Kelly WardWashington State University

Goals for the Session Importance of work/life integrationDual career couples

Facts, figures, policies, practices Work/family

Early career, mid-career, policy, practiceDiapers, car pools, college, eldercare

Life course perspectivesAll career and life stages—not just early careerRecruitment, retention, promotion

Life in the academy…Higher Education is in flux

34% of faculty are part-time28% of full time positions are not tenure track

Academics (future academics) lives are complicatedMost faculty have partnersDesire for work-life integrationDual career couples increasing/more open

Institutions of higher education are not altruisticIdeal worker norms abound

Why be “family friendly”?To recruit, promote and retain best facultyConcerns about (under) representation of women and people of colorTo be responsive to underrepresentation of women in different fieldsTo have higher morale and greater productivityTo create more equitable work placesPressure from external sources

More on importance…• Makes for a good place to work• Recruitment, retention, and career development• Mimetic isomorphism• Millennial faculty• Dual career couples• Shared parenting• New models for families• People are happier/healthier

What is included?Dual career couples (academic and other)Parenthood

Birth and babies (leave and day care)Children/familyAdoption

Sick care (self and others)Elder care Same sex couples/familiesPersonal health and well beingAll career stages, not just new facultyMen and women

A word about gender….Work/life concerns tend to be associated with womenWomen and men impacted in different waysImportant to keep needs of women in mind, but also to

recognize that all people are affected by work/life issuesTrue change in society and academic settings will take

place when men and women shift in thinking and actionTraditional norms are shifting, but still prevail

Gendered Terrain

Facts, Figures, Policy, Practice

Not all couples are the same72% of academics are part of a

dual career couple

36% of professoriate is partnered to an academic

36% with non academic partner

Women are more likely to have academic partners

< 30% of academics are single or married to stay-at-home partner

Clayman Institute, Stanford

Types of academic couplesAcademic couples can enter faculty jobs in one of three ways:

Dual hires (10%): Both partners are hired as part of a negotiation. The majority are hired “sequentially” or as “joint hires.”

Independent hires (17%): Those who secured employment separately from their couple status. Often hired without mention of a partner (who also works at the university).

Solo hires (9%): Academic couples where one partner is hired in a tenure track position and the other isn’t currently employed in an academic position.

Clayman Institute

Dual career couples and diversity

Nearly one-half of faculty respondents in same-sex partnerships have academic partners.

Nearly one-third of underrepresented racial/ethnic minority faculty have academic partners.

Clayman Institute

Dual Career Couples and Gender• Women are more likely than men to be in an academic partnership• Dual career hiring higher for women than men• Men are more likely than women to have stay-at-home partners• Women are more likely to be single.

Clayman Institute

Gender and dual careers50% of men in academic couples and 20% of women view

their career as primary59% of women in academic couples say careers are equalWomen less likely to accept a job if partner not

accommodated 54% of women and 42% of men perceive loss of mobility as a

result of dual careerDisciplinary endogamy more prevalent for women (83%) than

men (54%) (women more likely to be with other scientists than men with other scientists)

Dual career couple policies need to be linked to these realities

Dual career policies/practicesTypes of “help”

Ad hoc, decentralizedRelocation assistance (formal and informal)Consortia/networks (Higher Education Recruitment Consortium)Campus resource banks for jobs in communityShared/split positionsBridging positionsCreation of non-tenure track or tenure track positionsResources for all types of couples

Important to have, know, and use policies.

When dual career hiring worksSerendipity/luckInitial hire is really wantedFit of second hireMeeting needs of units hiringCulture and receptivity of hiring department/campusWillingness/needs of second hireAvailability of resourcesPerson-unit fit for both members of couple

Couple considerations…Consider shared/split positions (needs to be raised by the

couple)Know advantages/disadvantages of when to reveal couple

status Investigate campus cultures (provost, human resources, faculty

development websites; hiring packets)Make contacts on campus to try and assess campus culture

around dual careersKnow what you want in terms of accommodation

Know each other’s preferences and bottom linesBe open to other places of work beyond campus

More advice…Be open to possibilities--accommodation can take many

formsKnow when to compromiseStay updated and look for opportunities at “couple

friendly” campusesExplore NSF ADVANCE campuses and resourcesFinalize couple hire as part of contract/letter of offerLearn from others (FAQ’s, websites)Marry well!

When to reveal?Assess campus culture via websites, personal contacts,

interview, and materialsCampuses need to know to provide assistanceCampuses getting more open about dual careersAdvantages/disadvantages of each stage for reveal….

Cover letter (they know BUT if biased could be excluded)Interview (talk to department chair if seems prudent)The offer (negotiations last chance for accommodation)

More so than right or wrong answer; know advantages and disadvantages

Best practices--Department chairsKnow the policies/resources available on campusKeep informed about dual career couples/work-life policiesFollow hiring procedures as close as possible for second hire

Faculty involvementTenure track vs. temporary

Make sure you are getting a person you really wantMaintain good relationships with other chairs and deansThink strategically about departmental directions, not just

immediate needsThink of what’s good for institution not just departmentHire based on merit, don’t stigmatize dual career hire

Best practices--InstitutionsEstablish clearly worded, written policy Develop policies in cooperation with faculty and

administrationBe mindful of affirmative action policiesPublicize/disseminate policy to all candidatesEducate chairs and deans about policyProvide centralized fundingProvide clear funding guidelinesJoin consortia (HERC) and develop cooperation agreementsEvaluate policy

Research, Policy, Practice

Why pay attention?Work and family has been an “either/or” proposition

(especially for women)

Could wait to have children

Could opt not to pursue an academic career

Could opt for a less prestigious position

How do faculty manage work and family?

