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sunrader
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 101
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 Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject: Oaxacan University System |
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I'm really interested in possibly working in the Oaxacan system, possibly for the fall, or definitely by January, but I'm having trouble piecing together on my own just what the system comprises, what the different campuses are, how they fit together, if they do, etc.
Can anyone compare and contrast them? Is there any way to find out what the needs are in the state as a whole? Can someone recommend a particular campus? Do they all pay about the same? Can anyone talk about the working conditions at one or another? Etc.? |
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MELEE
Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 2583
Location: The Mexican Hinterland
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sunrader
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 101
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| Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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Melee, that was really helpful. Thank you so much.
After Melee's direction, I think I have a handle on the system now, and I'm very excited by the apparent mission of the universities, the way they work with lower income students, first-time college students, etc. As far as locations, that's a little harder to grasp. Is the entire state going to be really hot, for instance, or are there parts that are more temperate? Can anyone compare locations briefly by size, climate, population, etc.? And is there any way to apply to the system as a whole or to find out whether each has openings or do we need to contact each one? Any preferences for one over another? |
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zenotion
Joined: 03 Mar 2007
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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Hi sunrader,
I'm also looking to teach in the Oaxacan SUNEO system next year (and I second your excitement about their overall mission). I found a job posting for Universidad Tecnologica de la Mixteca online, but does anyone know if the other universities in the system are hiring? I'm trying to get an idea of how many jobs are open down there before I fly down in July. I'd appreciate any info anyone might have.
I've been reading the board for a while, and I also wanted to say thanks to everyone for the great information!
zenotion |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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| sunrader wrote: |
| Can anyone compare locations briefly by size, climate, population, etc.? |
The problem is that there are over a dozen different campuses, so no one person is going to be able to answer all your questions for all of them. It might be better to do some searching for the campuses you're interested in, and then ask specific questions about the two or three campuses that appeal to you.
As for applying to jobs at the campuses, hiring is not centralized. You'll have to contact the jefa for each individual language department. The various campuses all have web sites and you should be able to search them out by name on the internet and find the various jefas de idiomas that way.
Our campus regularly posts job listings on www.englishjobmaze.com
If you have specific questions about the UMar Huatulco campus, PM me and I'll do my best to answer them. |
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danielita
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 281
Location: SLP
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| Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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My uni is currently hiring for August. PM me if you want more details about the UNISTMO Tehuantepec campus.
D |
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sunrader
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 101
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 12:00 am Post subject: |
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Thanks so much to those of you who have offered info so far.
I've just gotten an email from a former colleague who did a stint at Loma Bonita who didn't care for it because it was too disorganized and too isolated. Now I know those wouldn't be a problem for everyone. Anyone else want to comment on Loma Bonita?
One thing that keeps coming up. It's hot down there! Is that going to be just part of the deal or are some locations cooler than others?
ls650 -
Thanks so much for the info. Can you tell us the start date for your campus in the fall? Also, can you compare your campus with Puerto Angel's? |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 2:24 am Post subject: |
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| See my PM. |
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sunrader
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 101
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 2:55 am Post subject: |
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ls650 -
Thank you very much. 
I was asking ls650 this, but I would think others would be interested, too, so thought I'd post...
Is it appropriate to email the jefes cold and ask if they will have openings? What would you guys recommend?
Hi zenotion! Wouldn't it be fun to be newbies down there together? Let's just assume there's at least two openings - one for me and one for you. Are you worried about the heat at all? |
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zenotion
Joined: 03 Mar 2007
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 3:30 am Post subject: |
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Hi sunrader,
I'm originally from Texas, so I'm not so worried about the heat. From what I've found online, Oaxaca City can actually be a little cooler than Dallas in the summer!
Hope to see you down there... |
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lozwich
Joined: 25 May 2003
Posts: 1536
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 3:43 am Post subject: |
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| sunrader wrote: |
| Is it appropriate to email the jefes cold and ask if they will have openings? What would you guys recommend? |
That's what I did a few years ago when I was a newbie. Well, one email, and one PM here on Dave's  . Got me two job offers, one which I took, and the other I wonder about often.
