Information for Other Dual Career Programs
Letters About Dual Career Network
Dual Career Conference Information:
ANNOUNCEMENT !!
The 2010 International Dual Career Conference
will be held June 3 and 4, 2010
at The University of Iowa.
SAVE THE DATE!!
More details to follow.
History of dual career conferences:
The University of Iowa’s Dual Career Network (DCN)hosted the first Dual Career Programs International Conference on April 25, 2003.
Eighteen participants from 16 universities in the U.S. and Canada met to collaborate and share the challenges of assisting dual career couples in securing employment.
The major goals of this conference were to establish benchmark practices among existing programs and provide universities without programs
with information on current trends and practices. A questionnaire was distributed prior to the conference to dual career programs across the country.
The results of that survey were published in the CUPA HR Journal (Fall/Winter 2003, Vol. 54, No. 3).
(You may view that here: CUPA Article).
Purdue University held a small gathering of dual career practitioners in the 1990’s. Since The University of Iowa’s Dual Career Conference,
annual conferences have continued yearly:
Purdue University, 2004
University of Michigan, 2005
Texas A&M, 2006
Cornell University,2007
University of Utah, 2008
Virginia Tech, 2009
Conference materials from Cornell University and University of Utah are available at: http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/jobs/connectCornell/dualCareerConference.htm ;
http://www.hr.utah.edu/dualcareer/conference08/index.php.
Other Information
Please feel free to join the newly estblished
Higher Education Dual Career Network (HEDCN) group.
To learn more, Google HEDCN and follow instructions.
The University of Virginia hosted
the Dual Careers Central Virginia Conference on November 10, 2008,
where Joan Murrin served as the keynote speaker.
View this url for a conference recap: newsRelease
For further information,
please contact
Joan Murrin (joan-murrin@uiowa.edu)
or Heidi McLaughlin (heidi-mclaughlin@uiowa.edu)
or call 319-335-3791
Dual Career Issues Research
(2008) The Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Stanford University, Dual-Career Academic Couples-What Universities Need to Know (pdf): DualCareerFinal
(2006) Michelle Fleig-Palmer, formerly of the University of Nebraska Kearney, conducted a survey of relocating partners who utilized dual career programs at universities (pdf): Survey 2006
Article in www.higheredjobs.com, July, 2009
Dual-Careers in Higher Ed - Part One
(Of Progress and Coping Strategies)
by Charles DuBois
Charles C. DuBois is a freelance writer who recently retired after nearly 25 years as a communications professional with Penn State and Pennsylvania state government, and 15 years as a newsman.
While the emerging signs are encouraging for dual-career academics, there is still thorny terrain to be traversed. Institutions are responding to the value these couples represent and partners in academe are finding a more welcoming recruiting environment.Still, there's progress to be made and talks across the negotiating table must be thought through and deliberate -- dollars, academic reputations, careers, and family ties depend on it. These issues can be particularly difficult for faculty couples compared with their counterparts in administration.
It's been called the "next great challenge facing universities." But, while the challenge still exists, there are ways to cope.
A Stanford University study released in 2008 said that couples hiring among academics has increased from 3 percent in the 1970s to 13 percent in the 2000s.
"A small, but significant number," said Londa Schiebinger, lead author and director of Stanford's Clayman Institute for Gender Research from which a team surveyed 30,000 faculty members and examined the hiring practices of 13 leading American research universities.
The finding that an increasing number of universities have now rolled out policies and procedures on couples hiring confirms Schlesinger's belief that there is a "better institutional response."
Couples in higher education represent a "rich resource," she stressed, and the study bears her out. According to Dual Career Couples: What Universities Need to Know (pdf), 36 percent of faculty members have academic partners and an equal number have partners who are professionals. Beyond sheer numbers, couples hiring is seen as a way to improve academic excellence, gender and ethnic diversity, and faculty retention.
"Faculty are voting with their feet," Schiebinger said of this last point. "They are going to universities where they are hiring dual-career couples."
Universities and colleges are not only moving away from case-by-case, ad hoc practices when it comes to couples, they are offering service and support through specialized dual-career offices and Web portals. Geographically isolated universities actually make couples hiring a human resources strategy. Others in more populated regions are banding together with nearby institutions to help with couples placement.
"...(U)niversities are far more accommodating in my view and more accommodating than they used to be," said Professor Jack Carroll who, with his wife, Professor Mary Beth Rosson, was hired by Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology.
"People in my generation who were in dual academic career families when they were young were doing things like weekly commutes from Cornell to Washington, Washington to Boston, Atlanta to Washington -- just to remember three cases," he went on.
"That's a draining way to live, but in those days the concept of 'spousal hire' had not been invented."
Joan Murrin, director of the Dual Career Network at the University of Iowa, has been an observer of the scene since 1994. Back when Murrin first benchmarked her fledgling operation with others, she could only find four or five colleges providing any aid for dual-career couples.
Now, she's an active part of the multi-institution exchange called the Higher Education Dual Career Network (HEDCN), which held its sixth conference at Virginia Tech in June. Nearly 50 universities with dual-career programs are listed on the HEDCN Web site. Clearly an advocate, Murrin said she has helped foster programs both in the U.S. and Canada, and soon will continue that work in Germany.
