The Universidad San Francisco de Quito is possibly the most pleasant place to teach in Ecuador. It is built in a mixture of classical styles, but was actually constructed within recent years. The main campus of the university is located in Cumbayá, a town, twenty minutes by bus from Quito.
Although, it is only twenty minutes from the city, it is 2,000 feet lower in elevation. This means it is significantly warmer than Quito. Although virtually on the equator line, elevation above sea level makes all the difference here, this can be between sweltering heat at the coast to permanent snow on the Andean peaks. But at 7,200 feet, Cumbayá has it just right. This climate, combined with the neoclassical architecture, gives it a very Mediterranean feel.
I teach English at the university. Luckily for me some academic classes are taught in English, so I teach Psychology too. In fact, I was able to design my own classes and curriculum, and the students generally speak good English so the language barrier has not been a problem.
This is the most expensive private university in the country and has the richest students. It is expected that many will want to go and take postgraduate courses in the USA. Hence, courses taught in English are valued by the students and management. However, this may not be the case in less privileged private or state universities, were teaching in English may not be common.
