Unfairness in University Hiring Practices

There's a certain degree of discrimination (or a nicer word would be unfairness) that occurs to language teachers in university positions that doesn't occur as often in other disciplines. A common unfair practice that language teachers suffer is that we often have to teach a much greater number of classes in a week than other disciplines. The average course load for a teacher is about 6 or 7 courses a week. 8 is considered a heavy course load in other disciplines, but is not uncommon for a language teacher. And truth be told, there are institutions that require their language teachers to teach 12 or even 14 classes a week!

Institutions that give their teachers such a heavy course load usually do not expect those teachers to do any research. As research and publication is a means through which teachers distinguish themselves, improve their abilities and their career, it is a difficult to be denied the opportunity and time to devote to it.

Another common problem associated with teaching in universities in Japan is the contract. Many universities will specify a maximum duration on their contract and/or a maximum number of times you can renew your contract. For example, many universities force their language teachers (almost always the foreign ones) to leave after 3, 5 or even 10 years arbitrarily with no consideration given to job performance. They like to recycle foreign teachers to keep them young, fresh, keep their salaries low, and also to prevent them from becoming too "Japanized" and consequently, less ideal as a foreign teacher. This unfair practice was ruled legal when challenged in the Japan Supreme Court, so foreign teachers don't have a lot of recourses to address it.

Additionally, there is also often an age cut off. This is officially (i.e. legally) not allowed, but often practiced. Certain universities don't hire professors over 35 years of age, as I mentioned above, they like to have young, attractive, teachers for their students placing form over function.

You will never receive tenure at such a university and you will never become a full member of the faculty. It is also disheartening to know that no matter how much effort you put into your job or how good of a teacher you are, you will be let go after an arbitrary time period elapses. Lastly, if a university must cut its budget and decides to lay off teachers, it is often the foreign teachers that will be cut first.

When applying for positions at a university, it is important to consider your age and experience in life. Younger teachers with less experience often apply for the contract positions and simply change jobs when they are forced to leave their university. This is fine, but it is difficult for teachers over 35 to jump around in this way. If you are an older teacher, focus on applying for positions that say "tenure track". If the position doesn't state whether it is tenure-track or not, make certain you inquire before applying. It's tough to get them, but the positions that offer tenure are the ones that will provide you with job security and reflect an educational institution that cares more about the quality of a student's education, than how attractive its teachers are.