Korean Job Discussion Forums

blade · Joined: 30 Jun 2007

Rummor has it that at least ten senior members of staff have desided to resign, because of the current dean, and five weeks of camp per semester.

I'm With You · Joined: 01 Sep 2011

blade · Joined: 30 Jun 2007

hannibal329 · Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Well, the problem with rumors is that they are often times just that, rumors. It'd be wonderful to find a current employee mention what is going on at the university, but all I keep hearing is rumors and hearsay. Does anyone have any actual first hand knowledge of the situation at the University of Suwon?

blade · Joined: 30 Jun 2007

hannibal329 · Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Could you give me any contact information for those individuals? I'd PM you if I was able to on here.

hannibal329 · Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

After asking the school multiple times about camp, I finally called and had them explain to me the situation. Kinda felt like they kept dodging the issue. Basically, the camps are anywhere between 5-7 weeks long, 2 times per year, contracted at 60 hours a week. There is no overtime pay, unless you go over 60 hours a week, however, the individual I talked to made it seem like working 70,80, or even 90 hours a week during camps was possible. So basically during the camp season, the teachers are only making about 9,000won an hour. Ridiculous. I originally was going to take this position, but after hearing that, decided to pass.

orbison · Joined: 27 Sep 2011

Are you sure you don't mean your contracted for sixty hours over the five weeks of the camp?
The example contract I saw stated this.

It also said they promise 8 weeks of vacation.

hannibal329 · Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Here's what the contract I saw stated:
During the university recess periods of July/August and January/February,'B' is required to teach at various programs offered by the university for the required amount of time(60hours over 5 weeks).

I felt like this was kind of vague and left room for them to go either way with it, which is why I asked them 3 times through email to clarify it before finally calling them after they failed to give me a solid description.

After calling them, I was informed this meant 60 hours a week, for 5 to 7 weeks of camp, 2 times per year. I couldn't believe my ears, so I had him repeat what he told me. Still in disbelief, I asked him a third time that the contract states I would teach 60 hours a week for every week of the camp? Again, he responded that was correct. Finally, I asked if this meant I'd be teaching about 300 hours for each camp, and again, he said that was correct.

Now, it's very likely that this is a big mistake and I've been given bad information as his english ability didn't appear to be fluent. However, I remember reading online that camp hours lasted from 9am-9pm for 3 weeks without extra pay(I guess now its 5-7 weeks). So it makes sense that the camp hours come out to 60 hours a week at that rate. ( http://esllist.com/korea-south/744-university/48-university-of-suwon )

If anyone has any different information about this position, I would like to hear it as I'm very confused and tired of asking this school to clarify the same question over and over again.

I-am-me · Joined: 21 Feb 2006 Location: Hermit Kingdom

It's true. Not paid extra for the camps. You still get monthly salary so it's not you are working for free

orbison · Joined: 27 Sep 2011

To [i]'I-am-me'[/i]-How many hours are expected in an average camp week?

In response to [i][b]'Hannibal 329'[/b][/i] the possibility of working 60 hours a week, I was once again told that it will be around 12 a week.

This is getting damn confusing and frustrating!

hannibal329 · Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

kimchijigijig · Joined: 27 Jun 2011

diddymao · Joined: 29 Sep 2011

hypnotoad777 · Joined: 05 Apr 2010

So if you have to work 5 weeks in July/August and 5 in Jan/February, it sounds like your break will be 3 weeks for each, is this correct?

I was just asked to interview for this position. The email I received seemed vaguely illiterate, and when I asked a few questions, they were dodged.

I can't tell if it's just a poor coordinator or if I should see this as reflecting on the program.

The other weird thing is the pay is 1.9 to 2.2 million won, which is not a lot especially if housing key money is not provided. (I've been teaching at public school for two years and private for 2...so my pay would be considerably higher.

Working at a university opens doors to other work at other universities, but would working at the University of Suwon do that as well? Vaguely shady feeling....