In the past hours around 12 full time lecturers and other staff at the American University of Malta (AUM)  have been dismissed by an email with no explanation being given,  the Malta Independent is reliable informed.

These employees were all on six months' probation and according to reliable sources the university was facing cash flow problem and as a result terminated the employments of a number of lecturers and other employees. 

This newsroom contacted AUM Provost John Ryder and asked him why their job was terminated. He refused to comment on the sackings but insisted that the university will open its doors in the coming days as university resumes.

Asked who will be lecturing these students. Ryder said that in place there are both full time and part time lecturers.

Sources close to AUM said that at present AUM have 15 students, however it started the semester by having 23 students out of which 8 dropped out for various reasons.

This newsroom is informed that one of the main reasons why AUM decided to dismiss these lecturers is because the university is facing cash flow problems. Sources told this newsroom that an assistant lecturer was receiving a salary of around 90,000 annually, while a full time professor was receiving an annual salary of 135,000. 

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