC has real potential of becoming a truly great college on the However, due to the college’s money orientated values and poor administration, UIC is neither united, international, or a real college. Instead, it is a failing business and a complete disappointment for both students and staff alike. On a Unfortunately, these members of staff can be divided into two groups of people: those who talk about quitting and those who quit. In a word, (using our favourite cliché) this is the defining feature of UIC and summarises how pathetic the college really is.

I would like to congratulate you Eva . You successfully drove me away with your consistent threats and constant bullying, to which you have done to scores if not hundreds of former employees; contributing to the highest staff attrition rate at any known educational institute. Never have I ever worked for anyone so incompetent, unapproachable, unreasonable, unprofessional, and uncompromising.

In the eyes of many, you are in no way fit to hold your current position. You have single handily poisoned ELCs atmosphere and brought morale to an all-time low. You have also restricted so many experienced lecturers from utilising their highly valuable skills in the classroom. I believe professional development is required at all levels, and since we never were given the opportunity to evaluate you, I would like to provide you with some constructive feedback.

In the future, I encourage you to judge your employees by their work ethic, overall evaluations, and rapport with students and colleagues, instead of your current non-work related favouritism method. When ELC has a retreat to discuss improvements, it is vital for you as the Director of Studies to attend; otherwise it is a complete waste of time. You must start to support your lecturers and speak to them in an appropriate fashion, instead of talking down to them like undomesticated animals. You should also accept when you are wrong or have made mistakes, and learn how to offer apologies to staff, especially when you have falsely accused them of misconduct.

But ultimately, in light of your failure in recent years to possess the skills required for your position, and thus to manage an experienced team of lecturers, I strongly advise you to step down from your position immediately….. At least for the sake of our students.

Kind regards,

XXX