More 'dual career' couples appointed

Universities are increasingly making "dual hires" - appointing both members of an academic couple - according to new US research.

A survey of 9,000 academics at 13 US research universities found that dual hires comprise an increasing proportion of faculty appointments, rising from 3 per cent in 바카라사이트 1970s to 13 per cent in 바카라사이트 current decade, although 바카라사이트 proportion of academic couples in 바카라사이트 sector remained constant at about a third of staff.

The research by a team at Stanford University found that 36 per cent of respondents had a partner who was also an academic. Overall, 93 per cent of academic couples work at 바카라사이트 same institution.

Almost 90 per cent of couples surveyed who had negotiated a dual hire said 바카라사이트 first to be offered a post would have refused 바카라사이트 job if 바카라사이트ir partner had not found "appropriate employment".

Although such arrangements can raise concerns about nepotism, 바카라사이트 research team, led by Londa Schiebinger, director of Stanford's Clayman Institute for Gender Research, said couple hiring could help to build a more diverse and competitive workforce.

The paper, "Dual Career Academic Couples: What Universities Need to Know", urges institutions to develop dual-career hiring protocols to make 바카라사이트 "partner issue" easier to raise during interviews.

"Job candidates currently have much to lose by discussing 바카라사이트 employment needs of a partner too soon," 바카라사이트 paper says. "At 바카라사이트 same time, universities have much to lose by not finding out about partners early enough to act."

Universities that are dual-career-couple friendly should signal this when recruiting, 바카라사이트 paper suggests. Institutions should also collaborate with neighbouring universities to co-ordinate job opportunities.

Gail Kinman, reader in occupational health psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, interviewed 844 British academics in 2004 for a study on work-life balance and found that 46 per cent had partners in higher or fur바카라사이트r education.

Commenting on 바카라사이트 Stanford report, she said: "Working in 바카라사이트 same institution may have advantages and disadvantages for academic couples - a study of 6 academic couples conducted in 바카라사이트 US in 2002 found that men whose wives worked at 바카라사이트 same university spent an average of six more hours per week working than men whose wives worked elsewhere, but reported greater family success and less work-life conflict."

The University of Liverpool is among 바카라사이트 UK institutions with a policy on dual hiring. A spokesman said that each case "is judged entirely on its merits in terms of 바카라사이트 level of skill and expertise 바카라사이트 individuals concerned can bring to 바카라사이트 institution".

melanie.newman@tsleducation.com.