Commitment to Dual-Career

Addressing the needs of dual-career couples is of critical importance when colleges and universities seek to recruit and retain the most outstanding and diverse faculty and administrators.

Work and family considerations, specifically dual-career concerns, influence candidates' decisions when searching for and considering a job. The decision to accept a job frequently becomes contingent upon an offer of job search assistance and opportunities for the accompanying partner.

Helping dual-career couples is a central part of HERC's mission. HERC is the only organization in the U.S. to systematically address dual-career concerns on a nationwide scale. HERC's work has been recognized by the American Council on Education, the American Association of University Professors, the American Psychological Association, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research and National Public Media's "Marketplace".

Recent research shows that 72% of faculty members have employed partners. (Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research, L. Schiebinger, A. Henderson, S. Gilmartin, Dual-career Academic Couples: What Universities Need to Know Stanford: 2008).

What HERC Offers Dual-Career Jobseekers

• Access to the most comprehensive list jobs at institutions within a commutable distance.
• State-of-the-art dual-career search technology.
• Comprehensive lists of article, research, and links to campuses that have dual-career programs and policies.

What HERC Offers Member Institutions

• A referral source to the HERC website for candidates with partners.
• Dual-career materials to include in candidate recruitment packets.
• A member network to collaborate on dual-career appointments.
• Conferences and webinars for member institutions on best practices for dual-career programs, policies, and practices.