Subject:	 Andong University
Date:	 Wed, 14 Dec 2005 11:24:28 +0900

Jon
I am currently a teacher at Andong University. I have been here for going
on 6 years now. Consequently I was also on site during the period when there
were problems between the director and the language center staff. I would
like to point out that that particular director has long since retired and
there have been a couple of other directors since. From 2002 to the present
relations between staff and the directors have been very harmonious. Indeed,
currently staff relations have never been better. I am concerned that postings
reflecting a situation nearly 5 years ago could taint people's opinion of Andong
University. I would hate to see potential recruits mistakenly put off from
applying at Andong University because of a 5 year old conflict. Given the age
of the postings could they please be deleted or at least archived, or perhaps
my letter could be put up top of the listings so readers can get a proper sense
of perspective. Thanking you for your consideration,



Re: Warning!! Andong National University
Posted By: sacha 
Date: Wednesday, 13 June 2001, at 3:57 a.m.


There are now several warnings about Andong University from other teachers
that work there. Check further down the discussion forum list or do a
search.  Please be very, very careful about accepting a job offer here. I
work at Andong Uni and since the arrival of the new director life has been
hell here. This is my first time to write such a criticism and I have worked
in Korea for four years, so things have to be bad for me to do this. In
short the director, Kim XXXX XX, is crazy. He is ruled by his paranoia and
the language center here is being dragged down by his tenuous hold on
reality. He is also violent. There are too many instances of his physical
violence to mention but everything came to a head when he punched a Korean
member of the language staff. All the teachers and language center staff
rallied against the director asking for his replacement. Unfortunately, the
uni president is a friend of the language center director and seems prepared
to turn a blind eye to all that is happening. Now the director is determined
to replace all the staff even though we offered him to forget all the
incidents and forge a new relationship together. This is why there will be
job ads, to replace teachers who have done nothing wrong except to stand up
to a violent director. The atmosphere here is not conducive to good teaching
and learning and I suggest you think twice about accepting a job here. I can
say the director has not physically attacked any foreign teachers, but I
suspect it is only a matter of time. Warning!! Andong National University
Posted By:  Fed Up Date: Tuesday, 12 June 2001, at 5:07 p.m. Andong National
University is not a happy place.  Director Kim XXXX XX has managed, in four
short months,to transform the Language Center into a nightmare for both
instructors and staff. Kim XXXX XX is incompetent, mean-spirited, and
deceitful. He has refused to renew the contracts of four highly qualified
and experienced instructors who stood up to him after he struck a staff
member. Our Head of Educational Affairs, who managed the daily affairs of
the Center for 6 years, left last week in disgust over Kim's erratic
behavior. Kim XXXX XX has absolutely no leadership skills and is totally
ill-suited for this position. I cannot understand why the administration of
ANU continues to tolerate his lunacy. As long as Kim, XXXX XX remains as
director of the Language Center, I advise everyone to stay away!!





Re: ANDONG NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Posted By: andongandy
Date: Tuesday, 12 June 2001, at 5:24 p.m.


the above post is very true. this is not a safe place to work. if, if, you
really consider coming here - please visit the university.  talk to the
foreign instructors (who are only here to finish their contracts!), walk
into one of the dirty, small classrooms with graffiti on the walls and
broken desks, visit one of the dirty restrooms (tissue, maybe, on the 5th
floor only), visit the foreign teacher housing that is 30 minutes from
campus (behind the major hospital, next to a soju bong, five floors buried
in a neighborhood, no parking, no air conditioning, bring your own
appliances), etc. do NOT consider this a "step up" from a hag-won. it is a
hag-won. and if you really want a laugh - ask the director about the salary
pay schemes.  you are NOT paid for holidays or school festivals; you make up
the time and get paid, maybe, 30 days after the semester ends. they still
owe me 325,000 won for Fall semester! be careful!






Re: ANDONG NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Posted By: el nino
Date: Tuesday, 12 June 2001, at 7:10 p.m.


I would like to share my honest opinion about Andong University with all
those interested in applying for a position here or to those interested in
hearing about the unbearable conditions working at a university in the
"cultural hub of Korea". I would also like to refer you to Sascha's email.
All of what he/she writes is true.

