Complaint Review: American University of Technology

I will start this report by saying I wish I knew then what I knew now, I would have never applied nor worked there. The first alarm was that i didn’t see any salaries till I completed the first three months, which I thought was part of the three months probation period. 

My current issue with AUT lies with the fact that I have not been payyed the months of May, June, July, August or September of the year 2013. Knowing that I was a very dedicated and established employee to an extent that I was asked to fill a senior directors position that I rejected unless my backed up salaries were settled. 

When I met with the infamous Ghada Hinain for my so called promotion that everyone in high management had recommended me for, I was attacked and humiliated saying that she will not give the Tripoli staff their salaries until there are more registered students. Ghada talked of the incompetence of her staff and more. She yelled and screamed, yet I managed not to loose my temper but submitted my resignation letter on the following day.

On July 5th AUT managed to throw a graduation ceremony that cost around 200,000$ while my hard earned cash is not payyed on the claim that there is not enough funds. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and worked for free for so long. Yet it came to a point that I was broke, borrowing money just to get by and not even appreciated at AUT. Marcel Hinain Ghada's husband and external relations director told me one lie after the next as to when I will be remunerated yet I saw nothing in the horizon. 

Security staff formed a strike against AUT and so they got two months of their backed up salaries. Also some of the teachers got payed. Some because of a strike they also did (not submitting the students final exams grades) and others simply because they were Ghada hinain's pets at the moment.

Nothing for the quiet hard workers such as myself. Seems like I will have to rebel in order to get merely what is rightfully mine. 

Aut (Ghada hinain, Marcel Hinain and HR; Gracia Skandar) is now avoiding my phone calls and ignoring my emails and there is no news as to when and if I will get my hard earned five months pay.

I worked days and nights. Used up weekends, my own cell phone and my own laptop because the facility does not have any up to date equipment. Also used my car without any form of compensation (because they often didn’t have money for gas they claim) and never even received a salary on time, always at least a couple of months late.

In fact I created systems of process, of filing and of procedures that didn’t even exist to try and civilize the organization that appeared to run on leverages, acquaintances and political affiliations. AUT swears by its unbiased and non political approach which i realized to be a lie racked up against others.

Students are given financial aid according to who they know, while others are not allowed to enter the campus because they have merely skipped one payment deadline. More often than not students parents came shouting and screaming because their sons and daughters were left lurking on the streets infront of the university gates crying.

I had to deal with MANY suppliers shouting cursing and threatening because AUT had not settled their bills and the persons in charge "Lena Habib and Marcel Hinain" simply did not want to deal with them. At one point the owner of the building asked to vacate since the contract has been over for a month and AUT refused to renew. It has now been renewed till May.

Worst of all students get degrees that are not recognized in the Lebanese community og higher education. A SUNY degree is useless in Lebanon and abroad alike since the ministry of education does not certify it. AUT made up an artificial collaboration with the Lebanese University to lure as many students to register at a very low fee which will then be bumped up tp the actual amount yet the new students are unaware of these facts either. AUT degrees have been bought  for obscene amounts of cash. And rumors that AUT money is spent on poker tables, expensive cars, and over the top lingerie are true. 

If my words were to reach the new generations of freshmans and sophomores I would never recommend AUT to any of them. If you are looking for a cheap degree then AUL and ULF will give you a better degree at a cheaper price and they offer more majors such as engineering. Yet if you are thinking of applying under the pretense that its 5th in Lebanon then think again as these ratings are done exclusively on how pretty the university website is and not on how recognizable the degree is.

I still pray everyday that I can get what AUT owes me and that one day AUT and Ghada and Marcel Hinain will all be put back in their small and rightful places.