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CAUT Bulletin Archives
1996-2016

November 2005

The Two-Body Problem: Dual-Career-Couple Hiring Practices in Higher Education

Lisa Wolf-Wendel, Susan Twombly & Suzanne Rice. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2004; 208 pp; ISBN: 0-8018-7451-3, hardcover $42 us.
Approximately eight of every 10 academics have spouses or partners who are working professionals, and almost half of these partners are academics as well. In fact, dual-career academic couples are so prevalent that “the two-body problem” has become a common way of referring to the situation. Increasingly, intense competition to hire the best faculty forces institutions to assist dual-career couples in finding suitable employment for the accompanying spouse or partner. The authors of The Two-Body Problem examine policies and practices used by colleges and universities to respond to the needs of dual-career couples within the economic, legal and demographic contexts of higher education. Using data from an extensive survey of public and private universities as well as in-depth case studies of institutions representing distinctive approaches to this problem, the authors find that the type of institution — its location, size, governance, mission and resource availability — is a critical factor in determining dual-career employment options. The Two-Body Problem describes various accommodation models in depth and provides valuable information for college and university administrators responsible for hiring faculty and supporting their performance.
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