ERIC Number: EJ1063917
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jun-10
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1938-5978
EISSN: N/A
Beyond the "Two-Body" Problem: Recruitment with Dual-Career Couples Support
Kibel, Laurel Sgan
New England Journal of Higher Education, Jun 2013
This article addresses issues faced by faculty couples, or any dual-career couple recruited to a college or university. Institutions want to bring the best talent to their campus and increasingly, that means anticipating and responding to the needs of the spouse or partner in the recruiting process. Research has shown that job opportunities for the partners of recruited faculty are key to successful recruitment and retention, however a main reason some faculty recruits say "no" is because their spouse can't find a good job, and others leave because their spouse never found a good job at or near the college or university. What can be done to maximize an institution's return on the resources invested in faculty recruitment? One possibility is establishing a dual-career couple's support program. According to the International Higher Education Dual-Career Association (formerly the Higher Education Dual-Career Network), more than 50 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad have some level of staffed initiatives, ranging from printed materials and simple websites to extensive job support assistance for partners. The dual-career staff personnel can extend the support already being offered by the hiring department in several ways such as: (1) Offering in-house expertise; (2) Sharing information on local job resources; and (3) Connecting recruits and new faculty with peers. Determining and maintaining information about services offered, regional and online job search supports, and engaging with various stakeholders are keys to assisting the dual-career couples.
Descriptors: College Faculty, Employment Opportunities, Spouses, Personnel Management, Careers, Personnel Selection, Access to Information, Employment Level
New England Board of Higher Education. 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111. Tel: 617-357-9620; Fax: 617-338-1577; e-mail: info@nebhe.org; Web site: http://www.nebhe.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A