First of all, the current director freely admitted to each of the current
foreign staff that he did, in fact, strike a korean staff member with his
fist.  Of any of the other numerous rumors of phyiscal violence revolving
around this man, I have no idea if they are true or not, but after
experiencing how vengeful this man can be I do not doubt that he is fully
capable of such acts. For those of you wishing to apply for a position at
this language center there are many things to consider. First of all, the
program here is designed for a staff of 22 foreign teachers. This past
semester there were 16 of us. Why? 7 teachers left and the language center
could not attract any more than 1 new staff member to replace those that
left. (As a side note, the L.C. has been through 30 teachers in a year and a
half, a couple left mid-contract). There are 9 teachers who are now under
contract to be here next semester. For the program to run effectively, 13
new teachers should be hired. Considering how many were hired last semester,
I sincerely doubt the L.C. will hire the necessary number of instructors.
Why should you be concerned? If you do not mind teaching an average of 30
hours a week (seems like nothing to hagwan teachers) in split shifts that
fall over 50 hours, you need not worry.  Believe me, it is possible. Before
some crafty rearranging on my part, I was scheduled to be at the school for
46 hours a week for 27 teaching hours. With fewer teachers next semester
this will only be worse.

Other things to be wary of can be found in the first draft(but not final I'm
told) of the new contract, unless it was written to scare current teachers
away from resigning. Article g. under 2)Others is as follows: The employee
will accept, obey, and strictly comply with the instructions, supervision,
training and discipline of the employer. Hmm. Doesn't the director like to
discipline with his fist. Bring a mouth guard if you want to keep your
teeth. Article i. under the same heading: the employee will strictly adhere
to and obey all the rules and regulations that have been or MAY HEREBY BE
ESTABLISHED... Thus giving the director the right to make up rules along the
way as he sees fit.

Vacation time: instructors are generally given 4 weeks in the summer and 4
in the winter. On the new contract you are given 8 weeks of paid vacation...
in so far as it does not disaccord with the teaching schedule of the L.C.
So, you will be given 8 weeks unless there are not enough teachers for those
ETT/STT or kids programs in the summer.

You may think I'm being a little picky on these points. However, some things
in the contract have been changed deliberately to prevent particular
instances from this past semester from recurring. After the Korean staff
member was struck and members of the Korean staff and foreign staff banded
together to let the director know exactly how we all felt about his actions
there has been an amendment to the contract stating: Any group behavior of
the employees will be forbidden and when this happens, the employee should
accept any action taken by the employer.

This alone should make you understand exactly how this man has been running
the language center for the past 6 months and how he intends to continue
running it. The foreign coordinator who helped us approach the director
about the problems and who was acting on our behalf, not his own, has
subsequently lost his job over it. 4 other teachers are also not being
rehired for standing up for what they believe in. I believe any foreigner
with a decent upbringing and set of morals would have acted as these people
have. If this director stays next semester, you may find yourself in the
same position all the instructors and staff have found themselves this past
semester.

My first year in Andong was a fantastic experience. The students are
friendly, the people in town are nice, it's a quite country life out here
and there are good people working at the university. But as long as Dr. XXX
is the director of the L.C. I must strongly urge you to think carefully
about accepting a position here.






ANDONG NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Posted By: Scarlett
Date: Tuesday, 12 June 2001, at 8:51 p.m.


I just saw the posting for Andong National University. I'd
avoid applying for a job there because the director is mean-spirited,
small-minded, abusive, and vindictive. When the teachers stood up to him for
hitting a Korean staff member he backed down but when contracts came up he
got his revenge by refusing to renew ANY contracts. The new contract he
proposes is crazy. It prohibits 'group behaviour' and says that the director
can make up rules whenever he likes and the teachers have to obey them! For
your own sake, don't apply for that job.







Warning!! Andong National University
Posted By: Fed Up


Date: Tuesday, 12 June 2001, at 5:07 p.m.