But, while there are these positive signs for dual-career couples, progress is not universal and recent tightening of budgetary belts has brought on its own difficulties.
University of Kansas researcher Lisa Wolf-Wendel noted while 85 to 95 percent of institutions say they're willing to try dual-career hiring, job-seeking couples are hesitant.
Lead author of the 2004 book, The Two-Body Problem: Dual-Career-Couple Hiring in Higher Education, she said there's a real tension when the two sides approach one another. While an institution wants to know of a partner situation early in the hiring process, for applicants "there's a fear of wanting to ask."
"I don't know how to resolve that tension," said Wolf Wendel, a professor of educational leadership and policy studies. "I think it's a legitimate concern."
The impact is felt most by those early in their careers. Those with an established reputation and funding from an organization like the National Science Foundation can make a stronger case for getting hired as a couple.
Wolf Wendel's advice is careful timing in raising the subject of partner hiring.
"I'd be conservative and wait till you have an offer," she said.
Stanford's Schiebinger agreed that timing is always the issue when faculty couples enter the job market. Both partners should have their credentials in order before the search begins, she recommended, and an effort should be made to seek out colleges and universities friendly to couples hiring -- usually evidenced by well-established policies or the existence of an active dual-careers office.
And, she added, before the first-hire partner signs on the dotted line, it is particularly important to successfully complete negotiations for the second partner.
Joan Murrin of Iowa comes quickly to the point in her advice for dual-career couples:
"Be patient in your job search," she counseled. "Be persistent and be flexible."
According to Murrin, having a Plan B is particularly important for couples. Partners sometimes need to be creative and willing to rethink what they do.
"If you can't get a job (teaching) music theory, what are your transferable skills, especially in this economy?" she said.
More info
On June 16, 2009, the Clayman Institute brought academics and administrators together for a conference at Stanford--Dual-Career Academic Couples: Strategies and Opportunities -- during which a new portal with resources for dual-career couples was rolled out.Follow this link to more information offered by HigherEdJobs.com. A Web search quickly reveals numerous other resources, including one at a site called "On the Cutting Edge: Professional Development for Geosciences Faculty".
Letters about The University of Iowa’s Dual Career Network
Betsy Hillman
Dual Career Consultant
Recruitment and Employment Center
337 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca, NY 14850-2820
t. 607.254.8380
f. 607.254.8305
www.ohr.cornell.edu
May 15, 2004
President David Skorton
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Dear President Skorton,
I am writing to let you know what a helpful model the University of Iowa Dual Career Network was when, as part of the Office of Human Resources, I helped create the Dual Career Program at Cornell University. Since Iowa began their program in 1994, many other major universities have also come to recognize that recruiting the best faculty requires formal and significant support for the dual career partner. In fact, Cornell University started its Dual Career Program just two and a half years ago, another Big Ten university is resurrecting its program, and many other universities are now creating or expanding dual career programs. Iowa’s Dual Career Network served as a model for many of these programs.
As I began researching dual career issues two and a half years ago, I was thrilled to discover that Iowa had the most active, and, I believe, one of the best programs in the country. My husband began his career as a professor at the Iowa Law School in 1975. We were always very proud of how forward-thinking Iowa was and I was happy to confirm that it was still true years later when I discovered that Iowa already had a Dual Career Network that was both cutting edge and effective.
Since the Cornell University Dual Career Program was created, I have had dual career clients tell me they chose Cornell specifically because of the existence of the Dual Career Program. Additionally, many dual career clients who were supported in their job search are now successfully employed, thus preventing retention issues in the future. I’m sure there are many comparable stories at Iowa.
I have learned from experience that offering dual career partners significant job search support can have a positive impact on recruiting first-rate faculty. Given that Cornell has benefited so much from the Iowa model, I wanted to take a moment to thank you and offer my perspective on your wonderful program.
Regards,
Betsy Hillman
Cornell University is an equal opportunity affirmative action educator and employer.
May 18, 2004
Dr. David J. Skorton, President
President's Office
101 Jessup Hall
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1316
Dear Dr. Skorton,
I would like to extend my gratitude to yourself and Ms. Joan Murrin for your support of the Dual Career Conference at Purdue University last month. It was an extraordinary experience to meet directors of major research universities and to strategize methods for improving the recruitment and retention of faculty.
Without a doubt, the University of Iowa's Dual Career Program is regarded as the preeminent leader in this field. When other universities want to begin to offer services to the partners of new faculty, they invariably turn to the University of Iowa and Ms. Murrin for guidance. Ms. Murrin's expertise in successfully assisting the University of Iowa's recruitment efforts is widely respected.
Recognizing that our goal as academics is to share knowledge, I am personally grateful for Ms. Murrin's efforts to epitomize that goal. Whether perusing your Dual Career website to gather ideas or listening to Ms. Murrin present at a conference, I have learned much that has enabled the University of Nebraska at Kearney's Dual Career Program to significantly improve.
