FAQ

Welcome to KISJ and the FAQ page or as we like to say: DRAGONS rule! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to KISJ and the FAQ page or as we like to say: DRAGONS rule! 

The Frequently Asked Questions are categorised as follows:

1. Before Applying

 A: Education: You need a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license. Ideally, you have also earned a specialist or an advanced degree in your area of expertise such as a master’s degree in math or counseling. If you are interested in a leadership position, you will hold a principal’s license. 

Training and experience: Ideally, you have worked within your field for at least four years. We prefer candidates who have had other professional experiences and teaching is their second or third career. We also prefer teaching couples with international school experience. 

Please go to ISS-Schrole or Search Associates to find out more.

2. Application Process

 A: Interview invitation: We usually contact you via email with an official school invitation for an interview. You will then reply by choosing an interview time on a Google Calendar.

Interviewing Process: Usually, you will be asked to sit for an initial interview with the Human Resources Department to ensure suitability and best fit. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about our school, the remuneration package, and the community at large. Once the department reviews all your materials and other documents, a recommendation is made to a specific divisional leadership team for a more comprehensive second interview. 

 A: Apostille: Documents that need to be apostilled by your governing body, ministry, or your state/national government/embassy:

1. National Criminal Background Check

2. Diploma

3. Teaching certificate

3. Contract

 A: Please be sure to look through our documents with care and attention to detail. Our package first includes USD amount per calendar year, which at four years of teaching experience is $36,500USD. Then, faculty also receive 11,000,000KRW per year, which is approximately $10,000USD per year. Equally, educators qualify for Severance Pay as mandated by the South Korean government at 8.3% and National Pension that contribution is made by the teacher at 4.5% and matched by the school at 4.5% for approximately up to 6,000USD yearly. Island stipend and off-campus stipend are also included in the figure. These figures vary based on the government’s investment and saving accounts and South Korean Won exchange rate against the dollar. The nominal USD and KRW amounts are set and reviewed annually. 

Please note that other benefits and stipends apply as described in detail in your contract. 

The maximum entry step at our current pay scale with advanced degree is Step 11 with a maximum total tax-free income of nearly $62,670 per calendar year. 

Your package also includes health insurance and housing. 

 

 A: Most of our full-time teaching/licensed academic faculty qualify for the teaching contract. Other specialists and school leaders are therefore eligible for other contracts such as Counselors, Directors, Principals, etc. 

 A: Your position is determined by the divisional leader of which division you will be a member. Please note that you have been hired to work at KISJ as stated in your contract and as such we do not include positions (roles and responsibilities) on our academic contracts.

 A: Yes. Also, we review our pay and contracts annually including benefits and stipends. 

4. Onboarding

 A: Please familiarize yourself with Google first, and then:  

1. Log in to your KISJ Google account

2. Then go to classroom.google.com to accept the invite to the 20(…) New Faculty Onboarding platform via Google Classroom.

In the classroom you will find all the things you need to do in preparation for arriving at KISJ for the new school year. This include VISA information.

Any questions on these items, please use the classroom to communicate with key members of our leadership team and the central administrative office. Be aware to send “private messages” for items you don’t want your colleagues to read about.

 A: Please be sure you have access to your KISJ Google account at kis.ac, then:  

1. Log into your personal e-mail account that you have shared with us already

2. Look for an invitation from @kis.ac

3. Find the details shared and login: Your e-mail address is likely to start for the initial of your first name, followed by your surname, one word, and then followed by @kis.ac


 E-mail Address: [jdoe@kis.ac]


 Password: (default) > Important! Please change the password to your personal password and do not share it with others.

 

You can log in with above ID and Password from Google.

Once you login using your e-mail address, I will find an invitation to your “Year” New Faculty Onboarding Classroom which has all kinds of information (Introduction to KISJ, Visa Issuance, etc.) 

5. Orientation

 A: Our expected arrival period for new faculty and staff is scheduled approximately three days before the new faculty/staff orientation commences every year. For example, July 27th is usually the earliest time we request new faculty/staff to start arriving to Jeju. Typically, new faculty/staff orientation starts July 30th or 31st, and all faculty/staff orientation follows around four days later. This year it is August 6th. Academic Year starts August 9th, and the 10th is just a half-day for students. 

6. Moving to Jeju

 A: Please review our Shipping Information as well as our website: Living on Jeju.

 A: To receive your packages or containers safely and without customs duties, you must arrive in South Korea before your items arrive.

 A: You will be involved in the following process…

 

NEW HOME INTRODUCTION 

On the day of your arrival, a member of the main administrative office will meet you at the airport. Then, you will be taken to KIS Village (or other assigned housing) where they will show you:

1) The entrance code for both the housing and 1st floor entrance;

2) How to turn on/off hot water; and;

3) How to turn on/off the air conditioner.

Also, you will receive your settling in allowance.

