Singapore University of Social Sciences Reviews

Pros

The salary and benefits are more than decent. A comfortable place to be if one is looking for some financial stability to tide things over.

Cons

Given that SUSS is the newest autonomous university (AU) in Singapore, many of the processes and programmes are still in transition, so newcomers must be prepared for more changes and politics in the years ahead. Relative to other local institutions, the teaching is extremely lightweight, as most of the courses (1) run for 3-6 weeks in a semester and are (2) developed and delivered by associate/adjunct faculty. Full-time faculty take on the weight of the administrative duties such as enrolment, scheduling, class audits, student engagement, and assignment/exam moderation. Some privileges are given to those whose grant applications are successful, but otherwise there is little to no incentive for research. In sum, the administrative work and internal projects are quite time-consuming and repetitive. Early-career scholars are also not given much support for professional development, which can negatively impact their prospects.

Pros

The name sounds like "sus", which tells much about the place.

Cons

Dense bureaucracy. Students, academics, buildings, websites, they are all just numbers and codes. There is no human touch and no passion for teaching. It is all about churning through students as fast as humanly possible. No autonomy for lecturers. Low educational standards, and expectations. You never know how much you are getting paid, and when you are getting paid. Money appears in your bank account one month, nothing happens the next. Any question you ask is referred to a 95 page manual for answers. You are sent a new form or asked to fulfil some random bureaucratic obligation daily.

Pros

good PCEO, good medical and leave benefit, cozy office space

Cons

high workload and fast pace