Subject: Black- and greenlist schools...
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 10:38:15 +0900
x-sender: steve%mccabe.net@mm.mailbank.com
From: Stephen McCabe <bigsteve@daito.ac.jp>
To: <davald@do-johodai.ac.jp>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Status: RO

Hi Dave

It was good to have the chance to meet you, however briefly, last
Saturday in Maebashi. I follow your work on the Issho and DFS lists, and
I'm very impressed with what you're doing. Ganbatte, and all that...

I've got a couple of schools you might want to mention on your website,
one good, one bad, both of which I've worked for. Here's the info:

NAME OF UNIVERSITY: Jobu University (private, part of Gakko Hojin
Gakubunkan, Mitsumata Kikue rijicho)

LOCATION: 270-1 Shinmachi, Tano-gun, Gunma-ken

EMPLOYMENT ABUSE: Very simply, foreigners were only hired on one-year
contracts. It was pointed out that while indefinite renewals were
promised, in writing even, this was little comfort in a shrinking job
market. Only the two foreign staff members were subject to this rule. No
bonuses were paid to the two foreigners. The job advert said that salary
would be equivalent to that of Japanese staff. This is highly unlikely. I
received the same salary that my colleague started on three years
earlier, even though he was over ten years older and more experienced
than I was, and was more highly qualified and published. I was never
allowed to find out how Japanese salaries were calculated, even though I
repeatedly requested this information. I repeatedly requested a meeting
with the President, one Prof. Watanabe, but he would not speak to me;
instead, everything was channelled through one of the Japanese staff, who
appeared to be working as the foreigners' "handler." This is despite the
fact that I had pointed out that my contract was in contravention of
Article 3 of the Labour Standards Law (Rodo Kijinho). (The president
finally addressed the matter during a dinner held for three members of
staff who were leaving, me and two professors who were retiring. He was
to make farewell speeches to the three of us. He said wonderful things
about the other two, and then finally took this opportunity to attempt to
defend the school's position on me. Clearly not the right time or
place...)
There were also numerous personal slights from the rijicho, but they are
more in the way of supporting evidence; I can provide information if
required.

SOURCE OF INFORMATION: I had the misfortune to work there for one year.
The job advert I replied to was posted on JALTCALL:

>The following position will become available in April 1998
>
>Position: Gaikokujin kyoin (foreign Instructor)
>
>Institution: Jobu University, Shinmachi, Gunma.
>About 100 minutes north of Ikebukuro/Ueno, on the Takasaki line.
>Students major in Information Sciences. No English majors or English
>department.
>
>Contract: 1 year renewable. No limit.
>
>Pay scale: Same rate as tenured faculty, but no bonuses.
>
>Duties:
>Teach 6 classes at full-time rates and 2 classes at part-time rates.
>Classes
>are general English but may include a class in Business English, Computer
>English or EAP. Other faculty responsibilities
>
>Qualifications:
>1. MA in TESOL or RSA Diploma
>2. Publications in TESOL field preferable
>3. Communicative proficiency in Japanese (reading an advantage)

It is worth noting that while this advert describes the position as
"gaikokujin kyoin," I was also listed in various documents and
publications as "kyoshi" and, on my contract (a contract - the Japanese
staff didn't have one of them, of course!) as "koshi." My colleague got
promoted - he was "gaikokujin jokyoju!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------
(snip)

I hope this is clear enough for you, Dave. As you can see, what I've
quoted is public record - you can find it in the JALT CALL archives, with
the message ID [jaltcall 09527] Job opening. I've removed the name of the
foreign colleague who was required to post it, simply because the poor
bugger's still there and is in no way responsible for this.

There was, apparently, a memo of some description issued by the late
rijicho (the current rijicho's husband) before he died saying that no
foreigners could be tenured; I asked repeatedly to be shown this letter,
but was never allowed to see it. Therefore it might count only as hearsay
- decide for yourself if you want to mention it. I'll supply full details
if you want.

------------------------------------------------------------------------