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A part-time instructor in her 40s killed herself out of disappointment about her failure to get a job as a college professor. Korean-Americans in Austin, Texas, said the woman¡¯s 16-year-old daughter found her groaning after taking pills at a motel there on Feb. 27. She was taken to hospital but died.
As a part-time instructor, the woman, identified as Han, taught English at a South Korean university identified as K. In a suicide note, she said she worked and studied hard for her dream to become a professor. But she realized that something other than academic accomplishment and lecture experience determines who gets tenure.
After graduating from Seoul National University of Education, Han worked as an elementary school teacher and obtained a doctoral degree in English education from the University of Texas-Austin in 2003. After she returned to Korea, Han worked as a part-time instructor at several colleges, landing the job at K in 2006 on a one-year contract basis.
As a non-regular employee, this year was the last chance for her to continue teaching at the college before the college either hired her full-time or let her go. In the suicide note, Han said the school took advantage of her status and forced her to sign a contract that benefits only the school. In the last semester, the calculation of mandatory classes that instructors have to teach during one semester was changed from 12 hours per week to 12 points per week, where two hours constitute one point, but the school refused to pay extra wages.
Disillusioned by the university¡¯s ¡°inconsistent, unfair treatment¡± of employees, Han said she finally found her long-cherished peace in Austin. A hospital in the Texan city said Han had bought her daughter new clothes, a new bag and new sneakers the day before the suicide and took the girl around the University of Texas-Austin.
The Korean university said it had paid her extra wages later.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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