Working in the Oaxacan system was the most rewarding TEFL job I've had in terms of feeling that I was doing work in a way that I could see concrete effects, and I would recommend it, as long as you are not looking for a big city experience.
All the best,
Lozwich. |
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sunrader
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 101
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 3:43 am Post subject: |
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| zenotion wrote: |
Hi sunrader,
I'm originally from Texas, so I'm not so worried about the heat. From what I've found online, Oaxaca City can actually be a little cooler than Dallas in the summer!
Hope to see you down there... |
OMG! I'm from Texas, too. I found myself up north somehow for the last year, but I soooooooo miss Texas and being close to Mexico. It's ridiculously long and expensive to get there from here. Sigh. Come August....
| lozwich wrote: |
Working in the Oaxacan system was the most rewarding TEFL job I've had in terms of feeling that I was doing work in a way that I could see concrete effects, and I would recommend it, as long as you are not looking for a big city experience.
All the best,
Lozwich. |
Lozwich - Thanks so much. Do you want to tell us about your particular Oaxacan experience? Which one did you work for? |
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veroax
Joined: 31 Jan 2007
Posts: 57
Location: Bogot�, Colombia
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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i've been working at the tuxtepec campus of the universidad del papaloapan for over a year and a half now. and it has been an overall rewarding experience. i do think though that it's a question of fit. the job has it's potential downsides-- as does any job i suppose-- so i'd say that interested applicants should read up on the area and ask lots of questions to see that the job and region is a good match for them.
one plus is that the city of tuxtepec is larger than most of the other campus locations, with a population of over 150,000 i believe. and we're about 2.5 hours by bus from veracruz city. loma bonita, however, is smaller and a bit more removed. and indeed our region is hot. tropical even.
we plan to hire over the coming months. feel free to drop a line if you are interested. |
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lozwich
Joined: 25 May 2003
Posts: 1536
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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Sunrader,
I worked for Universidad Tecnologica de la Mixteca in Huajuapan de Leon in the northwest of Oaxaca state. I think it was the first in the Oaxacan system..
Here is a snippet for something I posted on TEFL Watch:
| Quote: |
I worked at UTM a few years ago. It was my first EFL job, but I was lucky enough to get the job because I had a lot of previous teaching experience in another field. In the beginning it was all a bit confusing, but I found the other teachers (a lot of whom are still there) very friendly and helpful. The resources weren't as plentiful compared with what I have seen since, but there was definitely enough to prepare good classes. There was also a fabulous bookcase filled with English language books (fiction and non-fiction) just for the teachers! Sometimes it was a challenge to get an overhead projector or a computer lab with internet access, but with enough notice it could be done.
Some things I miss about UTM now that I'm doing the private language school thing are: my own office and computer, a working environment where the students' education was a lot more important than making money and having enough time to actually think about my development as a teacher while at work. It was great to be able to spend time studying methodology and get paid for it!
On the down side, some people might find it dull to be at work all day, when they are only teaching a few classes, but you do get used to it. I also found it difficult to watch the students working so hard to get their degrees, especially after the large amounts of lounging around I did when doing mine! Sometimes it seemed that there were a lot of rules for the students, but then once I got to know a few graduating students I realised that the rules helped them learn a lot of really good stuff that would definitely prepare them for their working lives. A lot of the students came from families that had never had someone go to university before, and it was great to see them being successful. |
I left Huajuapan because of some things that were going on in my personal life and I couldn't see a way to resolve them while still living there. I'm a bit caught up in other things just now, but still like to think that I would return to working for the Oaxacan system some day.
Cheers,
Lozwich. |
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sunrader
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 101
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| Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| lozwich - I had read that post earlier and thought about it quite a bit, just didn't remember that it was yours. It's a really good description of working conditions, thanks. |
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