Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rok_the-boat]

[Kimchieluver]

You teach 12 classes a week. Sit in the office with nothing to do but post on Dave's Esl and then go home, day after day.

[Kimchieluver]

Oh yeah, prep for classes, mark exams, do evaluations and whatever you feel like punishing yourself with.

[TECO]

I'm actually a "Lecturer" at my university.

The university has a ranking system
- Prfessor (My bosses)
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor (Ph.D holders)
- Lecturer (M.A. holders)

The easiest gig I've had in 7 years of TEFL'ing in Asia.

You can make it as easy as it gets or difficult - you're choice.

For me, though there are a few negatives, it's my TEFL'ing dream job.

[Kyrei]

I realise this might sound too, umm... "whoo whoo look at me!" but I thought I'd pass along something that has happened to us at our university recently...

Out of the blue, all of the M.A. "Foreign Instructors" just got upgraded to "Assistant Professors" and the Ph.D. holders to "Associate Professors". We were given two year contracts with unlimited renewals, annual pay raises covering a thirteen year span (so I guess one could say there is a 13 year limit, at which time the pay will not change), and a hefty upgrade in our current rate of pay which, although it is still at the low end of the scale, it is still a 500,000 won a month increase! They even paid out our severance on the old contracts so that we all start fresh. (Thanks for an handout of 5 million won just for being me!) This contract puts us eligible for an E1 visa (apparently, anyway - I will test it out next week), and on par with the Korean professors in terms of contracts. We are on a regulated pay scale now and not an atribrary one, which is better. Quite a surprise since no one told us they were doing it.

Of course there are whiners here who feel that they should stay on the old "much-easier-to-rip-me-off" contract because they don't like to do paperwork it took to manage the changeover (ex. medical forms, renewal of visa forms, etc.) or just can't handle change at all. Anyone with half a brain would see that this is a much safer and better deal all around for us.

The official word at the school is that they are trying to treat us foreign instructors more in line with how foreign instructors are dealt with in foreign universities. I honestly don't know how much stock I put in that, but the changes are definitely for the better.

[rok_the-boat]

Yes - that is good for you. Grab it and hold on to it But they are also likely doing it for themsleves as universities are ranked, in part, according to the status of the teachers it employs. In simple terms, student mothers like their kids to be taught by profs not instructors. Still, a genuine move in the right direction.

[Scott in HK]

The same thing happened at our uni...without the pay raises. Got offered 2 year contracrs renewable and the title of visiting professor.

About the E-1, I think you have to teach the subject that your masters is in. Mine is in education, so I would have to teach education, to be able to apply for an E-1 visa. Not 100% sure about this, but it was what I was told when applying for a position that wanted teachers that could get E-1's.

[mishlert]

My M.A. is in history and I have an E-1, but I don't teach history classes at my university.

[merrilee]

I had an E-1 without a Master's.

[SuperHero]

You guys care to publish the names of your schools? Sounds like a good deal.

[rok_the-boat]

Or, if reluctant to post the names of the schools here for some reason - pm those, like me, who express interest

[the_beaver]

[SuperHero]

[Real Reality]

Academic Pay
Pohang University of Science and Technology has the highest annual salaries at around 67 million won ($52,000). The universities that topped the list after Pohang were Yeungnam University (62.7 million won), Sungkyunkwan University (61.7 million won), Korea University (59.5 million won), Hannam University (58.3 million won) and Hoseo University (56.4 million won). The lowest-ranking school paid an average annual salary of 28 million won. The annual salary of first-year professors ranged from 17 million won at Cheju National University to 43 million won at Sungkyunkwan University. "The average annual salary of Seoul National University professors is only 37.5 million won," Mr. Sul said. "This is 71st among the 82 universities analyzed and among the lowest at public universities."
by Kang Min-seok, JoongAng Daily (September 23, 2001)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200109/23/200109232313052859900090409041.html

Average Monthly Salary of Korean Professors
According to the 2001 College Education Advancement Index which the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) announced on the 13th, full-time professors' average monthly wage (before taxation) last April was 4,914,000 won, which is 12.2 percent higher than the previous year 4,379,000 won. Also, deputy professors, assistant professors, and full-time lecturers had similar increases in their salaries.
Donga.com (February 14, 2002)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2002021400798

Salary per Month of Professor in South Korea: US$5,511 (1,134 won to US$1)
Asiaweek (March 17, 2000, VOL. 26 NO. 10)
http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/features/salaries/2000/popups/content/skor.html

Corrupt professors common, students say
Following yesterday's allegation that a professor at Seoul National University misappropriated research grant funds, a number of graduate assistants across Korea have come forward with similar charges about professors.... A Korea University professor who embezzled more than 300 million won last year was only fined 20 million won, and was not punished by the school.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200504/27/200504272214239309900090409041.html

A Professor Beat Students who didn't speak English
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=040000&biid=2002091152368

[TECO]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

In the past, I've exchanged information with a couple of people here on Dave's regarding which universities we work for in private PM's.

For now, I'm happy where I am but you never know when things change and it's time to move on.