Teacher Recruiting

“Managing course grading and student feedback is typically ‘included in the hourly teaching rate.’ However students are increasingly asking for precise feedback on their grades.

This is understandable, but giving unique and specific feedback for each student on each assignment is very time consuming and there is not enough time in class.

If students want personalized teacher feedback, and universities want teachers to improve student satisfaction, then universities need to add a payroll component that reflects this extra work.”

– Teacher

“The French government now requirements universities make public student satisfaction rates. Obviously, this rating determines future student enrolment.

We now actively monitor student satisfaction for every single one of our teachers, from semester to semester, and take it very seriously.

Students have stated that their teachers have, in class, openly insulted university administration.

How do we justify working with teachers with low student satisfaction, knowing the damage it does to future enrolment?”

– Teacher Recruiter

“Teachers must design a more detailed syllabus which clearly sets expectations, explains course prerequisites, project expectations, submission deadlines and grading. Each syllabus must also include a more in-depth teacher profile so we students can research them.

Universities must take greater control over the course content; content should not be solely at the teacher’s discretion.

Universities need to make the course program and syllabuses more readily available to us students at the beginning of the year.”

– Student

“Universities must schedule classes to optimize student learning; the material does not spread over several months. It is very difficult for us students to remember course material when the last class took place months earlier.

But also don’t condense the lessons too much either. We students need time to think, digest and work on the class projects. Organize course deadlines so projects are evenly distributed throughout the semester and aren’t all due at the same time.”

– Student

“As a teacher I’ve had program managers I’ve taught courses for for years suddenly stop responding to my calls and emails, only to discover that that program manager had been posting job announcements on LinkedIn actively recruiting teachers to teach my very course; even stating they have course content to offer (undoubtedly the content I created).”

– Teacher

“When teachers want to stop teaching a course, they should suggest a few contacts in their network to replace them.”

– Program Director

“Adjunct teachers have similar to superior education and professional experience than full-time teachers yet aren’t offered the same amount of time and compensation to prepare for courses, to grade projects or to create educational content.

Offer adjunct teachers fixed-term contracts with a decent monthly salary as well as the perks that come along with it.”

– Teacher

“It is very difficult for teachers to juggle the planning and get a consistent schedule when teaching in several schools plus other professional obligations.

Universities should recognize this.”

– Teacher

“Universities must hire teachers who are actually interested in teaching us students and are not just here for the money.”

– Student

“Universities should hire teachers not only because of their professional experience. Ensure they are also good teachers.

Some classes are better taught by teachers than by actual working professionals.”

– Student

“Universities train your teachers to use Teams because it is not normal that after 2 years of COVID some still cannot connect on time.

Some classes systematically start 20 minutes late because the teacher does not know how to initiate a meeting.”

– Student

“Universities must align teachers’ hourly rates within schools of the same group. There’s no reason teachers should be paid less to teach the same course at a different campus from the same school.

And improve the slow, unreliable remuneration and of independent teachers. Treat teachers humanely and pay them on time : Payment within 30 days after service should be performed like all other private clients.”

– Teacher

“Teachers rarely receive student feedback on what is working and what needs improvement for future courses.

Combine this with short-term contracts and (usually) late teacher booking, and this makes it difficult for teachers to plan ahead, manage finances and trust if the university will have them back to teach the following year.”

– Teacher

“Universities should ask for student feedback on courses and teachers more frequently, and show us students proof of how our responses are being implemented.

Listen to the difficulties we students encounter with our teachers, and show you are actually doing something about it.

Be open to negotiating with us students in certain situations.”

– Student

“Universities need to hire experienced professionals from diverse industries who are also competent, passionate teachers that like to share their experience.

Diversify our courses and the teacher profiles because it feels like we students are always hearing the same things and learning the same way.”

– Student

“I have seen fellow adjunct teacher’s contracts abruptly broken and the teacher replaced in the middle of the semester with no due process.

Falling out with one program director at a university likely means losing teaching opportunities with the entire university for at least the next couple of years, if not forever.”

– Teacher

“Universities need to automate the contract and compensation processes. Some universities still do not offer electronic paychecks, so teachers must receive paper stubs by mail and digitize them themselves.”

– Teacher

“Most teachers are good, but…

Universities should observe teachers doing a trial lesson before offering them a job, check their skills regularly and be willing to replace teachers.

Some teachers are so bad, and their behavior towards us students so unprofessional they should consider changing careers. It damages the school’s reputation.

University should ensure good student/teacher relations & teachers should be held responsible for this.”

– Student

“The invisible, unpaid hours make adjunct teaching untenable and lead to high teacher turnover.

If total pay for a 15-hour course of 40 students at 80€/hour is 1,200€, estimate 25 unpaid hours of class preparation, grading with feedback, student & administrative emails, occasional catch-up exams and teacher meetings, this becomes 30€/hour, before taxes.

Universities that attract and keep quality teachers understand what really attracts teachers to the profession.”

– Teacher

“Teacher pay rate is based on the teacher’s highest level of education, yet pay does not increase according to the teacher’s number of years of teaching experience, professional experience or student satisfaction.”

– Teacher

“When the university asks for something, it is because it is important and any breach has a consequence on our organization.

When teachers do not respect new processes (software, administration, student role call…) and deadlines, this negatively impacts the university’s certifications (Qualiopi, RNCP, OPCO & CFA…)

HR cannot pay teacher until their paperwork is complete.”

– Teacher Recruiter

“The same university has needed my teaching services every semester for 21 years, but will not offer me an annual fixed-term contract. Further, over those 21 years the hourly teaching rate has increased by less than 1€, while the cost of living has almost doubled.

Universities should not be surprised when the quality of teaching becomes impoverished to the detriment of the experience of students.”

– Teacher

“French regulations now require higher education teachers obtain 10 hours of ongoing certified training each year just to continue teaching the same course content, and it is the responsibility of the teacher to find, take and pay for these certifications out of pocket.

Teaching becomes less profitable each year.”

– Teacher

“Teachers should give students information on career options and the realities of the labor market after graduation.

Teachers should take the time to understand and adapt to the needs of the student population (potentially even a generational divide), otherwise the teacher and their content will not connect with the younger generation.“

– Program Director

“A university’s absolute rigidity of class scheduling makes it difficult to teach, let alone arrive to class on time. As a working professional my clients and employer require significant availability on my part, sometimes last minute.

Inflexible teaching hours and unpaid grading outside of class combined with long, unpaid transportation to and from campus makes me question whether or not I want to continue working with some universities.”

– Teacher

Spy on other universities and steal what works. University should see what is happening at other schools and develop specialty programs to improve and stand out from the competition.

Universities should invest more in students and their pedagogical team, not in school advertisements.

– Student

“I hate when teachers don’t bring any course content and instead their entire class is spent working on course projects. Or the teacher replaces classes with group presentations and no constructive feedback.

We are not the teachers. I am not paying to be taught by other students.“

– Student

“Universities shouldn’t hire teachers at the end of their career or who are wanting peace and quiet or easy money.

Universities cannot expect motivated students if their teachers aren’t motivating.”

– Student

“I hate hypocritical teachers who plagiarise other people’s content for their lecture and then penalize students for it. It’s obvious the teacher’s images and content is based on the first Google result that pops up, and their PowerPoint slides appear to have been copy/pasted from the internet.“

– Student

“I hate teachers who are unwilling to question themselves and even less their training method.

They believe there is only one truth, that they have it, and are unwilling to consider alternative perspectives.”

– Student