Aug 30, 2008

Are you in the sciences?

Our Dual-Career Academic Couples study revealed that 83% of female scientists in a dual-career couple are partnered with another academic; compared to 54% of male scientists. This suggests that dual-career issues are of particular importance for universities which are committed to increasing the number of women on the science faculty. Are you an academic scientist, male or female, partnered or not? What do you think?

Our report does not talk about scientists outside academia. Are you a scientist or engineer in industry, nonprofit or the public service? What are your experiences? Do you meet many dual-career couples? Do your employers set out to help people in dual-career relationships? What resources do they offer?

And do you think it is right for employers to be creating special programs to assist dual career couples, whether inside or outside academia? Have your say!

Aug 27, 2008

Report covered in Times Higher Ed (UK)

Nice story about the Dual-Career Academic Couples report in this week's issue of the UK's Times Higher Education newspaper, with comment based on a UK study of British academics, and a comment from the University of Liverpool, which has a published dual-career policy.

Aug 21, 2008

Have you ever said no?

Have you ever turned down a job offer because your partner couldn't find a suitable job? Have you ever been in a position when you've asked your prospective employer to find your partner a suitable job? Share your stories with us.

Aug 20, 2008

Dual-Careers report now available

The Dual-Careers Academic Couples report is now available for download, free of charge, from our website.

Aug 14, 2008

Watch out for Chronicle Higher Ed story



Only 6 days till the Dual-Career report is launched. Watch out for a story in the Chronicle of Higher Ed on August 20.

Aug 9, 2008

So, have you thought about your future?

You're in your late 20s. A graduate student. You're in a relationship with another graduate student, maybe in the same discipline. Your partner is going on the job market this year, you plan to be on the job market next year.

What thought have you given to the implications of all this? Whose career will come first? How will you decide? Is living in the same place a priority? If you plan to live apart, how long do you think your relationship will survive the separation - do you have a deadline for finding jobs together?

And what happens if/when kids come along?

It's not unusual for young academics to live hundreds, even thousands of miles away from each other, with all the stresses and strains that places on relationships; and let's not even get started on the costs of running two households and commuting to see each other occasionally. (Some friends of a friend are a British couple who live in Oxford and Paris (and they have two small kids, growing up French). Forget the problems of living in different states, they are living in different countries! This is not just an issue in the USA!)

What's your experience? What compromises are you prepared to make to keep your dual-career academic relationship alive?

Aug 4, 2008

Dual-Career Report to Launch on August 20

At last! Our report on dual-career academic couples will be launched on Wednesday August 20. It will be available on our website for free download. Watch out for the news release from the Stanford News Service.