Andong National University is not a happy place.  Director Kim XXXX XX has
managed, in four short months, to transform the Language Center into a
nightmare for both instructors and staff. Kim XXXX XX is incompetent,
mean-spirited, and deceitful. He has refused to renew the contracts of four
highly qualified and experienced instructors who stood up to him after he
struck a staff member. Our Head of Educational Affairs, who managed the
daily affairs of the Center for 6 years, left last week in disgust over
XXX's erratic behavior. Kim XXXX XX has absolutely no leadership skills and
is totally ill-suited for this position. I cannot understand why the
administration of ANU continues to tolerate his lunacy. As long as Kim, XXXX
XX remains as director of the Language Center, I advise everyone to stay
away!!






Wednesday, June 13, 2001 5:57 PM
To the President of Andong National University


I came to Andong to work with Andrew XXXXX, and use his wonderful textbooks.
Korean students have already studied English for years, but they cannot
communicate.  Andy's books addressed that problem; they build confidence and
fluency.  When I first came onto this campus to apply for my job, I was
immediately impressed with the English skills of the average student on
campus...a direct result, I think, of the Language Center programs.  The
English skills were much higher than that of Yeungnam University, where I
was a professor at the English Language Department for three years.  I am
still impressed.  I talk to many students on campus, and almost all will
attempt to have a conversation with me.  Unfortunately, I have been told
that these textbooks will be replaced, "because there are problems with
them".  In actuality, they will be replaced by something written locally so
that people at the University can keep all the profits!  All incoming
freshmen will have to buy one.

During the Directorship of Dr. XX XXXXX X, the Language Center was a happy
place.  The staff all spoke English and were much more efficient than any
other staff I had ever dealt with.  Our Head of Educational Affairs, Dr.
XXXX XXX, worked diligently to make things run smoothly.  We certainly had
some problems, but Director Yi worked to solve them. He was someone we could
talk with.  Dr.  XX was always ready to listen and if he couldn't help, then
he told us WHY he couldn't help.  The LC was a happy place where students
liked to visit the professors.

In 1999/2000, due to perceived problems at the LC, 19 out of 21 teachers
quit. Dr. XX worked to change these problems, but unfortunately our
reputation had gotten so bad that we couldn't attract new teachers to fill
the workload last winter.  We advertised for two months, but were unable to
sign anyone.  The deciding negative factor was the low salary paid at ANU,
compared with other universities.  As a result, we are all working
involuntary overload.  For instance, I am contracted to teach 18 hours, but
I was forced to take 35 hours, and they wanted me to take 38.  It is a
testament to Dr. XXXX that he was able to persuade so many angry teachers to
work such long hours!  It will be MUCH worse next semester.  A new Director,
Kim XXXX, was appointed, even though we begged for Dr. XX to stay. The new
Director, a malevolent, venomous man, started screaming at the staff to work
harder, saying that the "LC had problems".  We asked many times what these
problems were, but he would not/ could not tell us. He demeaned the staff
and called them names.  When he starts yelling, he spits on them. He
actively humiliated Dr. XXXXX.  He cut programs. Finally, he started hitting
the staff.  At that point everything here fell apart. Dr. XXXXX, the man who
really ran this place, turned in his resignation and the staff voted to go
on strike.  The faculty (with me at their head) went to the Director en
mass, stopping all classes, and demanded that he treat our "family" with
more respect.  We wrote and delivered a letter to the President of ANU
asking for the Director's removal from office.

After a lot of lies and equivocation, the Director finally seemed to rethink
his position and things returned to a calmer state.  However, he then began
a quiet campaign of terror and intimidation against the staff.  Eventually,
he returned to yelling.  I have seen the women of our staff CRY at work due
to his intimidations. As of last Friday, the Academic Director has turned in
his resignation. The best programs manager I have ever heard of, will take
no more humiliation.  Before he left he let us know that the Director
intends to fire several of us for leading the criticism against him!  I am
the Academic Coordinator and I will be the first fired.  Since Dr. XXX
considers me a "gangster" (his words), I turned in my resignation.  Last
Monday, Patrick XXXXX, our senior teacher and Coordinator, tried to calm Dr.
XXX and express hope the future.  XXX finally stated, that he wants "all
foreign teachers (sic)  go away". Not only does he want to fire ALL the
teachers who protested his behavior, he also will fire ALL THE STAFF that
make the LC such a good place to work!  Dr. XXX let us know that he is NOT
interested in resolving conflicts, he only wants REVENGE!!!  We pointed out
the damage his stance will cause the LC, but he does not care.  When asked,
"Why art you doing these things?", he replied, "It is my right!".

