Job Discussion Forums

[heinz77]

Suzhou Health College
This is just a fair warning to any prospective teachers coming to Suzhou looking to work in a small college. These technical colleges are about a dime a dozen so there is no reason any prospective teachers can�t find another gig with at least a chance of a better situation. I�ve been teaching EFL for over seven years and this must be the most unprofessional, disorganized, and dishonest school I have come across. These technical colleges have low pay but low hours so they tend to be a secure way to get your visa and to make more money on the side. This school is no different except the drama and disorder that comes along with it. Such as in my first semester, it was the Sunday night before classes began, that I finally got my school schedule for the term. During the second term they added faculty training classes that were somewhat of a disaster. At one point they changed the time and roster of the classes three times in the same week. Also, they completely lied about the size of the apartment and sent me the wrong visa documents. I realize that this probably isn�t the only case of this type of behavior in China, but why teach here if you know it will be this unprofessional? Now, let me come to the head of the English department �Queen Victoria�. Well, I thought that I had worked with a fair amount of overbearing, egotistic, and incompetent people in Korea, but �Queen Victoria� is something else. On one hand she is ambitious and opportunistic yet on the other she is lazy and clueless. It appears that her ambition ends when there is no one to designate a chore to. I�ve never witnessed someone who is so demanding yet brings so little to the table. It is not my intention to whine and complain because my boss was a jerk, but why would you come here if you had at least a chance of a better supervisor somewhere else. This school offers low pay, which is normal for a technical college but it�s all the added difficulty that makes it a place to avoid. If my experience here can help a few teaches move on to another school then it wasn�t the complete waste that it seems. This place has nothing to offer a prospective teacher that you can�t find in another school. You would be wise to avoid this place because any other school would be a better choice than Suzhou Health College.

[Ariadne]

He offered his experience as a warning to other teachers. Hey, that's what this forum is all about. He didn't have to take the time to do it but he did. If someone else wants to come on and say how great the place is, so be it, but don't knock him for giving a warning.

.

[johntpartee]

The place doesn't sound much different from most schools in China.

[GeminiTiger]

Interesting post by OP. He didn't clearly articulate his reasons but I happen to know a handful of reasons why you wouldn't want to work here. I think I'll share a few for the expansion of knowledge of my fellow man.

Their application process takes about three weeks to decide leaving you in the wind until they give you an offer.
Teachers live in the school hotel, and it's crap. (bad water system, small cramped quarters)
They commute an hour to work. Often for just one class. (but are told it's a 20 minute commute before they arrive)
They are taxed 500 on their base 4500 per month salary. (but not told upfront this condition)
It's a tech school (3 year) with no English department. They teach OE and over enrolled elective courses like writing to non-majors.
The school requires an online registration that includes a really stupid junior high level psychological test and obscure Chinese culture exam.

When I turned down the position after finding out about the hidden tax that I could not afford to swallow, I wrote a nice letter to decline the position. I got a in-your-face-we-don't-need-you-anways answer.

Lastly I have heard second hand from a trusted source that if you get on her bad side she will haunt you. Including doing everything she can to hurt your future employment by doing things like refusing to give a letter of release and saying she would only fax it to the next employerer.

The FAO left me with a bad impression and what I heard was even worse.

[kungfuman]

Cheated out of salary? Well fuel for big black cars isn't cheap nowadays so the money needs come from somewhere.

Did I read a salary of 4500 y???????????????????????????????

[Opiate]

[Opiate]

[GeminiTiger]

[Babala]

I have taken the test twice now. It is required in Suzhou to get your FEC.

[kungfuman]

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

Several inappropriate postings addressing the messenger rather than the message have been deleted.

Please do not confuse this board with others you may visit that permit such activity. This one does not.

Future such postings will result in immediate permanent bans to include ISPs.

Members observing inappropriate postings are requested to report them to the Mod Team by PM or Report Post.

This thread is not being locked at this time to allow those members that think this warning is a joke to decide how long they wish to retain their membership here.

[Shroob]

[Opiate]

[Non Sequitur]

I've taken the test and for all its faults I applaud the Chinese for trying to weed out some of the kooks who get jobs here.
Good post OP. Vicky sounds like an amalgam of the worst FAO/International Dept Directors I've dealt with.
How were the students?
I kinda like the vocational kids I've taught.

[Opiate]