Academic motherhood studyInterviews with 120 women

Research universities, comprehensive colleges, liberal arts, community colleges

All with children, all tenure trackVariety of fields

Longitudinal: Interviewed early career (less than five years) and mid career (5-7 years later)

Reviewed institutional policies

Early Career FindingsThe joy of professional and personal rolesAcademic work is flexible, but unendingHaving a child makes people efficient, puts things

into perspectiveBuffering—work buffers family; family buffers work

Early Career FindingsPreoccupation with timingThe second shift is alive and wellSignificance of supportive culturePolicies are important (but fear around

use)

Mid Career FindingsMost were successful and thrivingMid Career--more flexibility, less work

stressParental concerns shiftNot wanting to deal with politicsPipeline not a natural progression

Mid Career FindingsBurnoutNeed for self careMentoring and support

Served as mentors for new junior faculty and graduate students – path makers

Helped to create some institutional policiesMentoring mid career drops off yet still in

need of support and professional development

Work family policiesDay care – affordable and accessibleTenure clock stop policiesParental/family leave Modified duties Flexible tenure clocks

Common myths…I’ll never get an academic job if I’m in a couple or

want/have childrenAcademic jobs are too complicatedHaving a life and academic careers don’t get alongSecond hires aren’t as good as the primary hireWork-life concerns and policies are focused on womenIt’s only possible to get accommodation when first hiredDual career couple and work-family policies are only for

early career faculty

PoliciesHave policies One size may not fit allCreating a culture of use related to work-life and

dual career couple policiesProfessional development for all stages of career Mentorship at all stages of the careerCentralized support and local implementationKnow thy policy!

Creating environments…Think outside the boxWork-family integration is broadInclude men and women Acknowledge gendered terrainFamilies take many formsCareer perspectivesMaintain conversations

Case Study 1Jules and Taylor met and fell in love while studying biology at the University of Wisconsin. The had similar interests and the same major professor. It didn’t take them long to realize that they had a lot in common and that they were destined to be a couple. Both Jules and Taylor have impressive C.V’s. They are both strong students, have research and GA experience and both want tenure track careers at research universities. They also are aware of the job market and its difficulties. They figured out a way to each get separate post-docs and still be in the same geographic region. Now, they are ready to conquer the tenure track job market.

Couples perspective:What advice do you have for Jules and Taylor about how

they should proceed? What are the things that they ought to do? How can they maximize the likelihood of being successful

on the job market? Are there things they shouldn’t do? What are the things they have working for them and

against them in this quest?

Department chair perspective:As a senior faculty member or leader in your area, what

would you do if you wanted to hire Jules and Taylor? How would you proceed if you wanted to make this

happen? What players need to be involved? What are the barriers that you face to making this hire

happen? What do you have working in your favor to make this

work?

Institutional perspective:What institutional policies would facilitate the hiring of

Jules and Taylor? What should central administration do to make this

possible? In what ways is it in the institutions best interest to hire

both Jules and Taylor? What are the concerns that are raised by this issue?

Case Study 2Margaret and Joe came to University of Texas, San Antonio 5 years ago. Margaret is doing really well in a tenure track job in Geology and Joe has been working as an adjunct in Engineering. Initially, Joe did not have his Ph.D. so the adjunct position met his needs. Having completed his degree, he is now looking for something more permanent, preferably at UT or within a commutable distance. Although nothing was formalized (but it was implied), the initial intent was for Joe to get his degree and get a tenure track position at UT. The degree took longer to finish than Joe planned and the number of tenure track jobs in his field has been limited. Margaret and Joe really want to stay here, but are not sure what to do.

Couples perspective:What advice do you have for Margaret and Joe about

how they should proceed? What are the things that they ought to do to facilitate

the likelihood that they can stay together and stay at UT?

Are there things they shouldn’t do? What are the things they have working for them and against them in this quest?

How is their case different than the first case?

Department chair perspective:As a senior faculty member or leader in your area, what

would you do if you wanted to keep Margaret? What steps could you take to make this happen? Who

needs to be involved in such a decision? What are the barriers that you face to making this hire

happen? What do you have working in your favor to make this

work? How is this case different from the first case?

Institutional perspective:What institutional policies would facilitate the hiring of

Margaret and Joe? What should central administration do to make this

possible? In what ways is it in the institutions best interest to

retain both Margaret and Joe? What are the concerns that are raised by this issue?

Help, advice, suggestions

ResourcesClayman Institute/Stanford University

Dual-Career Academic Couples: What Universities Need to Know

Chronicle of Higher EducationAAUP:

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/comm/rep/dual.htmNSF ADVANCE:http://www.portal.advance.vt.edu/index.php/tags/d

ual-careerBooks, articles, webinars websites (national/campus)HERC-Higher Education Recruitment Consortium

Shameless self promotion…

Rutgers University Press (2013)

Parting thoughts…Do good workDon’t overthink it…all of itCan’t plan for every contingencyBe your best selfThere are lot of good jobs in the worldBe open to possibilitiesFollow your blissThere are a lot ways to be successfulHang loose!!

Questions/Discussion Dual careers Work-family Policies Campus perspectives Individual perspectives

Questions? contact Kelly Ward kaward@wsu.edu