Job Discussion Forums

[unclenacho]

I want to do an informal survey regarding housing and working hours for foreign teachers at universities in China. I�m planning on applying to some universities for an English teaching position this fall and would like to get some feedback. I realize that this is really case by case- obviously depends on the city, local culture, uni type. I�ve read through some posts on these topics already but thought a quick survey might provide more updated or broader responses. In your experience/at the university where you teach:

� Are there locked gates/curfew times enforced for foreign teachers in addition to students on campus?
� Is there any �no overnight guests� clause or policy in your contract? More importantly- based on your experience/observations- Is it actually enforced for teachers living in on-campus apts?
� Does your school offer the option of housing allowance in addition to base salary of course, if you request off-campus housing (finding an apt without their assistance). If so, did you select the off-campus apt option?
� Was your on-campus apartment different/worse than the one you were promised or shown pictures of when signing the contract?
� How many teaching hours per week?
� How many office/desk/prep hours per week?
� Any clearly stated amount of non-teaching hours you must be at the school, stated in your contract?

Thanks all!

[xiguagua]

I'll just say the name of my school since all this is semi-useless if you don't know the school. It's Anhui Normal University in Wuhu, Anhui province.

Frankly speaking, this school sucks. It's a higher teir school than I used to work at, but the administration is useless and don't care, I have no FAO, no support or information from the school, when i've had problems I was met with "You'll get over it" I don't need my hand held, but some basic communication would be nice. The students are lazier than i'm used to and they basically have no enthusiasm for English and are apathetic the same as the administration. This is my first and last year at this school.


� Are there locked gates/curfew times enforced for foreign teachers in addition to students on campus? My apartment is locked at night, so if I come back later than 10:30 I have to wake up the owners of the building which they say is their job.......but, doesn't suppress my guilt.

� Is there any �no overnight guests� clause or policy in your contract? More importantly- based on your experience/observations- Is it actually enforced for teachers living in on-campus apts? Yes and yes.......however, I was not informed of this policy, nor was it stated in the contract. I didn't learn about it until after my friend came to visit whereupon I learned that only CHINESE people are not allowed to stay here, but other foreigners can. Since my friend was Chinese, they were kicked out at 12:30am which I felt was absurd and so I left as well much to the disappointment of the landlord.


� Does your school offer the option of housing allowance in addition to base salary of course, if you request off-campus housing (finding an apt without their assistance). If so, did you select the off-campus apt option?
Don't know, never asked.

� Was your on-campus apartment different/worse than the one you were promised or shown pictures of when signing the contract? Worse.......much worse because they showed the apartments (which are the same size and layout) that were furnished.....and mine was the only one not furnished and renovated. and they refused to furnish me with anything except a POS desk that is too small for me (I'm 5'6) and a AC and Washing machine. I slept on the floor on a futon for pretty much my first month until they bought me a bed.

� How many teaching hours per week? 12

� How many office/desk/prep hours per week? Prep depends on the lesson. I'm lazy now because my school and students suck so maybe 1-2 hours prep with lots of procrastination during those 1-2 hours.

� Any clearly stated amount of non-teaching hours you must be at the school, stated in your contract? 0. Used to do office hours because I live at another campus and English corner is on Saturday night.......but, no students ever went so I stopped wasting my time.

I always feel that I sound really negative when talking about my school. I came here with a really positive attitude with the mindset that i'd stay multiple years. I like to work hard and work for the students......but you can only face so much BS and so much lethargy from everyone you're trying to work for before it changes your mindset. The problem is that I came in with high expectations, and that's something you should never do.

[thechangling]

I keep seeing that Uni in Wuhu advertising on a certain recruiters website but now i know not to bother applying there.

[rogerwilco]

[rogerwilco]

No curfew. I have a key card that I can use to access the campus any time.

Never a problem with overnight guests of any kind.

No option of off-campus housing.

I visited the school before I signed the contract, so I saw the apartment in person. It is small but ok.

14 or fewer hours a week includes all required activities.

No office hours.

All teaching or non-teaching hours are included in my 14 hours a week.

[lemak]

*For my school, a 3 year vocational college in Jiangsu....

--No curfew or problem coming in after hours. If you're getting dropped off at the teacher's apartment building late the security guards may have to be woken before opening the school gate. You can always just jump the fence though. Very occasionally after midnight they may make you sign some document that they opened the gate for you, but there's no negatives associated with that. Just the security guys covering their ass.

--No problem with overnight guests. The FAO tells us we're supposed to register them with the office so they can notify the PSB (legal requirement). More ass covering on their end. Some teachers here have guests - usually boyfriends or girlfriends - stay with them for months or even whole semesters. On occasion even students. A few of the busybody older foreigners who've delegated themselves honorary bosses make threats to bust those with students staying in their place, but considering the FAO was impregnated and ended up marrying one of her own undergrads she was teaching at the time I don't get the impression anyone on the Chinese end gives two craps.

--The option of off campus housing exists. They pay 700rmb per month extra for this. Neighboring apartments run for around 1,200~1,500rmb + if you stay *on* campus all the bills (internet, electricity, drinking water, cable TV) are covered. I figure by the time you pay the difference in rent and the extra charges staying in your own place will see you losing 1,000 or 1,200rmb - although granted be in a nicer, warmer place than the on campus housing. You can choose where you'd like to stay.

--The apartment in reality was similar to those which I'd been shown photos of, although granted the ones they had pics of were of previously mentioned meticulously clean, anal old farts who'd been living in it for years, had a long time to get it cozy and comfortable. When we arrived ours had been unoccupied for almost a year and might as well have been a Linfen factory dorm for how nasty it was. Most of the decent furniture, cutlery etc. had been pilfered, so it took several weeks to get it habitable, and over a year and a half to get it to the point where it starts to feel like home, not a cold, concrete box.

--My contract says maximum of 16 x 45 minute classes. In reality I usually do 12 x 45 minute classes, and for a while has dropped to 6. A couple of teachers taking different subjects have 18 or 20, going over the contract, but when they complained they gave them a couple of full weeks off mid semester to compensate, rather than pay overtime.

--No mandatory office hours....once every semester or so there might be a 1 hour staff meeting, usually involving a free lunch so the teachers generally show. I don't think attendance is compulsory though. If you're traveling or otherwise busy no balls will be busted. The contract says we are supposed to do an English Corner every month that they organize, but they've never organized them, so they don't happen. Occasionally teachers arrange them on their own volition, but there's no grief directed at those who don't attend.

--No mandatory office hours. In fact I don't even have an office. I do all my prep at home. I figure around 15~20 minutes per class since I'm required to teach from a text book (Interchange) and thankfully have been teaching it for close to a decade, so prep time is minimal, really just coming up with some alternate activities to keep the little darlings awake.
Perhaps 2 hours lesson planning a week, and I should put in about another 30 mins per week filling in the school's lesson plans and "reports", but I tend to leave all of these until the end of semester where it ends up being a mad rush, but bearable.

Hope that helps. Feel free to PM if you need more info.