Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ChrisPK]

Is the SNU College English Program a revolving door? I saw a job posting about six months ago and now I see another one here:

http://careers.tesol.org/jobs/6524703/looking-for-intructor-from-college-english-program-at-seoul-national-university

This time they require "4 or more years of graduate study/teaching experience."

Can anyone shed light on the situation at SNU? There are not many foreign teachers. A lot of Koreans teaching here.

[tardisrider]

This may be outdated or just plain wrong, but I've heard that SNU won't allow teachers to renew their contracts more than once, so there's a maximum of two years that any one individual can work there. I don't know if that applies to all visa holders or only E1/E2s, but it would explain why they would need to hire frequently.

[GENO123]

At the top 40-50 universities You can more or less sum it up this way : “(e.g., actual working hours always being longer, sudden firings being common, salaries being low, no respect given to foreign faculty, etc. “

UNIVERSITY CONDITIONS W/O THE SMOKE AND MIRRORS

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=233809&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15


Hire often and fire whenever "prune the the dead wood" for 35 - 44 million all included . What is so great about that?

Remember if a hogwon that paid 2.3 claimed that they pay 3.0 because they pay housing (300K airfare 200K and severance 200K ) they would get flamed for it.

2.3M + .700K = 3.0M

A job at a big famous Korean university is a trick.

[Hatcher]

I worked at SNU and trust me, it isnt worth it. They are the most arrogant people on earth.

They dont care about the employees at all. SNU has been sued at least three times in the last 10 years by foreign teachers.

Very few of the staff stay for long and if you can get hired there, you can get hored at other places.

One example - it says in the contract that if the employee "appears" to do something to "harm the image" of SNU they will be fired. It wont stand up at the Labor Board. So, SNU will get a lawyer and let you know it will be costly for you.

[ChrisPK]

[Hatcher]

You go to SNU to join the club. The number one job wanted by SNU grads is to go to a big US School and then return to get a job at SNU.

They look after each other. But the place is full of arrogant racist rich kids. Classes are 20 and the same as everywhere else.

PS. If I ever see my boss from SNU in another country, .... I truly hate the b%$ch.

[GENO123]

That kind of stuff is NOT limited to the " SKY" schools. It runs far beyond them.

[Hatcher]

I agree that it goes beyond KEYS but SNU may lead the world in arrogance.

The only thing you gain from working there is impressing the next job board you apply to. They asked me several times, why did you leave SNU?

I worked at four top 15 unis in Korea and keep in touch with many of the students from two of them. Not one student from SNU has ever contacted me since I was there. Not one admin and certainly no prof. They would walk by you in the hallway as if you didnt exist.

[ChrisPK]

[liveinkorea316]

The 2 year contract limits are actually enforced on Korean lecturers aswell so it has nothing to do with being a foreigner and everything to do with the nature of Academia in the World and in particular Korea. All over Korea PhD level Korean lecturers are given 2 year contracts and must be shoved out unless they get tenure track. Top unis just apply this same rule to foreign staff who are actually also lecturers.

Most lower level unis don't because there is no glut of English teachers yet. There is a serious oversupply of people with a PhD wanting to do some research and become a professor all over the world.

[Chaparrastique]

[Hatcher]

My opinion is that due to recent lawsuits, many of the unis have a revolving door policy. Sejong, Konkuk, Hongik and a variety of others are now willing to keep foreign staff more than four years. As a result, they will be there til they retire should they choose.

SNU and some others never want to have less leverage over the staff and doesnt want anyone they cant get rid of. SNU lost a few lawsuits recently.

So the best Korean university by their own definition isnt interested in teaching quality. In my opinion, the "s" stands for sh&*^...

Korea U recently had an ad claiming 35,000W an hour for OT... again, against the law. The rate should be about 75,000. pathetic. But if you ask that question in an interview, they end it quick and you are crossed off.