Pros
-Teaching Effat students is considered by many to be the most rewarding element of working at Effat. -There are very friendly maintenance and hospitality staff from places such as the Philippines, Ethiopia, and India who will smile and brighten your day. -You can (and may be forced to) teach six or more classes per semester. While immensely stressful, this will give you relatively more teaching experience than teaching at other universities. -Management almost never observes faculty classes, and in my case lacked background in the field to the extent they are unaware about many of the topics called for in the curriculum, so you are free to teach without fear of censorship. This is, of course, debatable, as some faculty have reportedly been fired for promoting "non-Islamic values."
Cons
-Many dealings with Effat leadership are characterized by fear and accusations that stem from a seeming lack of professional and academic experience. Effat leadership's reputation is that it views suggestions as attacks, and thus responds negatively, often lacking professional etiquette. This is accompanied by a widespread lack of confidence and charisma that traces its roots all the way up from the chairs to the deans to higher level authorities. -Effat faculty are afraid to take larger, unified action against university malpractice. Some would say this is due to verbal and written threats from management, that has in some cases included the forced signing of non-disclosure agreements in order to receive contract-guaranteed pay. -Last-minute planning and problem-solving that could have been prevented if planning earlier. University fails to communicate a strong vision to its employees, even in the wake of drastic funding cuts across the Kingdom. -Gender segregation (i.e. males prohibited entry) at university-wide events and in several offices, including Human Resources, the Student Affairs building, and a number of faculty offices in other departments, even where male interaction is professionally required. -Lack of "scholarly" environment. Many faculty complain about losing the will to organize special events such as lectures because it simply exposes them to additional criticism and assigned work from superiors. -A campus in a box. There are a few stretches of green, but overall the campus is a bit desolate and literally enclosed in a rectangle. -There is a saying by some faculty at the university that the good instructors wind up leaving quickly, within a year or two of arrival. High-energy, scholarly-minded instructors may suffer in an environment with an aversion to change and a lack of understanding of, or respect for, critical, scholarly practice. -Human Resources, while a refuge in other organizations, is notoriously accusatory and difficult with faculty. -The university almost never pays overtime, even for faculty teaching six or more courses. Fresh teachers will easily spend 50-60 hours prepping, teaching and grading weekly, while the more "experienced" teachers reduce the amount of effort they put into classes. -A prioritization of how teaching looks on paper, rather than in actual practice. For example, faculty are often praised for giving high grades and may be threatened for enforcing rules on absences or poor academic performance. -The routine "Reply All" emails praising the university's president.