Many teachers are now actively looking for other jobs.  They are talking via
the Internet with other teachers.  The news is spreading.

XXX has just implemented a 5-page contract with many punitive clauses in it.
Among the clauses is one that states that "group meetings and criticism of
the Director are firing offenses".  There is a clause that gives the
Director the right to assign us as many teaching hours as he feels
necessary...hours over our contracted right.  If we protest, we can be fired
and fined one months salary.  The contract basically takes away all our
rights.  We would even be bound by directives that he makes in the future,
without our knowledge or consent!

The Language Center is staffed by hard working, dedicated, professional
people...when they are gone there will be no-one who knows the systems.  The
only man who could communicate with the foreign professors and cajole them
into doing whatever was necessary has quit.  The experienced and loyal
faculty will be fired, starting in August.  I want the President of Andong
National University to know that the LC is in immediate danger of having to
CANCEL more than half of its classes for next semester!  In his thirst for
revenge, Kim intends to irreparable damage the Language Center.  Most of the
Faculty are married, many to Koreans.  They have children.  One wants to
enter graduate school at ANU.  These are people who consider Andong their
home!  They have roots in the community.  They are dedicated professionals
who want to work hard to improve the Language Center.









Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001

ANDONG NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
ANDONG, KYOUNGSANBUK-DO


June 2001.  Please beware of this Language Center.  In the last year 7
teachers have left. and 4 more will be leaving in August, 2001, And 6 more
will be leaving in February 2002.

The director has been changed 5 times in 3 years.  There is no consistency
with what they tell you in the interview and what happens.  1.7 mill and 20
hours sounds ok.  But, you will be working 25 hours or more, and the
overtime pay is paid months late, if at all.

The pay issue is a ballgame that no one can explain.  You lose pay for all
holidays and school festivals but are "paid" at the end of the semesters
when you make up the time.  Four teachers left in Winter 2000 because they
got sick and tired of arguing with the office people who have no accounting
training.  All of them know they are still owed money.

Housing was 10 mins from campus.  Now housing is 30 mins. from campus, if
you drive, or a bus ride of 45 mins. after you walk 20 mins to the bus stop.
Housing has gone from 15 py. to 8 py.

The directors all seem to have the same problem.  They lie.  The latest one
is also violent.  He struck a Korean staff member and when the foreign
teachers protested, we were informed it was NOT our business.  We found out
he has a history of violence and has been sued in Korean courts at least
once for hitting a female Korean professor causing injury so bad she was
hospitalized. He denies this.

This was a wonderful university to work for in 1998.  Things have gone from
good to bad and are now on the slide to hell.

Thanks.

My wife and I accepted jobs at Andong National University, Andong, S. Korea in November, 1996, after a phone interview with Andy Finch and Hyun Taeduck. We were promised 20 hours a week contact teaching hours, 5 office hours, and 20,000 won an hour for overtime IF we wanted to work overtime, for a salary of 1.8 million won a month. This was for 5 days a week, Mon-Fri. We were to have health insurance, a 3 bedroom apartment, paid holidays and 4 weeks per year of vacation. We received and signed contracts that stated the same terms.

Upon our arrival, we immediately began working 6 days a week, 35 to 38 hours a week. There was no discussion about the extra day or the extra hours. Hyun stated "this is what the job requires," and we were promised it was only for January. When we got our first paycheck, we found we had to work 90 hours a month before overtime started. This was 200,000 won less than promised, AND the exchange rate for 1.8 million won was NOT $2,377 as stated. It was about $2,100. Andy claimed we had to work 90 hours because January had five weeks. This, like everything else Andy said, was an outright lie. Every month after that I had to teach 10 extra hours a month to get my salary, each time costing me 200,000 won a month.

On January 10th at a staff dinner Andy informed us that American Home Assurance Company would provide 100% Health insurance coverage and we had been covered since the first day we entered South Korea.

