Job Discussion Forums

[tingdedong]

I've been given a contract to look over. The job is teaching oral English at a university. Most of it seems okay to me, but there are a few points that I'm not sure about:

3. Take part in the activities of teaching and research in the Department, if invited.
I'm unclear as to what exactly this would involve.

4. 应邀参加或组织学生活动，如英语角等
Organize students activities, such as English corner, etc. if invited.
Is it reasonable to ask for clarification within the contract as to how many hours of English corner/extracurricular stuff is permissible? I don't mind doing this stuff, but I don't want to do 30 hours of English Corner per week...

2. 向受聘方提供必要的工作条件和住宿套房，包括客厅、卧室、厨房、卫生间；配有家具、电视、电话、电脑、空调、洗衣机。厨房设备齐全，配有微波炉等厨房用具。免水费、电费和上网费，电话费自理。
Provide Party B with accommodation; it contains a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen and a washroom, equipped with furniture, television, telephone, computer, and air-conditioners, washing-machine and cooking utencils and a microwave oven in the kitchen; free electricity, water and internet access, but phone bills should be borne by Party B.
Should my kitchen have an oven and/or a stove? Should I ask for this to be explicitly included in the contract?

4. 国际处负责外教的招聘和生活管理，并协调各方事宜；教学单位负责教学安排和管理。
The office of International Cooperation and Exchanges ( ICE office) is in chare of the recruitment and administration and coordinate the function between Party B and the teaching departments. The teaching departments are in charge of the teaching affaires.
I'm not even sure why this was included in the contract at all. Is it relevant?


I had no questions or issues with the rest of the contract. What do you think?

[Surfdude18]

I think you're being a bit overambitious to expect an oven in a Chinese kitchen! Even most of my wealthy Chinese friends don't have a real oven. One or two have toaster ovens.

There should, of course, be a stove and a microwave.

[Surfdude18]

Oh, and if you're living on campus, local phonecalls should be paid for by the school.

[tingdedong]

Okay, I can live without an oven, but I was a little worried that a stovetop wasn't mentioned in the contract.
I barely use the phone even at home, so I'm really not worried about paying for my own phone bills.

[Surfdude18]

Yeah phone bills are really dirt cheap in western terms - about 18 RMB a month line rental, and about 0.3 RMB for local calls per minute and 0.4 (I think) for national calls.

Calling the west, on the other hand, is much more expensive than calling china from the west.

[Mpho]

A couple of comments for you:

Teaching and research #3: This usually means that you may be invited to help Chinese English teachers improve their oral English by holding a class for them once a week. Get this clarified. It could also mean that you may be asked to edit department research papers before they are published. Get this clarified.

Certainly, you should limit yourself to two hours of English Corner per week. Also get it clarified when it is to be held, nothing worse than interrupting your evening at 9 or 10 PM.

The International Cooperation office is usually your FAO. Basically, they are responsible for you on campus, but the English Dept is in charge of anything to do with teaching, teaching hours, classes, etc. It may be worth clarifying whom you report to for any problems. I have this situation at my college and everything goes through the English Dept and then to the FAO from housing problems to reimbursements for medical to even getting paid.

Mpho

[arioch36]

[Sinobear]

I, personally, would have the first two items stricken from the contract. It gives them free reign to parade you whenever it suits them.

The last point means that everything that is not communicated to you in a timely or comprehensible manner is your own fault.

Cheers!

[Lorean]

Failing to get those items stricken from the contract, negotiate for extra hourly pay.

Failing that, find another school.