Faculty Strategic Hiring Initiatives: Checklist for the Spousal Hire Program

Provost: Faculty Strategic Hiring Initiative

CHECKLIST FOR THE DUAL CAREER COUPLE PROGRAM

Increasingly, university professionals are part of dual career couples. Thus, decisions to accept a university position are often made based on the availability of employment for a spouse or partner. The following steps are provided to assist department chairs and other administrators in arranging a spousal/partner hire. The spouse/partner may be hired as faculty, academic staff, or classified (project or LTE) staff. The terms used apply to a spousal/partner hire within an academic department. (The process is analogous for spousal/partner hires in administrative and support units: substitute supervisor for chair, unit for department, and director for dean or executive committee, etc.)

Please try to follow the applicable steps in the order listed here:

Step 1.
Chair consults with dean or dean's office when it is clear that a spousal/partner hire may be necessary in order to make a faculty hire. (Discuss both potential contacts and likely funding arrangements.)
Step 2.
Chair of the department extending the first offer takes major responsibility for determining the type of position the spouse/partner desires (and is qualified for) and facilitating a spousal/partner hire by directly contacting other departments inside and outside the university that might provide employment for the spouse/partner. (For ideas on potential university employers, consult colleagues, dean's office, Graduate School. For outside employment, a career counseling office may help; for Directory of Career Counseling, call 262-5246.)
Step 3.
Chairs of both departments inform their Executive Committees of negotiations toward the spousal/partner hire and acquire any needed approval of the hire or departmental funding.
Step 4.
If spousal/partner funding from the Provost is necessary, chairs request such funding through the dean's office and assist in composing the argument and supporting materials for the dean's request to the Provost. (If the Provost agrees to contribute for an internal hire, the usual salary split is 1/3 Provost, 1/3 department making first hire, 1/3 department hiring spouse/partner, for the first 3 years--after which the department hiring the spouse/partner takes full responsibility.)
Step 5.
If the dean wishes to request funding from the Provost, the dean (or designee) writes a memo to the Provost. The requesting memo should include:
1. a curriculum vitae/resume of the spouse/partner and the primary hire;
2. a statement that both deans and all chairs/departments involved support the request;
3. explanation of the spousal/partner hiring situation and why the units require outside funding;
4. reasons that the dual hire is especially strategic, including how both hires are beneficial;
5. proposed salary, title, and start date for the spouse/partner;
6. the number of years (up to 3) and percentage of salary support requested from the Provost;
7. a specific statement of how the rest of the funding and/or FTE commitment will be covered and which units will provide the remaining support.
Step 6.
Chair of the department hiring the spouse/partner contacts Graduate School if the department wants to request assistance with a start-up package for the spouse/partner.
Step 7.
Unless the hire results from an open search, the chair of the department hiring the spouse/partner requests waiver of PVL (via the school/college) from the Office of Human Resources. Chair withholds offer to spouse/partner until waiver is approved.
Step 8.
If Provost's funding was granted, Dean's office informs Provost's Office (via Greene) and Graduate School (via S. Schwoegler) whether couple accepted. (Offer to spouse/partner is contingent on first hire's commencing employment.)