On February 17, Lisa fell on the way to work and broke her kneecap; she was taken to Andong General Hospital by a taxi....

Andy came to the hospital 2 times. The first time he claimed "the university will pay for everything!" He repeated this many times, then disappeared. On his second visit, he brought ANU Students for Lisa to tutor! After 9 days in the hospital with NO translator to help us, Hyun told us that we did not have insurance, that we had to pay the bill and then "negotiate" with him for payment. Hyun paid about 70% of the bill, but only after we threatened to go back to America. At our "negotiation for benefits," Andy said, "You're really quite lucky that this happened and you didn't have insurance. Korean insurance doesn't always pay and often takes 6 months to a year if they do pay." Lisa received no unemployment or disability pay or any other assistance from ANU during the 2 months she was recuperating in a full leg cast.

During our hospital stay, we questioned the treatment Lisa was receiving for a broken kneecap. Hyun then explained that it wasn't the knee at all, but a bone next to the knee. He showed us the x-ray, the doctors' notes, and was very convincing. "In Korea, we call everything around the knee the kneecap," he said. He also said Lisa wouldn't need physical therapy because the bone broken was not a "weight-bearing bone." Our doctor spoke little English, we spoke very little Korean, so we had to trust what Hyun TaeDuck told us.

On March 14, Andy asked me to file an insurance claim with an accident date of February 19th, two days after the accident, but one day after our insurance coverage had started. I said, "Filing a fraudulent insurance claim is illegal. We could be deported." Andy said, "No, you won't. The people in customs are trying to help you." I refused to do this. Andy then said to "fill out the forms and leave the date blank." Which I did. (Once I was safely away from ANU, I reported this incident to the proper authorities.)

Once Lisa's cast was removed, she had a lot of trouble walking. Hyun and Andy promised a car would be provided (instead of the bus), her classroom would be next to her office, and the elevator would stop at her floor (it never had before). On the 2nd day of her return to work, the car didn't pick her up, the elevator WOULD NOT stop on her floor, and she had a lot of pain walking up THREE flights of steps. To top it off, they locked the handicapped entrance at 5 p.m., and she got off at 7 p.m.! (which meant 2 more flights of steps).

Concerned for her safety, Lisa returned to the U.S., where she was informed by her doctor that it WAS her kneecap that was broken, and she desperately needed physical therapy. Hyun had lied to us AGAIN with serious consequences to Lisa's health. I stayed to finish the semester because we desperately needed money.

In conclusion, our experience at ANDONG NATIONAL UNIVERSITY was that EVERY clause in our contract was broken from the dollar/won conversion rate to the hours we were expected to teach, and the insurance. The only thing HYUN TAEDUCK and ANDY FINCH didn't lie about was the 3 bedroom apartment, but even it was dirty and occupied by another teacher when we arrived in Andong.

And it was far from "modern and fully furnished." Our advice to anyone thinking about teaching ESL in Asia is to go to Japan. In South Korea you will have no rights, no labor board to help you if you are cheated or lied to, and no recourse other than to leave. Which we did, at great expense to Lisa's health and emotions, and to both of our finances.

If you do go to S. Korea, be sure to have a return ticket. During our first week in Andong, one of the Language Center teachers left "in the middle of the night." The next day Hyun burst into our office screaming that if we ever tried to do as she did, he "had friends in customs who would take care of us." He repeated this threat several times. There are a few reputable schools in Korea, but rarely a week went by that we didn't hear of someone else leaving in the "middle of the night." Seven people left Andong schools during the 6 months I was there, and 5 people that I'd known in Taegu left, and 3 more in Seoul.

Also, for your own safety, read very carefully the warning posted by the United States Embassy in Seoul, and notice that it says UNIVERSITIES as well as Hagwans CANNOT BE TRUSTED.

WE THOUGHT WE'D BE SAFE AT ANDONG NATIONAL UNIVERSITY,

a Korean government institution. But we were wrong, and my wife is still limping from the experience....

