Job Discussion Forums

[flyingscotsman]

They come in my room unannounced and it really pisses me off.

One day after class I came back to my school supplied room and found a teaching assistant and a student in my apartment. Under orders from the school headmaster they were hanging clocks in our dining room.

yes a nice gesture indeed.

But it goes deeper than that. Me and the other teachers were given no notice that they wanted to enter our living quarters. All of us were available for communication.

So I come back from teaching and find my room door wide open with people inside. I'm not happy as I leave my computer and often money and jewelry out in the open.

But on that day I heard a different side of the story. I had a "friend" stay over and she was watching tv when I left and fell asleep. She told me she was awakened by noises and saw the teaching assistant and student poking through my belongings on the desk and when she sat up they exited quickly. NO they didn't steal anything but that's not really the concern. (Their mission was hanging clocks in the dining room, not to be in my bedroom.)

Later that day the headmaster came back just as I was returning and tried to enter my room. I told her no I was busy and shut the door in her face. The ta and student DID NOT tell her about the girl in my bed sleeping BECAUSE everyone hates the headmaster with a passion. I spoke to the ta several times and he said he would never mention this to her or anyone and the student thankfully likes me and just smiles and has indeed forgot seeing a girl stick her head out from the blanket on my bed.

The ta has told me that the headmaster tells him to check the teachers rooms often but neglected to say for what.

My bedroom door and living room door both have keyed locks but they didn't provide us with keys for them so I changed my bedroom lock ( not hard to do at all) and lock it when I leave. I informed the ta that I was going to change the front door lock as I think it is a serious invasion of my privacy to come into my room unannounced and for no set reason,and he asked me not to change the lock. But he said he understands my concern fully and often tells the headmaster he has entered my room at her request when he doesn't.

By the way, the girl is often in my room by her choice. She is 23 and an adult so we are not talking about shagging teeny boppers here.

The school's actions do make me upset very much - to the point where I was going to quit after the holiday but they agreed to pay my way to HK for the visa and the related fees.

The headmaster also informed us of "school rules" saying we can't have females in our room - of course there's no mention of this anywhere in the contract and when I first arrived 2 other ft's had live in lovers ( they since quit without any notice). Before I came to the school I discussed bed size with the headmaster's assistant and told her I needed a larger bed as my girlfriend often sleeps over and she gave me a room with 2 queen sized beds together - so my intentions were never an issue.

So do you think I am right in changing the locks and not providing them with a key? I feel that my sense of security is breached by their ability to enter my room on a whim.

[kev7161]

Are you living at the school? It seems so way by the way you write. I find that living on a school's grounds vs living off campus has two sets of rules. Living off campus affords me all the privacy I need in the world. I come and go as I please, I have guests come whenever I want, I have satellite TV, can stay up and play music (not too loud, I don't want to disturb my neighbors - - by my choice), light candles, cook whatever food I like. Those that live at my school have to abide by certain rules of the school as they share the general area with students and other faculty: no fires in the room (cooking by propane, lighting Christmas candles, smoking, etc.) - - fire hazard, no overnight guests unless it's a pre-approved family member visiting from afar, no loud music or TV after 10pm, no satellite TV available, sorry, and the school can't seem to get a cable package in there that offers a couple of English channels at least, no drinking or smoking at all on campus (to be sure, FTs smuggle in their booze - but don't get caught!). However, the school seems to respect the security of the teachers and makes appointments to enter the apartment with the teacher present, so that's a plus. I'd never live on campus.

[Mister Al]

Change the front door lock and get a new job when your contract ends.

[laconic]

Have a deadbolt installed on your apartment door and make sure you have the only key for the lock.

If they don't like it, too bad.

If they push it, leave.

Quickly.

[randyj]

In our university campus housing, everyone routinely ignores the nominal rules, which include a 10 p.m. curfew and no overnight guests. The two baoan who regularly guard the premises usually cooperate in this. After workmen entered our apartment unattended earlier this semester, I complained vociferously, and there have been no further such instances. This kind of situation is typical, I think, and it can change at the drop of a hat, according to someone's whim or which way the wind is blowing. On-campus housing for teachers comes in all shapes and sizes. For a teacher who lives on campus, the most reliable policy is to attempt to maintain good relations with the administration.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

One of many many reasons I stay away from colleges and universities. Teachers are treated like cattle and things instead of human beings.

People have a right to privacy. No university thus far has ever offered me that. For this alone, I would never sign up.

[frenchfrydoggy]

While I say that the apartment belong to them, they are the owner, therefore they have the right to do whatever they way. If you don't accept that then move off campus.

However, I'll backtrack and say that it happened to me a few years ago and I simply called the police, told them someone broke into my apartment, they came, and when the police asked the foreign apartments guard/caretaker, he said that he had gone in there and the police arrested him.

It caused a lot of trouble when the foreign affairs people came to me once the police talked to the school, etc., but you know, nobody will go in my apartment without my prior approval.

Don't sit by and let people screw around - take an actual stand, call the police, coming here and complaining to us in writing really won't help you at all.

Call the police, go to the school president's office, etc.

Have some guts to get it taken care of immediately.

[Ariadne]

A new lock on the outside door, as suggested by several posters, would be the easiest and least confrontational way to solve the problem. Just saying they won't come in again is no guarantee they won't. Change the lock.

.

[seamallowance]

I agree with everything that the posters have said above.

I have only one question:

Does the 23-year-old have any single friends?

[choudoufu]

why not simply change the lock? unannounced.
grab a local from the nearest hardware shop, he
should be able to switch the lock in about 20
minutes.

odds are that nothing will be said. it would be
embarrassing for your headmaster to ask why
your lock had been changed, thereby admitting
that someone had tried to gain access without
your permission.

that being said, i haven't changed my front door
lock, as the maid comes twice a week.....i suspect
she fondles my stuff, maybe even tries on my
underwear, so keep my room 'sanitized.'

poking through your stuff is natural in china. there
is no expectation of privacy here that i am aware
of. it's perfectly normal for someone to rummage
through papers on your desk while they are
speaking with you. i've tried this on occasion while
visiting in someone's office - pick up random stuff
on the desk to examine - and have never gotten
a reaction.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I echo others after thinking about it for some time.

Change the lock.

To say simply that "they are the owners" is like saying a landlord is the owner of a rented apartment. Yes, they are the owners, but they can't just bust in when you are not there and snoop through things. Least of all is protection of your personal property.

That's why police (usually) need search warrants in reasonable societies.

[eslteach]

[The Edge]

It's a no brainer...change the locks and make copies of the keys to give to them when you move out.

[eslteach]

[Kysorb]