[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. 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. [71], Sadeen Education Investment Ltd submitted a planning application to demolish the water polo pitch and construct the campus on 17 February 2017. [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. [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. "[122] Three years prior, Hillman was appointed to the board of trustees while under criminal investigation for laundering money and receiving kickbacks from the Maltese Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri, who has been implicated in the Panama Papers money laundering scheme and the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. While specifics of any DePaul contract are proprietary, I can tell you that it went through the usual, internal multi-step review process. 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. . [61] Residents of Marsaskala and southern Malta supported the university project by signing a petition in its favour. 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 designs of the proposed campus are by the architect Ray Demicoli. [110], Several of these terminations precipitated legal action by ex-employees against the university. [94] The Maltese Ministry of Education has supported other foreign higher education start-ups in Malta, for instance, Global College and Woolf University. "[36], As of 2020, the American University of Malta is housed in a renovated building at Dock no. (3)", "Is Newest 'American U. of' Really American? [46], The Knights' Building was commissioned by Adrien de Wignacourt, Grand Master of the Order of St John, in 1689. An early proposal also included the incorporation of the 19th-century Fort Leonardo into the university campus. [7] It was officially established on 16 September 2016. [118][119], In a two hour interview with investigative journalist Lizzie Eldridge, soon-to-be-retired Provost John Ryder admitted that the mistake that led to the mass dismissal of faculty from the AUM in January 2018 was his own, an error in forecasting the number of students, courses and instructors required for the first academic year: "Part of the problem was that we were way overstaffed because I had hired with certain assumptions about the number of students and we weren't even in the neighbourhood for the first intake of students . [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. [11] However, the university has consistently failed to meet its recruitment goals. The General Education requirements are a total of 41-42 US/82- 84 ETCS credits. [17], The original curricula of the AUM were provided by the DePaul University. All applicants can apply for their degree of choice online by submitting all the necessary documents. When Malta was under British rule, the building's upper level was used as a sail loft and ropery. [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. [31][32] Sadeen asked for a compromise on these conditions, but the commission insisted that they were not negotiable. So long as the AUM maintains an incomplete application, it can effectively hide from public view the planning documents for the controversial second campus at onqor Point. "[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. [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. he was [also] one of the inspectors who made that 'surprise visit' to the AUM last year [soon after the mass firing of the AUM's faculty in January 2018]. He responded by saying that the public was informed on the first occasion. [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. Candidates must provide proof of English proficiency in order to receive full admission to the University. [59] The formal refusal of planning permission was made on 21 November 2019. [44][45] The building is now known as the Sadeen Building, and it houses the university's lecture halls, laboratories, administrative facilities and library. [30], Students in all undergraduate academic programs at AUM must complete the General Education Program. [17], The American University of Malta is open to receiving both domestic Maltese students and international students from all over the world. In 1776, arcades were built over the existing building by Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc. "[85], When asked in an interview about her views concerning the controversial American university in Malta, outgoing U.S. [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. [111] The former admissions director sued the university for unfair dismissal. [95][96], Maltese blogger and political commentator Manuel Delia and a dismissed AUM lecturer criticised the Maltese accreditor and the AUM, alleging that the initial recruitment of faculty, including several highly qualified academics from the United States and Britain, "was a scam to demonstrate academic prowess to the National Council for Further and Higher Education in order to acquire accreditation. [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. . [5], AUM personnel decisions have also generated controversy, raising concerns about the legality of the new institution's employment policies and practices. [citation needed] Former AUM employees have expressed concerns about the fledgling higher education institution. [24][69] The move was welcomed by the Cospicua Heritage Society, who said that the Three Cities and Kalkara would benefit from the project. [114][115] Five of the terminated faculty members sued the AUM for unfair dismissal and abuse of the six-month probationary period rule. [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. [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. It turned out to be much more difficult than we thought. 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. [79], Sadeen Education Investment Ltd purchased Bowyer House, a hostel in Tarxien, to be used as the university's official student accommodation in September 2017, and this property is currently being renovated. 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. The Planning Authority's policy has since come under scrutiny by the Ombudsman. [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. It is a co-educational institution and its launch was announced in May 2015. An early promotional video presented the new university's plan to admit 1,000 students in its first year, eventually reaching a total enrollment of 4,000 students by its fourth year. "[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. [citation needed] Two months after the IT Administrator[who?] [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. DePaul University provided the original curricula of the AUM. [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. . [26], The British Building was built between 1841 and 1844 as a workshop within Dock no. [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. Responding defensively, he acknowledged that the absconding students posed security risks (human trafficking and terrorism), but insisted that all were reported to Maltese immigration authorities. [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. A spokesperson for the Maltese Ministry of Education stated, "Mr Adrian Hillman will no longer be the Government nominee on AUM. [35][36], In the first three years of the AUM's existence, the higher education institution has been plagued by a number of controversies. 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. [3][78], AUM holds a university license from the NCFHE (License Number: 2016-002). ", "When is a university not a university? "[19] El Zayyat initially hired and supervised IT staff at the AUM. This was the first step in the process to acquire a university licence. [30], Candidates without the proper documentation or low proficiency may begin their studies through the English for Academic Purposes pathway program. [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. [24], The government is lending out the land at Cospicua and onqor to Sadeen Group for around 200,000 a year. The latter claims that it did not commit financial or human resources to the AUM, and it was not involved in any discussions with the Government of Malta. [citation needed], One criticism is that the AUM is not authentically American. [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. "[36], Another source of controversy is the alleged legal and ethical wrongdoing by members of the AUM's board of trustees. [83], In a series of articles on the AUM, titled 'When is a University not a University?,' investigative journalist Lizzie Eldridge suggested that one possible explanation for why the AUM retains its American identity is to "maintain appearances" as a legitimate higher education enterprise: "Sometimes, as, for example, in instances of money laundering, where a company is deliberately set up as a front, appearances are crucial. 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). "[105] The figure was denied by university officials. [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. This program will help students improve their skills in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing to help them succeed once they start their degree. [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. [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. [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. "[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. [citation needed] Despite suspicions of ethical impropriety, an inquiry was never conducted. 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. 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. [81], The university also has an esports team which is also known as the AUM Knights,[82] and it offers esports scholarships. [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. [4], As of 2020, the university has 15 faculty members. This is part of a process, but the project will result in a University". [47] Sadeen Group decided to appeal this decision, and the case is still ongoing as of 2020. [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. 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. 1 in Cospicua. "[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. [43] The conversion of the building won the Golden A' Design Award in February 2020. [citation needed] Ryder was promptly replaced by another American higher education administrator, Jeremy Brown. 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. [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. [17] The American standard for a liberal arts education combines a general and a specialized type of education. The project was intended to regenerate the South of Malta and give said area an economic and social boost. [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. "[84] Rumours that the AUM selectively recruited U.S. citizens to make the institution appear American are substantiated by an ex-staff member who claimed that in a Skype interview with provost John Ryder, he was told that 'the main thing you have going for you is that you're American.' ", "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! [25][43], AUM offers 10 undergraduate and 3 graduate degrees in the areas of Business, Engineering, Technology and Arts.