(Name Deleted)

Dear (Name Deleted)

Thank you for your message of Sept 17th. I am of course sorry that your stay here was not a pleasant one, and sad that you see things as you do. I wanted to leave things to people's ability to read between the lines, but given the interest you arouse, it seems I should mention some items which you will want to correct in your story:

1. 20 hours/week is not equivalent to 80 hours/month. The correct figure is 86.6. Your permission was asked for in rounding this up to 90. You gave that permission. (90 - 86.6) is not 10 hours.

2. Salaries are not linked to the dollar, and the rate quoted you was correct at the time you were appointed. This rate was for comparison, not a definition of your salary.

3. You came at a busy time, and you worked difficult hours. We appreciated this help, and in addition to paying you fully, we gave you both two weeks additional paid leave in February (two weeks more than in the contract).

4. Lisa's injury brought up a problem with the insurance company, and we have since changed to one that insures instructors from the moment they arrive in Korea. Her medical fees (inclusive) were paid 84% by the Language Center, not the 70% you mention.

5. Along with various compensations for hours not worked in February by Lisa and yourself (e.g. one month's sick pay - also above contractual requirements), I cannot accept that the contract was in any way broken by the Language Center. Quite the reverse.

6. When coming to a new culture, it is necessary to adapt to that culture. Much of my time was taken explaining away cultural indiscretions made by you and Lisa. Many people had their perception of westerners affected in a negative manner by the constant aggressive rebuttals which met their honest attempts to offer assistance and friendship. Perhaps it was a learning opportunity for the students to learn that some people don't want to meet anyone when sick. However, there are ways of expressing such feelings which do not give offense.

7. The teachers you refer to were in local state secondary education. The one person who left the Center while you were here left a $200 phone bill for us to pay - similar to the two month's unpaid bills that you left (though you assured me that they were taken care of). Luckily we managed to pay outstanding expenses with your tax rebate, the remainder of which was paid to you in full.

8. Dr. Hyun does not scream, and he does not burst into people's offices. He also repeats in good faith what the experts (i.e. the doctors) tell him. He cannot be blamed if this is not correct.

9. The one time when the Center did not provide a car for Lisa was when one of your colleagues offered. He forgot.

I'm extremely sorry to bring these things up, but you leave me little alternative.

As before, I wish you both all the best in the future, with your respective careers.

Yours sincerely

Andy Finch

Dear Colleagues:

I am currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at The Language Center of Andong National University. Before accepting a teaching position here at ANU, I was employed by probably the most reputable language institute in Seoul for almost seven years, and I must say that the situation here at ANU is 100% better for many reasons.

Foremost is my association with Dr. Hyun Tae-duck and Andy Finch. These are two of the finest people I've ever met. They are both honest, open, and caring men. They would never lie to anyone. They sincerely care about the well-being of the instructors here, and they go out of their way to make everyone feel at home here in Andong. I was saddened to see them slandered in this forum by two former employees.

I met Lisa Marler on February 1st this year, when I visited Andong to interview for a position here. I remember her well because she was the first and only ANU employee that I was able to talk to. At that time she told me that she was having problems overcoming culture shock. In my seven years in Korea I have seen many teachers come and go, and I'm usually able to tell who won't make it. Lisa was definitely in that category.

(The employee) told me many times that he was interested in research, not teaching. Why did he sign a contract to teach here? By the way, he described the teacher that left "in the middle of the night" as "borderline psychotic" to me and other teachers, and now he is using her in his defense.

Andong is a wonderful place to live and The Language Center is a great place to work. Our campus is beautiful and the students are intelligent, friendly, and humorous. This is a good situation and it's getting better all the time. I'm very happy here and I intend to apply for a contract extension.

All teachers have a modern, clean, and spacious private apartment with a lovely mountain view. They are fully furnished. All teachers are given a large, furnished, private office with a telephone, new computer, laser printer, and free E-mail and Internet. We will be moving into a new building in December. Salary is always paid on time,and unexpected bonuses are becoming commonplace. The Korean staff is top notch.

It takes flexibility, emotional maturity, patience, and a sense of humor to be successful teaching in a foreign country. Some people have it. Some people don't.

Sincerely,

Patrick A. Worrilow
pataw@anu.andong.ac.kr