Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Pusanpoe]

Let's be clear. I am not talking about (all) the departments of the university so much. There are some good ones: architectual engineering, business, IT, etc. Woosong Language Institute is the prime focus for criticism. Yes, the foreign scholar officially likes his bed - now. But the language institute is stagnant. The Director wants to change the situation. But the truth of the previous postings here are largely true. Subsequent events may have rendered some as past history and certain parts of them can be argued as interpretation. That may true.

But as far as W.L.I. is concerned, it deserves to be avoided until repairs of many sorts are done. That I stand with. And the two new recruits brought in by the Directors efforts can still not be found!

A university will be overall judged by serious deficient parts of it especially since W.L.I. oversees many of the teachers who teach all freshmen and many other students in other years. The teachers overall are fundamentally sound but need proper support for development and should never have beent excessively reprimanded or insensitively treated.

Everyone wishes the Director well and hope that the publicity and other efforts will finally generate sufficient changes to make Woosong proud. The stubborness on the part of certain management made these postings necessary. End of story.

[prosodic]

Based on their unwillingness to negotiate their contract, I doubt if the publicity is doing anything to make them change. I was rather shocked when they sent me a contract last week that is only two pages long and therefore unbelievably vague on every clause. The most objectionable clause is one that says signing the contract means that you agree to everything in the policy book. Since I haven't seen the policy book, I sent them an email saying that they had to either send it to me or revise the contract so that all significant passages from the policy book are included in the contract. It's been five days and I haven't received so much as an acknowledgment of receiving my email. And it seems like more than just a coincidence that they reposted the job ad yesterday.

[Demophobe]

[Pusanpoe]

The English Department appears pretty good as they have one of Korea's best foreign scholars and two or three top Korean scholars as well. They also apparently have one of the only English Only TESOL grad programmes in Korea. It is to be further upgraded I hear. Some rather quick typing at night might have confused some of the readers as to what was negatively being talked about. The criticism fundamentally was directed at the Language Institute

The new Director seems to be from what I understand a man of reason who deserves more support from his superiors and maybe the need to be a bit more determined to push for necessary changes. But the two go hand in hand. More transparency will be critical too. But this is a constant refrain on the part of many about what is wrong with too many-especailly conservative oriented organizations in Korea.

Woosong and Korea have already experienced many changes. You can only get so much change so fast without getting an implosion. Some patience at times is due. Lets see after a year what happens withW.L.I. and whether they are more effective withall the advice they have got. Let's give Woosong a chance. They derserve it. Afterall they provide more paychecks and jobs to foreigners than just about any uni in Korea. That should betaken into account. But W.L.I>has massively disappointed many-probably including Woosong University superiors.

[Demophobe]

On-campus language institutes are just glorified hagwons. Not much different between them in so many ways.

[prosodic]

[prosodic]

Has anybody else noticed that Woosong just posted their third ad in a month? Looking desperate.

[duderdude]

I worked at Woosing (WLI ) for a year and found it to be one of the best gigs in Korea...it was my 1st job here and was intially disappointed with the lack of professionalism from the administration, but found that that is true through the country.

Pusan Poe, I know who you are and your story, you got screwed over with all that basement stuff, but WU is actually a good place to work...look at all of your collegues who have been there for so long.

AS for the ads, I know they were trying to "clean house" and not renewing a lot of the profs who had been there for a while, but found it hard to find enough of what they consider to be "quality help". They have since renrewed those profs. Personally I think they were setting their standards too high as Woosing is one of the lower-end tier unis in Korea.

But for those who don't know and actually care, Woosong is a good gig, below average students but not a bum deal as others have made it out to be...cheers.

[prosodic]

Duderdude,

Thanks for the perspective. I like what you have to say. Just out of curiousity, how long were you there? If you don't mind my asking, why did you leave?

I'd like to hear your opinion about some things. I turned down a position there a few weeks ago. It wasn't because of anything Pusanpoe wrote or any of the negative comments I've read about them on other sites. Rather, I turned it down because I didn't like the contract. The clause I found most objectionable was one that said that signing the contract meant that I agreed to everything in a mysterious policy handbook. I wouldn't have minded that if they had sent me the policy book, but they didn't. I sent them emails asking for them to send it to me and they kept ignoring the request. They responded to other questions in my emails, but kept ignoring the request to see a copy of the policy book. So, now the question. Since you have probably seen the policy book, what's your opinion? Did I turn down the job over something that would have turned out to be a non-issue? I'm completely expecting you to say yes. And I'm only wondering because it's been a nagging question in the back of my mind. What could have possibly been in that policy book that they wouldn't show it to me?

[duderdude]

Prosic,

That does sound sketchy and I don't blame you for not signing if they were not willing to send it to you. I have read the policy book and there is absolutley nothing in it that is not in other uni policy books, I promise you that...don't know why they didn't send it to you, porbably just good ole fashion Korean lack of professionalism.

I didn't resign because, I fell in love with one of my students and am and now engaged to marry her...didn't get caught, but thought it was better to get out while I was still ahead...because it DOES say in the policy book that it is forbidden to date students.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I worked ther for only one contract Fall 2001- Fall 2002. Later

[prosodic]

Duderdude,

Thanks for the info. It's actually quite reassuring to think that Woosong didn't provide the policy book due to administrative incompetence rather than malicious intent. I can forgive incompetence and I agree that it is prevalent in Korea. If I had chatted with you back then, I would have probably taken the job. Oh well, the past is past and I have an interview with another uni language institute in a few days.

[Pusanpoe]

To be fair the Assistant Director at Wosong language institute, he was thrown all the problems and the Director was not fully engaged in the last year. They were also missing a staff position of a go between foreigners and the Ass. Dir. Combined with declining student enrollment and a fairly well educated staff with the normal amount of western critical thinking, his job was and is not made easy.

But again I have to stress the need for making the work environment in Korea more professional and transparent especially for the true professionals who take their jobs seriously. and want to fully leand their expertise to improving things.WLI is improving in that the Director is more fully on top of things and a new full time Ph.d. is being brought in to deal with many staff issues on the teaching side it would seem. By next year hopefully much will be well. People need to be sequestered to the functions they are good in. When they are not all hxll can break out. Leadership from the top is key. Every boat needs a good rudder or drift will result. But despite this let's face it. Most third tier Korean universities are faced with some increasingly very rocky waters. (EFL.law.com has more to say on that in its Korea section) And in such waters always make sure the pumps are working well!!!!

[skdragon]

Any changes two years on!?!

[Hyeon Een]

[Len8]

I have heard that Woosong doesn't allow it's foreigen staff to do extra work off campus? How in the world they will police that though sure beats me.

Do you get severance? I have heard that the Korean teachers teaching TOIEC, TOEFL and what have you do not get severance. Is that correct?