General Information

In the course of hiring, a primary academic unit may find a preferred candidate requesting that their partner also be considered for a hire. Dual career hiring can be a powerful tool for recruiting and retaining first-rate faculty.

Dual career hiring requests may involve tenure-track positions, non-tenure track positions, or other higher education or non-academic jobs.

Faculty Positions

A dual career hiring situation that involves a partner seeking a faculty position in the unit that is making the initial hire, or in another academic unit should proceed as follows:

  • In the first case, the unit should follow its own guidelines on hiring. If the unit has special guidelines for dual career hiring, those should, of course, be followed; if no specific guidelines are in place, the unit should follow its general rules for hiring, with the understanding that there will not be an initial open search.
  • In the second case, the chair of the initial hiring unit should consult with the chair/director or dean of the other unit, indicating that the hiring department has a potential candidate for the other unit who is a candidate’s partner. The chair/director or dean will request a CV and other basic information and then will consult with the appropriate body within their unit about how to proceed. If the unit decides to consider the dual career candidate, then it should follow its own guidelines for such possible hires.

A unit being asked to consider hiring a dual career candidate should evaluate the request with three key questions in mind: 

  1. Does this candidate meet the standards of the unit; that is, does the individual under consideration have the profile of someone who can succeed in the reappointment and tenure review process?
  2. Would the candidate strengthen the unit?
  3. Would this candidate serve the interests of the campus; that is, can the unit make the accommodation in order to strengthen a fellow unit?

In some circumstances, questions #2 and #3 may present something of a dilemma. The unit should deliberate in order to find the right balance between the unit’s needs and those of the wider campus community. Each unit should give due consideration to the needs of the other unit alongside its own interests.

If unit faculty members decide they should make an offer for a dual career hire, the hiring unit must work with campus human resources and potentially file a search waiver request.

With regards to funding dual career hires, the following outlines a possible arrangement proposal: the original unit will pay 1/3 of the salary, the unit making the dual career hire will pay 1/3 (if the original and dual career unit are the same, then that unit contributes at least 2/3), and the provost will pay 1/3. Negotiations may begin from that point. Note that the units will need to make the case to the provost that the proposed hires are advantageous to the campus. All such hires are contingent on the availability of funds.

Other Positions

If the candidate’s partner is seeking a non-academic position at the university or beyond the university, then the hiring unit should work with its dean to discuss options and collaborate on possible job contacts. The units also can contact campus human resources for assistance and make use of the resources offered by the Greater Colorado Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC). 

Recruitment Process

The department/school/college will be responsible for the following activities in the recruitment of a dual career faculty hire within CU Boulder: 

  • A dual career hire usually requires a revision to a unit’s recruitment plan because the search or hire of the partner would not have been included in the original recruitment authorization plan. Adding a faculty position to a previously approved recruitment plan requires provost approval. The steps to be taken are as follows:  
  1. Identify the rank and budget line that would support the dual career hire;
  2. Work with campus human resources and file a search waiver request;
  3. Invite the partner to campus for an interview visit;
  4. Conduct a faculty vote to approve the hire. 
  • The dean should submit a letter to the provost requesting approval to revise the original recruitment plan in order to make the dual hire. The dean's letter should include the following:  
  1. A description of both positions;
  2. Letters of offer that have been reviewed and approved;
  3. A curriculum vitae for each candidate;
  4. The academic vote in support of the dual hire;
  5. Reconfirmation of the budget line to support the dual hire.

The Office of Faculty Affairs will be responsible for the following activities in the recruitment of a dual career hire: