At the University of Colorado at Boulder a couple of years ago we had a
conference about married couples being hired together. I assume the social
scientists who set it up must have published it somewhere. I did not go to it.
In my department we have hired four married couples. My husband and I were the
first, hired in 1969. None share a position. Six of the eight of us are
tenured. Our most recent such hire was last spring. one of the tenured
couples has divorced since they came here, but the world has kept revolving.
I assume we will keep on hiring in this way in future too. We also have
other arrangements, i.e.one member is a research assoicate and one is on facultyno pattern for gender in that either. I think we may have been able to
behave in this way because 1)we have revitalized and grown greatly in the
last 20 years, and 2) we did not have a great knot of hallowed old boys to
fight such a policy. Because my husband and I were the first such hire at
Colorado, there were rumblings from outside the dept. from the college and
from other departments. Their primary terror was that we would make a giant
power play and take over the department I guess. Anyway, my colleagues and
I are very pleased with the way things have worked out here, and I wish
other places luck in spouse hirings. The hard part usually is getting two
positions to fill. Best, Jane Bock BOCK_J at CUBLDR.COLORADO.EDU
