Job Discussion Forums

[crazycatlady]

1) they may delay your pay at the end of your contract for questionable reasons.

2) the FAE director and the School of English Language director are big fans of encouraging feedback, but do not give it to them. negative feedback will probably get you fired. if decisions are made that you believe are unfair or unethical, just nod and smile.

3) unfortunately, no matter how good a teacher you are, if you rock the boat, there's little hope for you. all of your teaching observations can be great, and your unit head can totally support you, but if you're considered a "troublemaker," management will fire you anyway. it's the students who suffer, which is a shame.

4) a lot of instructors are unhappy here, so turnover of international staff is extremely high.

5) the students and colleagues are great. this could be a fantastic place to work if only the management would change. it's really a pity.

[eclectic]

[crazycatlady]

at bilkent, a troublemaker is someone who speaks up when management does something unfair or unethical. or someone who, when asked by management for feedback, gives *negative* feedback.

[Solar Strength]

[eclectic]

well its 1 of those places u just stick some time into for the cash, if any, or the resume-boosting effect of having worked a significant interbal at a well-known uni.

definitely not a career option IMO.

[crazycatlady]

the salary isn't bad. it's good for turkey, i think. it's about $1600-2000/month plus housing, depending on your experience, etc.

it's probably not the worst place in the world to work, but you just have to be very careful of behind-the-scenes, under-handed dealings. management will happily lie outright, or by omission, about important things.

then when people are unhappy, management chooses to fire, or make life miserable for, the complainers instead of making the changes -- most of which would be extremely simple. sad.

[Solar Strength]

[Caterinamh]

All things stated are in one word.... TRUE. The one who complains is the one that they blame.

Been there, felt the sting. I've learned to be more of an observer. Just smile and try to always be positive. If you don't you will be out as fast as you can say "what just happened???"

[crazycatlady]

what i don't understand is what motivates such managers to act this way. how do they benefit by treating their staff unfairly and unethically? or making them so miserable they quit? or firing great teachers?

are they just incompetent managers on a power trip? what are they getting out of this?

[ossie39]

I interviewed for Bilkent before. It was a waste of time for me. In the space of an hour I went through 3 x 15 minute interviews. Previous to that I had to complete 2 pre-task lesson schemes. That alone took 3 hours. It was all such high drama for an English teaching position. Quite why there had to be so many stages nobody knows. I came away with the definite impression that my brains and ideas had been truly picked. A dishonest way of accumalating ideas for freshman and sophomore programmes. I also remember reading others recount the same experience on this site. The grand sounding director asked me if I had made a spelling mistake 'ozel',rather ridiculing, she didn't know what it meant. My understanding is that it means special or private in the context of a learning environment. A second voice intervened to confirm my point. I thought this was rather ironic, not knowing the term whilst working in one of the biggest private establishments in Turkey, as a director.

[crazycatlady]

update: out of the six foreign teachers they hired last school year for two-year contracts, they've now lost all but one. and they haven't been able to replace them yet as far as i know. it would be so much easier if they just treated their staff right. then they could avoid these problems.

[duende]

It is baffling that Bilkent management is unable to see why they need to change their approach and tactics with teachers. I am one of the teachers who left this year after one semester. There are countless stories of dissatisfied instructors.

On a potential positive note, I have heard good things about METU where I will teach in September. I am sure they are also bureaucratic in some areas, but at least the head of the modern languages department is very direct, laid back, organised and understands native teachers really well. The atmosphere at METU (as I have written elsewhere) is also much much different than Bilkent. METU feels much less like a private corporation and more like a place of learning. Again, I am sure there will be issues to deal with (no place is perfect).

So yes, I would highly recommend avoiding Bilkent if you have some good teaching experience. METU or the Turko British association seem like much better places to work. Bilkent also feels cut off from the outside world (on a hill that sometimes feels like the middle of nowhere).

If you are a new teacher, you can do your time, get a CELTA, save a bit of money. But if you choose Bilkent it is important to remember there is indeed life AFTER Bilkent. There is a whole bigger world out there!!!

[thedudeabides61]

Every year that I have been at Bilkent University School of ENglish Language there has been a new cram school opened nearby to serve students who are desperately trying to pass Bilkent's preparatory school. And yet each year the management crows about how wonderful their school is and how the teacher are so appreciated and on and on. Each year the school becomes more about teaching to its test (which they can manipulate to get whatever numbers they care to publish)and less about really preparing students for university caliber work.If the program is so wonderful, why do these new businesses spring up to teach Bilkent's students? Are the students to blame? The teachers? the management? In the blame game there is always plenty to go around. In my experience, Bilkent suffers from its top-down style. They seem to be overly fond of those who tell them what they want to hear and punish those who point out that the emperor wears no clothes.The school culture is built on people blowing smoke up each others bums as they seek to go up the school's ladder. Honesty is punished and deception rewarded. Not unlike anywhere else really, so be forewarned. Anyone who doesn't get along with the top down experience, particularly the fact that you know what rolls down hill will not enjoy working here very long.The Turkish teachers are generally afraid to say what they really think , as they are reminded that there are dozens of other waiting to take their place. The foreign teachers who speak their mind are quickly shown the door as is evident in this forum or understand that there is little point in jeopardizing their reference or place at the trough. A few foreigners stay longer than a few years. They are generally of two camps, those who are married to Turks, so like Turks, this is about as good as it gets in Ankara or they more or less agree that the Directorate ( this is how the Bilkent management refers to itself, and if that doesn't mean anything to you, you probably will be their next favorite) is doing a fine job. The school runs on mushroom management. Those who thrive in such an environment will be warmly regardly by the Directorate, As warmly as reptiles can, that is. If, as John Lennon said, you can learn to smile as you kill, you will find a place at Bilkent. As a foreigner, if you really care about your students or your fellow teachers, you will only last long enough to get whatever certificate or reference you came to get. Of course, if you can keep your mouth shut and go about your business, when the classroom door shuts, you will do alright and learn alot in the process ( unless the CSP- class spokesperson complains about you to your line manager), but then it becomes about how good you are at wading through Bothersome Stuff rather than being a real educator IMHO. Bilkent is a factory where the teachers are knowledge workers. If you make the mistake of thinking you have anything to offer that is not officially sanctioned by the management, your time at Bilkent will be short, tortuous or both.

[crazycatlady]

what the dude says is exactly right. and the latest update is that because they lost so many instructors this past semester, the unit heads are taking up the slack -- on top of their admin duties. with no raise in pay probably.

[TeachEnglish]

hmm... all these horror stories sound familiar.. must be similar at many places here charading as universities.