When I contacted the PSB about the problems with QU, they recommended Sanya College, and said they would help me to transfer over there. We're opting not to do that at this time, because of family issues that will probably keep us in the States for awhile. I don't personally know anyone who's taught there, but a friend of a friend is there, and fairly satisfied, I understand. He said the caliber of the students isn't that great, but the admin is ok. That's really the only school I can recommend in Sanya.

As far as Haikou goes, there's lots of good options. I've had friends who've stayed long-term at Hainan Normal University, Hainan Medical College, College of Economics & Technology, College of Tropical Agriculture, etc. The only thing is that the better schools don't usually have as many openings because their teachers tend to stay there for years on end. If a school (such as Qiongzhou U) has a turnover of ALL their teachers, that should be a huge red flag. Each of the schools I mentioned above do have a few little quirks and I could fill you in on specifics, but if teachers are there for a long time, it's a good sign. The best advice I can give for ANY FT looking for work in China is to get the email addresses or phone numbers of the current FTs and get the scoop from them. If the school has a decent admin, they won't have any qualms with giving you that information. This is advice that I've given for years, and was idiot enough not to follow myself (mainly because I'd known the Dean at QU for years -- he's a decent enough guy, but he doesn't have control over the FAO).

The school where I taught for 7 years was the foreign languages college in Wenchang. The admin and teachers there were great. Our experience there was wonderful. Unfortunately, they've had a bit of a turnover in top admin, and it's changed the nature of the school, and the situation for FTs. It's also a bit out-of-the way -- the only foreigners in town are the teachers at the college.

Aha...we hear from the notorious FAO at Qiongzhou U -- if she were to show her supervisor copies of of her own bank records -- it would be quickly demonstrated that full salaries and housing allowances were deposited into her PERSONAL account, while she only deposited partial or no salaries into the teacher's accounts. The fact is, that Victoria has been embezzling money, and should be held accountable by school authorities.

As far as furniture, we brought a truckload of our own furniture with us to Sanya -- an inventory was taken of that furniture by the staff at Qionzhou U, and the fact that we owned that furniture can be verified by the FAO, Dean, etc. of the previous college wherewe worked (for 7 years). The furniture provided by the school was left in the apartment when we moved out in March. I never powered off my phone. Indeed, if anything, it was the FAO who consistently powered off her phone -- even in emergencies, such as when our house was broken into. No proof, you say?? What about the police report? What about the testimony of the landlandy and neighbors? What about the PSB report?

We did not receive a penny of salary in March, nor did we receive housing allowance, even though we taught for 2 weeks. I provided copies of my own bank statements to prove that to both the FAO and the Dean.

This is the same FAO who never bothered to offer condolences when my husband's father died (even though we contacted her immediately) but instead screamed at him when he desired to travel home for the funeral and to care for his mother ill with cancer. This FAO shows absolutely no care or concern for the FTs -- her only concern is how much money she can embezzle from them.

After reading her indignant words, I seem to see that terrible face again. What an intention of retaliation she harbors just because she was kicked our off China due to her ruffianlike behaviour and her addition to the black list?! Swindling the salary, swindling the international allowances just by promising the school she will be responsible for the students and finsih the classes and by showing her bitterness to abtain the school's sympathy for her?!! what a guy she is? A lier, a cheater and a totally irresponsible teacher! I was told again and again that most of the school furniture was taken away by her, for the first time in my life seeing a broadlight foreign robber. When the school called her, she powered off, escaping away. If the situation is like what she said, why there are still so many foreign teachers like to teach for the universtiy? Actually all the present foreigners in the school has known her notoriety. When I saw her words, just feel pity for her. I never met such a foreign teacher in China with such low qualities and poor behaviours. I hope one day she can realize her mistake. Although the road around the canpus is dirty, because it is still under construction and all the other teachers understand the school and will take care of themselves and pay attention to the safety problem. Warning for both teacher and students do have, but it seems to be unknown by her. And I donot understand why there are so many attacks happening on her. Noboday can prove that and perhaps she is used to lying. For the teaching work, she is paid not only for the regular less than 16 periods (her fixed salary)which is known by all the teachers but also for her coaching at weekends(extra money). But she still asks the foreign language department for the coaching fees! Terrible, isn't it? What a guy! In march, she didnot teach one class, but she still got paid. All the students just had three weeks empty of Karen's showing up! Lied to the school and lied to the students! And she stopped the classes without her noticing any teaching staff. Now she is on the black list of the foreign experts who wrok for China. I guess she just take it for revenge.
Her story can also go on and on. Actually she is famous in this university for her rudeness, irresponsible cheating, teacherunlike behavior, ......
Just to clarify what I've known! One should be responsible for what she said.

