Benchmarks for Staffing Translation Departments in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The current staffing status at translation departments in Saudi Arabia is inadequate in terms of instructor qualifications, areas of specialization, teaching load, course assignment, and preparation future translators and interpreters. Since the employment of qualified instructors who are specialized in translation is one of the triad in the preparation of competent female translators and interpreters, this study aims to investigate the current staffing status at translation departments at the College of Languages and Translation (COLT) King Saud University, causes of instructor shortage and current searching and hiring practices. It also aims to establish benchmarks for staffing translation departments in terms of instructor qualifications, the percentage of B.A., M.A. & P.h.D. degree holders and distribution of courses among instructors. At COLT, shortage is temporarily solved by merging classes, by raising the teaching load of instructors, by local recruits who have a B.A. degree, and who are sometimes inadequately qualified. 33% of those work at the department on a temporary hourly basis and this percentage goes up each semester. Classes are over-crowded classes (50-75 students per section), female faculty are over-loaded, over-stressed (20-30 hours per week), instructors supervise 6-7 students with a 25,000 word-translation project each. Translation courses and the translation project are sometimes assigned to B.A. holders who do not, have an adequate qualifications training or experience in translation. Some TAs with a translation degree teach general English courses rather than courses at the translation department. To assure quality in preparing future translators and interpreters, the staffing status and policies at colleges of languages and translation were surveyed and benchmarks for instructor qualifications, areas of specialization, teaching load, percentage of B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. holders are established.