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[ukphilosopher]

Does anyone have any experience of working at the AUC? I'm interested in any general comments about the atmosphere of the place, the students, general living/working conditions, etc. I know the reputation is very good, and I'm keen to live in the Middle East. Is housing generally provided/offered for faculty?

I've been entirely within the UK system so far, but have been familiarising myself with the US system largely with the help of these boards - types of institution, teaching formats and styles etc. What kind of institution would the AUC be classified as were it in the US?

Thanks in advance for any opinions/comments!

[abuflletcher]

I haven't worked there but did apply once for a faculty position.  Also while working in the Gulf I met several people who had taught EFL at AUC and most loved it and missed Egypt.

Generally speaking you can divide the faculty into two types.  Because of its cultural cache AUC draws some pretty heavy hitters looking for someplace interesting to spend a sabbatical away from their Big Name US university, often they are more towards the ends of their careers.  They might be there a year or two or three.  And AUC can count on a pretty steady stream of these curious scholars.  Then there are people with a longer term interest.  But I have heard that it is VERY hard to get tenured at AUC unless you really are perfectly suited to the univesities needs.  Most people who attain tenure will, for example, probaly speak fairly good Arabic and have a specialty of particular interest to a university serving predominantly Arab students. 

Life in Egypt, even as a university professor, can straddle the fence of "hardship post."  It's informative to read the info packet for new faculty available on the AUC website.  Because of extremely tight import laws you will, for example, have to document every single thing you bring into the country and then prove that you still have it when you leave.  I'm not saying it would be like taking a job in Tajikistan, but it's not as cushy (and expat-focused) as life in the Gulf, for example.   

But then that's the very reason why people who have lived in Egypt enjoyed it.  It's an authentic experience -- requiring an equally authentic adjustment to local conditions.  The Gulf can sometimes seem like some odd, misplaced Club Med where your chances of mixing in with the "local culture" are minimal.

I like to think of Egypt as the Mexico of the Middle East.  Varied culture(s), varied people(s), varied standards of living, and very variable working conditions. 

If you interested I say just go ahead and apply.  It'll only cost you a stamp (and some transcripts) and at the very least you will get back at least one rejectlon letter with a cool stamp on it.  BTW, I found them to be totally professional in their recruitment practices, something that can't be said for many, many US search committees.

Good luck! 

[abuflletcher]

I suppose if you were to compare its prestige with universities in the US, it might be like taking a short term job at a middle of the road SLAC.  Research intensive universities in the US might view taking a job at AUC as "taking a break."

BTW, you'd want to look very carefully at what kind of research you'd be able to do while in Egypt.  Resources can be hard to come by in some fields and even importing books can be problematic.  Any doesn't anything archeological would require mountains of applications through the Ministry of Antiquities.  But if you're in a field with fairly "portable" research requirements you might manage to stay productive (and therefore competetive for a job in the US). 

Personally, I'm beginning to wonder what's supposed to be so wonderful about faculty positions in the US. 

[ukphilosopher]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer, sle72le, that's really helpful. The research issue is certainly a concern - whilst my research is quite portable, I'd definitely be looking at trips back to UK research libraries every few months.

Thanks for directing me to the info pack for new faculty - that's extremely useful!