 

GETTING TO KNOW MORE

During the first week of the official new faculty orientation, an Operations Support Team (OST) member will visit your home and help you with the following: 

1) Repeat how to operate the heater system including the hot water;

2) Waste disposal;

3) How to use the repair request form for your apartment; and;

and any other questions you may have. Also, feel free at any time to comment on this assignment.

7. Housing

 A: Yes. To this end, we have developed a school-provided housing presentation, which you can find in the Staff Documents folder > Staff Housing: here. 

 A: You have a choice from three basic options: on campus housing, off campus housing, or in the community. The first two options are assigned to you while the third option is up to you. We provide a stipend of up to 500,000Kwon per month per contract for faculty who live out of school-provided housing. This benefit is most advantageous for teaching couples. A single earner will find it difficult to cover the cost of independent community living without having to pay the additional cost from their monthly earnings.

 A: No. Your housing is assigned to you. You may request a change in housing arrangements after your first year or move in to the community as described above.

 A: Yes, you are provided with basic furnishings, tableware and utensils. Please see your contract for details or visit our website at https://kis.ac/careers 

 A: South Korea, like so many other countries in Asia, provide a limited space for domestic cooking compared to North America.  Please see your contract for details or visit our website at https://kis.ac/careers

 A: Each school furnished apartment is provided with a washing machine only. Typically, dryers are not an option. Some faculty and staff use dryers in the dorms during the times that our boarding students are not using them. There is a laundry with dryers within walking distance of KIS Village. 

 A: Yes, we can help you to set it up, but you are responsible for the cost of these services. Please see your contract for details or visit our website at https://kis.ac/careers

 A: Yes. Please see your contract for details.

 A: Yes. Please see your contract for details.

 A: Once you sign your contract and return it to us, you will have access to your school e-mail. This will allow you to contact Ms. Kate Seo [yesseo@kis.ac] who manages our Faculty Support website. Ms. Seo can help you with questions relating to housing in the community. 

Also, we as a school have a relationship with an English speaking realtor, Ms. Grace Lee who will be happy to hear from you directly at [jejusandeul@naver.com] Many of our faculty and staff have used her services in the past with a keen outcome. 

8. Living on Jeju

 A: Reportedly, Jeju is the safest location in South Korea, and South Korea is one of the safest countries in the world. So, compared to other schools, KISJ is pretty safe. 

A: Yes. Please see your contract for details or visit our website at https://kis.ac/careers 

 A: Yes. We have a process in place for this very reason. Please refer to the Faculty and Staff Handbook for more details.

 A: Each faculty member and staff are responsible for paying their own utility bills. We provide some assistance with the initial set up. Please see your contract for details.

 A: Jeju is a great location for people that enjoy the outdoors as the island offers a plethora of opportunities for walking, running, biking, hiking, rock climbing, surfing, scuba diving, sailing, mountaineering, etc. Jeju is no Paris, London, or New York. That said, it is possible to visit Seoul and Busan, Tokyo and Osaka for a weekend.  

 A: The host country culture can be difficult to navigate and thus requires a great deal of patience, open mindedness, and the ability to change gears quickly. Some things happen immediately and others take seemingly forever. People like to do things last minute and planning does not mean the same thing as it might for someone from North America. The concept of “common sense” cannot be applied as it is rather individual and cultural. 

 A: The answer to this question depends on individual preferences and needs. Most faculty and staff travel during holidays and even over the weekends because, as previously mentioned, Busan and Seoul are only a short flight away. Work days are busy but many educators take advantage of the school-provided gym and the after school activities provided by faculty, for faculty such as yoga. There are also activities such as dance classes and book clubs arranged by the international school community in the Global Education City, of which KISJ is a part. 

 A: The school provides a minibus transport scheduled in the morning and after school for those that do not own cars.

 A: Typically, faculty communicate with new teachers before their arrival via the school organized teacher-buddy support group. Also, Jeju expatriates organize themselves with the help of social media. 

 A: Legally, faculty and staff can work only for the organization that is their work-visa sponsor. In other words, anybody recruited by KISJ can legally work for KISJ only. Also, should opportunity exist within the host country law, we would not recommend it as we are a busy and a high performing learning organization.

Please note that we offer a plethora of activities, projects, and responsibilities for driven people within school for the benefit of our students. Thus, additional duties and responsibilities are remunerated with extra bonuses and benefits. Please see your contract for details or visit our website at https://kis.ac/careers

9. General FAQs

 A: Please see our draft calendar academic year.

 A: Most faculty live in KISJ Village, a purpose-built apartment complex just five minutes’ drive from campus (free morning and evening shuttles to campus are provided). Housing requests are submitted in February. Apartments are furnished; please see our sample contract for a list of school-provided furnishings and homewares.

 A: We offer a full international health plan; please see our Employee Benefit Guides for details, and Life in Jeju for information on hospitals and clinics.

A: Select off-campus apartments are designated as Pet Friendly, with restrictions; please see our Pet Policy.

 A: Please see our timetables for each division.

 A: Please refer to the Careers page of our website.