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University Jobs

 
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Hsinchuguy



Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Posts: 109
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2003 4:58 pm    Post subject: University Jobs Reply with quote

I have asked several people and I keep getting conflicting information so I'm hoping someone out there can help. Do you or do you not need a Ph.D to work at a university in Taiwan? Some people have said definitely "yes" while others have said that some smaller, non-national schools will hire someone with an MA.
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Sunpower



Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 256
Location: Taipei, TAIWAN

PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2003 5:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Universities seem to make up the rules as they go along.

The rule of thumb is that an applicant should have a minimum of a Masters Degree.

However, some schools in Taipei here who have been known to hire only Ph.Ds have also hired M.A. holders recently.

To a certain degree, they seem to be flexibe.

One guy with an M.A. from South Africa, 25 years old, no Chinese language skills, never lived in an Asian country before and knows next to nothing about Chinese culture got 3 offers from National level Universities here in Taiwan recenlty.

A couple of my friends from South Africa are also surprised by this guys luck and success with only an M.A.
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Aristotle



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan

PostPosted: Wed May 28, 2003 4:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What you need to understand is that the central government makes all policies pertaining to the hiring of foreign teachers. From kindergartens to the universities. The reality of the situation is that the central government has little ability to enforce their decrees.
What we end up with is a lot of chaos. University jobs do not necessarily pay better than bushi bans, often less with the same amount of job security and a lot more institutionalized racism and double standards.
It is because of the current situation that many PhD's simply avoid Taiwan. As a result many universities have to hire people with MA's to fill the void even though it is in direct violation of MOE directives.
The end result is no job security. Because you have an MA you are working illegally. On the paper work filed with the MOE it states that you have a PHD even though you don't and never claimed you did. If the person who hires you decides they want to keep your pay, you are out of luck because you are working illegally. Most people just give a lot of face to their supervisors and keep their mouths shut because it is one of the few places they can find a job.
Welcome to ESL in Taiwan.
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Okami



Joined: 25 Jan 2003
Posts: 121
Location: Sunny Sanxia

PostPosted: Wed May 28, 2003 5:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's really kind of funny how they do it, just like Aristotle mentioned. I'll give you the rundown on how I know it is and then like the movie Rashomon, you figure out what really happened.

All Universities want to upgrade and the easiest way to do it is to get as many PhD's as possible even if they are in underwater basket weaving. The next best thing for foreign English teachers is to get an MA in Linguistics. MOE changes its mind a lot and likes to put up a lot of hurdles, because they really don't know what they are doing and they are NEVER held accountable. Add to this the fact that most universities don't know how to deal with foreign teachers and you get one big clusterf%$#. So like Aristotle said, PhD's avoid the island. I have a friend(chiropractor) who works for a very good college, but the MOE is giving him a really hard time. There is also mandatory retirement at 65.

I would say and easier gig is specialization in Toefl and Ielts teaching. This pays a lot more and it is pretty stable as everybody wants to get their degree abroad. You have to work nights and weekends though. I have a friend with a MBA who does this and he makes good money.

So I would find a list of colleges and universities in Taiwan and send them your resume. You might get lucky. You can also look into TOEFL and IELTS teaching.

Good luck
Okami
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ScottSommers



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 82
Location: Taiwan

PostPosted: Wed May 28, 2003 5:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am not certain if any of the people replying to your question have ever taught at a Taiwan university. The situation is not nearly as confusing as it appears here. I have written extensively about this on my blog
http://blogs.salon.com/0002422/
and on Dave's ESL Job Job Information Board for Taiwan
http://www.eslcafe.com/jobinfo/asia/sefer.cgi?Taiwan

In brief, the MOE allows universities to hire anyone with at least a masters level degree from a list of schools that they recognize. Depending on the school, the department, and the degree, the candidate may be asked to have an masters or a PhD.

Two kinds of jobs are available; faculty and staff, and many foreigners here don't know the difference between the two. Faculty positions are controlled by the MOE. Although some schools don't adhere to the regulations as closely as other, the regulations concerning working hours, salary, etc are quite specific. Staff positions include anything they put in your contract.

The number of foreigners teaching at universities in Taiwan is very small, and it is hard to find information on jobs. Most of the jobs for foreign teachers are in private schools. In Taiwan, private schools are almost all of lower quality than public schools. As a result, the quality of jobs can vary considerably. Full-time faculty positions at a national university almost always need a PhD. These days, it would be unusual someone with a master's degree would be teaching much more than freshman English at a national university.

There is no comparison between a full-time faculty position at a good school and teaching at a bushiban. The comparison is even ridiculous to make. Anyone who used to teach full-time at a university in a faculty position who is now at a bushiban was probably fired, and that would be the only way I would return to a bushiban position. If you have any doubt about this, the contact at my school is our version of the MOE faculty contract.
http://www.mcu.edu.tw/department/app-lang/elcenter/english/elc/neut/employ/handbook.htm
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taiwan boy



Joined: 11 Feb 2003
Posts: 99
Location: China

PostPosted: Wed May 28, 2003 6:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Michael Turton's web site has a good article about teaching in universities in Taiwan.

TEACHING AT A UNIVERSITY IN TAIWAN
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