In addition, the demographics of faculty across the United States will have a detrimental effect on recruitment in the coming years. At least 20% of faculty nationwide are nearing retirement age. Also, the supply of new Ph.D.'s will be shrinking because doctoral programs do not have the funding to support as many doctoral students as they did in the past. The increased number of retirements combined with fewer doctoral graduates will result in a much more limited supply of candidates.
That is why the University of Iowa's Dual Career Program is so impressive. The existence of such a program demonstrates your understanding that the recruitment of top faculty candidates is increasingly dependent on assisting the trailing spouses with their employment needs. By seriously addressing the career concerns of the trailing spouses, the University of Iowa is able to attract faculty candidates that can continue the tradition of providing the quality educational and research programs.
Once again, thank you to the University of Iowa for co-sponsoring the Dual Career Conference. It was a very informative and worthwhile conference.
Michelle Fleig-Palmer
Dual Career Program Director
University of Nebraska, Kearney
Program Forms
Please contact Joan Murrin for permission to use any of these forms or for questions regarding use of the forms (all pdf) .
To obtain a copy of our “Getting Started” pamphlet, given to all new clients, contact Joan Murrin (319-335-3791) or Heidi McLaughlin (319-335-3524).
Published Article
Published by The Career Management Alliance
Issue #458 - March 23, 2009
Marketing Long-Distance Clients
By Heidi McLaughlin
Assisting a client in finding employment presents all kinds of challenges, but those challenges become more complex when the client is job-hunting long distance.
I am the Assistant Director of a program called the Dual Career Network at The University of Iowa. Our mission is to assist the accompanying partner of newly hired faculty and staff with their employment search. We typically meet a new client when they are making a first campus visit and the outcome of the recruitment effort is yet unknown. Working with this clientele is exciting as I meet people from all across the nation and learn about their different lifestyles and employment experiences. I have an opportunity to educate them on living and working in Iowa-and who better than a lifelong native!
Employers frequently ask: "Is this person planning on staying here long term?" This is a valid question given the transient nature of college campuses. Medical, graduate, and postdoctoral students, and those completing fellowships all are considered to be temporary, and may well leave this locale when their training is over. In order for my clients to be considered a serious candidate, I must help them overcome the natural tendency of potential employers to consider them "flight risks."
The process to recruit a new faculty member typically starts a year before they need to be on-site. While that recruitment effort is taking place, I begin working with the accompanying partner, which can be problematic for the following reasons:
--Employers need to fill a position NOW, not in six to ten months when the client arrives in the area.
--Employers are reluctant to pay for out-of-state transportation expenses for an in-person interview.
--Long-distance candidates compete with local candidates who are less expensive to meet with and have knowledge of local and community information and therefore have the "hometown advantage".
--Employers fear that the spouse/partner will change his/her mind and decide not to move or will accept another position if hired too far ahead of a start date.
--Employers make assumptions about employment candidates coming from larger metropolitan areas.
How do we help our clients overcome some of these barriers?
--Help the long-distance candidate utilize the cover letter to their greatest advantage. I advise my clients to state definitively their move date, when they will be available to start working and that this move is a "career destination" for them. If they are able to move ahead of their partner, they should clearly state that as well.
--Attempt to align client visits to the area with job interviews. By advising the employer of when the candidate will be in town on a house hunting/fact finding visit, you may help the employer avoid having to pay transportation for a face-to-face interview. The employer will be delighted at the savings and will be impressed at the willingness of all parties to make things happen.
--Assist your client in researching the area extensively. Supply them with accurate and up-to-date resource information to gain knowledge of the area. (Consider providing web links to local Chambers of Commerce, economic development groups, Society for Human Resource Management chapters, and local newspapers.) The client should use this information in cover letters, conversations and interviews to demonstrate they have done their homework and help overcome the local candidates' "hometown advantage".
--Client needs to demonstrate flexibility in overcoming the "flight risk" fear of employers. They can propose to begin working prior to their move via telecommuting, or to do requisite training or orientation online. By doing so, they demonstrate commitment and the ability to collaborate for the good of everyone. A dose of flexibility, a little creativity, good interviewing skills, and appropriate demonstration of their skills is the perfect recipe for an employer to decide to wait for them to start.
--Client should point out to the employer their motives for moving to the area. Perhaps the client is moving back to where they have family, or they want to reduce a long commute, or feel the school systems in your area offer more for their children. If these reasons are valid, it may give the employer confidence that they can hire AND retain this candidate.
Helping your long-distance client become informed, articulate and cooperative about a new employment opportunity, coupled with outstanding job search documents will create a level playing field against local candidates. However, none of this will matter if your client is using a shabby resume or cover letter. Clear articulation of skills, accomplishments and quantifiable outcomes remain the gold standard for sparking a hiring manager's interest. A mutually satisfactory outcome for your client may be a little bit of luck and synergy along with a lot of strategic marketing to overcome the "risk" hiring managers often feel when considering long-distance candidates.
Heidi is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC) with more than ten years experience within employment services. She currently serves as Assistant Director of the Dual Career Network at The University of Iowa, where she conducts resume reviews, provides interview coaching, serves as a liaison between her clients and hiring managers, and provides overall assistance in administration of the program.
