Hunan City University

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DWA

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Hunan City University
« on: May 07, 2008, 05:42:19 PM »
Hi everyone !  I'm a newbie here....and sorry for the long post!....and have a review of my current employer: Hunan City University, Yiyang City, Hunan Province.  The information on job sent to me were and are correct and have not been the subject of any argument or discussion.  However, that's where the good part stops.  The only lady in the Foreign Exchange Department who spoke English (besides the Director) left the same day I arrived last August.  The replacement is the daughter of two teachers who lost her job in Southern China for some "unknown" reason (I was told it was none of my business) and speaks very poor English and understands less. The other person (who is responsible for apt. maint. and generally getting things done) speaks or understands no English.  So much for communication!  The pictures of the apartment sent me were of a nice, good looking and modern facility at their new campus site on the other side of the city. Imagine my utter surprise upon arrival to be housed in a 50 year old teacher apartment building with so many coats of paint the windows will not close. I understand (and did before I arrived) that the Chinese idea and concept of "clean" is quite different than that of Americans.  However, the apartment had been slightly cleaned from the previous tenant who must have been a real HOG !!  Dirt and filth everywhere.....the kitchen was so bad it was almost a month before I could use it, the bed sheets and blankets had not been washed....nor did they offer to have them washed or purchase new ones, the air conditioner was broken (with Aug & Sept temps very high and high humidity for a newbie is awful to say the least).  And....the apt had roaches...several dead ones on the kitchen floor and in the dining room.  Upon seeing all this, I was ready for the return flight to Beijing and home. I was assured that things would be made right.  When asked where the new apartment was from the pictures, I was told it was already rented and none were available, but that I would get the first new apartment they had.....When is that?...shall I live long enough??  Now, some 9 months later, I am still waiting. My request last week was met with "we can't get the keys" to the new apartment!!  The school provided computer did not and has not functioned....nada...and attempts to get it operational have been met with great confrontations.....(Thank goodness I had forethought to bring a laptop!!)

The University has spent their money funding the building of a new campus and are cash starved.....and repairs to this apartment simply don't happen. A local attorney has told me several weeks ago the University is trying to sell this campus to obtain more cash to complete the new one. So many things requiring repair on this campus remain broken.

The ability to communicate with the office staff is almost impossible.  I have been told to "get a student to help you" more times than I can remember.....but they are not in college to help Americans, they are there to get an education (or whatever they do)!! I've been told to send the office an email so they can read it and translate it to Chinese when I need/want something...I thought they were supposesd to be the people to whom we could ask questions??? The only person who is interested in providing any assistance at all is the Director of the Dept....who is having difficulty getting the 12 or so American teachers the University wants.  He has provids me with much outside work every month with extra pay....nice addition to the salary...which is not bad for this Province.  Oh, almost forgot...those promised Chinese lessons???.....sorry, but we don't have the funds to do that anymore.

Sorry folks, but I would not reccomend this school to anyone for the conditions above.  There are many better places and I'm in the search process right now....for somewhere the humidity is not 100% most of the time and where there is a "real" winter with tons of snow!!!  There are currently 3 Americans teaching here: one is staying because his Chinese wife and her family are here, the other only signed on for a year and is going back home to family, and me. 

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Riz

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Re: Hunan City University
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2008, 07:02:00 PM »
Thanks for the guidance ! I was just going to apply for this university when I came across your detailed blog.I am in Changsha,Hunan teaching at Economics university.They have refused to sign a new contract with me because the students don't like me.(according to my liaison). I have been teaching here for two years.I have few jobs in hand outside Hunan province but I want to stay in Changsha because my gf lives here. Foreigners at this university have got few serious problems which I will mention later at some stage.
Thanks again.
Riz.
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.

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DWA

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Re: Hunan City University
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2008, 10:39:09 PM »
My, my....!  I just received an email from a "janelove" asking for additional information because they want me at your school....and that was just after I read your post....Like 'sure thing'.   I'm trying to move NORTH where there is a Real Winter EVERY year, not just once in a while....and escape this hotter-than-hell-humid location!  It not even summer and the temps are hovering around 35 already...give me a break, already!!

It seems everyone keeps saying that Hunan Pr. is "so poor" and "we just can't afford to pay many more than this".....I see much construction at most schools....they are either new campuses or additions.  Lots of "new" cars,  everyone is buying, buying, buying.  so, if the area is so poor?....where is all the money coming from?....bad grammar...but point made....who is pocketing all the money?  Ah, yes, much tob e said for the Chinese Systems.....goes in the front door and it is forever and always unknown to whence it has gone.

The other item of concern for both of us is the new Visa and permits thing......PLEASE!!!...cover all your bases and ask many questions and make sure the new school can and will do what they say they can......I can't afford to fly back to the US, then back to  China simply because someone dropped the ball......

I agree with you that once bitten makes you much more cautious.  The 2 locations I am working with now understand that everything they do or do not offer or pay for needs to be spelled out....so they nor I need to guess or get an arbitrator involved.

Happy sailing........WHEEEEEEE ~~~~~~!

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Riz

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Re: Hunan City University
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2008, 11:47:08 PM »
Good on you friend ! I am moving to some other place in north away from Janelove and things.hahahaha!I wanted to teach here at this univ but they needed an entertainer,rather a monkey who could dance,sing tell them amusing stories from far away lands and fool around.Everything to them is "boring" if comes to learn English...Yes they are curious to know plenty of things about my personal life.The students ignore you in the class by reading irrelavant books about fasion and listening to the music or eating .They bring their boyfriends to the class for dating.They can mess up with your job no matter you have master degree from Oxford and very well qualified teacher here.Their job ad should look like this;
1-we need a sexy blonde between 20-24 year of age.
2-A hunk who can goof off and shoot the breeze.
3-Degree is required but not a MUST!

Job interview goes like;
1-How much money do you want from us?( just one question)
« Last Edit: May 28, 2008, 12:00:22 AM by Riz »
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.

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Rajin

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Re: Hunan City University
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2008, 10:41:34 AM »
I've had a few of my students bring their boyfriends to the class. I normally don't mind but if they start becoming a distraction, I send their ass out. I'm 22 and a lot of my students think that we can become great friends simply because I'm a young guy. Tragically, I'm unable to become great friends with 300 students a year.

My university, Hunan Institute of Engineering in Xiangtan, Hunan seems to be a 7 (my campus, at least. There's some bastards in the other campus)