Sounds like a glamorous place to work -- but think again. The uni is located a few miles outside Sanya -- down a dusty, dirt road that is frequently closed to traffic during the rainy season, when it becomes impassable (thus no way in or out of town). The only way to get from the campus into town is to take the #3 public bus (which mean usually waiting about 45 minutes for it to show up) or taking a 3 wheel taxi into the nearby village of Lizhigou, and then catching bus 7 or 20 into Sanya (it can take up to an hour and a half to get to downtown Sanya).

The biggest issue is personal safety. This new university campus was built immediately adjacent to a village of the Li ethnic minority -- and this particular village is renowned in the area for being the home of cut-throat bandits. You would think that in light of this the school would have a strong security force, both inside the campus, as well as outside the school gates, to ensure the safety of students and teachers getting on and off the bus just outside the gate, or arriving by 3 wheel taxi. You would think that in light of both safety issues and transportation woes that the school would provide a shuttle bus for students and teachers to get into town, as nearby Sanya College does. But, no, for some unfathomable reason, the school has elected NOT to post any sort of guard at the front gate -- they say they are only responsible for the safety of the inside of the campus, and if someone is attacked one foot outside the gate, that is not their responsibility!!! And there is no shuttle bus.

Well, in fact, 3 of the foreign teachers have been attacked -- just outside the gate -- in broad daylight, in the afternoon! 2 were injured badly enough to be sent to the hospital. And that's not to mention the countless students who have been attacked, robbed, beaten up, and raped. In March 2010, a man living nearby came to the rescue of a woman being attacked, and got his own arm hacked off. In the past 2 months, a music major was beaten so badly -- her hands and fingers are now so badly broken that she'll never play the piano again. A lovely young coed made the fatal mistake of taking the 3 wheel taxi back to the uni from Lizhigou (the #3 bus stops running early in the evening). She was raped by the driver and just committed suicide. Tragic. And, does the school take action? Do they post warnings to students to always travel in pairs, to avoid the 3 wheel taxis? No, in fact, the teachers have been warned not to discuss this with the students or they will lose their jobs!!

Bear in mind that there is no housing available on campus for FTs, as this is a new uni that is still finishing construction. So, there is the choice of living in the factory next to the campus, and putting one's life on the line with the violent bandits, walking down the dirt road to campus each day (not to mention being either covered with dust during the dry season, or splattered with mud by passing trucks and busses during the rainy season). Or, one can opt to live in Sanya, and face the one hour (or more) commute to work and back. Sanya is now probably the most expensive city in China for housing -- a decent apartment starts at about 2000 or up, but the school only provides 500 in housing allowance -- that's if they decide to pay.

And, speaking of pay, that's another issue. The school went through 4 FAO's in the past year -- and the most recent one has arranged to have the FT salaries and housing allowance deposited directly into her personal account -- yes, you did read that correctly, from which she disburses the money to the teachers. In January, she withheld a chunk of my pay. Still waiting on that to appear -- have provided copies of my bank account going back to Sept to show that the school in in arrears - but she refuses to admit that she had kept a portion of my salary . In March, we moved into an apt. in town, she said that because we moved on March 2 (and thus no there there entire month), she was only giving us 2/3 of the March housing allowance. Of course, the rest of that money is now sitting sweetly in her personal account. The school also has this little habit of asking the FTs to pay for everything that the school is supposed to cover and then the school will reimburse. But then months go by without any reimbursement -- in the Fall, the school racked up 1500 RMB with us, until we absolutely refused to buy anything more.

The school also has this little habit of squeezing extra hours out of the FTs. For instance, the standard contract is 16 hours a week. But they give you double classes -- so you walk in to a class that's supposed to have 45 students or so, and discover that there's 90 in there -- and it's a writing class to boot -- with all the essays and such that need to be graded!!

The admin is the most disorganized I've ever encountered -- and I've worked in China for 10 years. This is just the tip of the iceberg with this school -- I could go on and on for hours! Run the other way!