oxford blue - keep checking the web site for a statement.
telemex - If you were at that meeting you didn't listen. If you weren't, you have no right stating what went on there in a public "rumour" forum.
Send clowns - So who were these two people who turned down ground instructor posts then? None have been formally offerred since 1999!! As for the tax - on the J-Visa, it's a tax deferment for two years (not tax free), and if you stay beyond then yes, you have to pay back tax. If you leave you're actually suppposed to declare your earnings to your own inland revenue (and everyone does, right?!) The disincentive is that if you elect to pay tax, just like any other normal employee, for the first two years then you can count the time towards "substantial presence" exemptions, but for these two years you pay as a single person with no other benefits. However, you're exempt from paying US Social security dues during this time and it more or less balances out.
Dexy - relax, no-one is leaving or being fired, the training will continue as before.
WMU is "restructuring" in effect - it is a University and must be able to offer courses for USA students as well as European students in a cost effective manner. This is what people are trying to put in place right now. Whether or not JAA training will(can) return will be more evident next year but the stated intention is to continue to maintain qualifications and standards. Is that possible? Who knows, but there's plenty of work going on to try and achieve it.
Finally, the Delta courses have been a learning process and it's a bit below the belt to call them disasters. There were issues, not just with Delta students, which had unfortunate and unforseen consequences and it hurt! If these courses were really disasters, then Delta 3 wouldn't be commencing in September, now would it?
Hmmmm..... now that it's evident where I am maybe I should change my nick or my profile.....