Job Discussion Forums

[eissc]

Oxbridge University Business School (OUBS) recently published the following notice in their school catalog. Is this typical? Is it legal?

"Important Notice

The University reserves the right to change, at any time, without prior notice, programs of study, course offerings, academic requirements, the academic calendar, codes of conduct, tuition, room and board charges, and other fees, policies, and procedures. The University will determine the times at which all such changes are effective. Changes may apply not only to prospective students but also to those who are already enrolled in the University. OUBS Catalog is published for information purposes and should not be constituted as the basis of a contract between a student and OUBS. Every effort is made to provide information that is accurate at the time the Catalog is prepared. However, information concerning regulations, policies, fees, curricula, courses, and other matters contained in this Catalog is subject to change at any time during the period for which the Catalog is in effect. The Academic Affairs Office can be contacted at any time for current information on these matters."


Let me see if I understand this. A student and their parents have or will sign a contract based on certain agreements made by the school to entice the student to enroll and pay the 30,000 RMB tuition fee. Once the money and the contract are in hand, OUBS can then change any part of that agreement at any time without any liability.

It is interesting to note that the school has operated this way for the past year, maybe longer, and now they are finally making it public.

I wonder if the students can change any part of that agreement, without prior notice, at any time, and without liability. Probably not.

Does anyone out there know if this is legal? Does your school operate this way? I wonder if this is typical in China.

[Peter]

Scroll down the index page to: How many more will leave OUBS
for an extended explanation why such a contract is in existence.

[Roger]

Oh come on, guys, this school at least takes upon itself the trouble of INFORMING people that CHANGES may be NECESSARY some time into a course, which I consider a big improvement over the rather cavalier prctice in this country of taking decisions with absolutely no regard to how the affect both teachers and learners!!!
How many of us have been teacher no. 3 to a class that has been going on for 6 weeks?
How many of us have been told to stand in for someone else at 5 minutes' notice?
How many of us have seen their classes cancelled du to low attendance (although all students had paid fully for several more weeks to come!)?
How many of us were told at one time or another that our class had been cancelled due to "student meeting", and we needed to make up at a most inconvenient time?
Well, I am not defending the said school as I don't know them at all.
But I must say that Western cultural practices like disclaimers in legal documents are a MAJOR improvement, really!

[eissc]

Roger,

Maybe it is a disclaimer, but I'm not sure how this is a major improvement.

Here's an improvement. Fewer words, same meaning:

"We are not bound by any contracts, verbal or written agreements, or advertised claims of any kind. However, students are bound to all agreements they sign, and any others we decide to add later."

Speaking from experience, this is not an innocent attempt to inform people that changes may be necessary. They are in legal trouble and they are now trying to cover all of their bases. At least now they can say, "Your Honor, we told everyone that we were planning to take advantage of them, but they didn't listen."

[MyTurnNow]

I gotta back Roger on this one.

Eissc, the way I read the wording you clipped in, they aren't saying that they don't honor a contract- only that the catalog isn't a contract. Constant flux is a fact of life in schools with foreign teachers, and not promising to never alter a schedule seems pretty prudent.

Scheduling is the bane of the manager. I hate it. Even in the smallest schools it's insanely and amazingly complex. I've never posted a schedule that didn't have to go through about 20 revisions.

If what I have read elsewhere is true OUBS has done enough really disturbing things in other areas. Don't need this one to dislike them.

[Bertrand]

Legality has various degrees in China. 'Contracts' are full of nebolous turns of phrase on the primative Chinese mainland. Take, for example, a sample contract of EF English First. It is full of expressions such as 'including but not limited to...' !

[MW]

"including but not limited to" is standard legal language in every English common law Country.

It means that the list of examples is not inclusive or limited but merely exemplary.

[Dragon]

Dear Comrade MW,
thank you for your legal expertise. the above poster would do well to listen to you and real all of your postings as I do, (I even print them). Do not hesitate on giving us any advice you feel we may require so that we may exist here for 25 years like you who came to the motherland in 1978.
May the Heavens watch over you wise one.
DRAGON

[Bertrand]

[Linda L.]

Bertrand are you bored, lonely, depressed?

Reviving a thread that has been dead for over two months seems like a desparate cry for help.

How can we help you Bertrand?

From many of your posts you appear to be a real intellectual who may be over qualified for your current job or just under-employed. Maybe you think it presumptious for a small person from West Virginia with only a GED to offer you help, but you never know.

[ITCjohn]

[aaronschwartz]

ITC John which one are you, MW or Dragon?

This is the second post where you pine away for your lost partner.