CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was recently ranked second in the nation as a partner-friendly institution on the Partner Hire Scorecard — an online, research-based ranking of universities that provide support for academic couples in the job search process.
Illinois’ Dual Career Program, which provides job search assistance for partners of tenure-system faculty and senior-level administrators at the university, is highlighted in the project’s report.
The scorecard was produced from a larger research study on the challenges academic couples face during the recruiting and hiring process. The research team is based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the project was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
An already challenging academic job market can become more difficult for academic couples hoping to find employment together. During the previous academic year, the Dual Career Program at Illinois engaged with over 100 academic couples at U. of I., a number that has continued to grow since the program began in 1990, said director of faculty recruitment Dana Cohen.
Cohen works with program candidates to network, build relationships and identify possible employment opportunities. The program also provides resumé review and critique; interviewing skills assessment; job search strategy; and connects couples to community resources.
In addition, the Dual Career Program, under the Office of the Provost, engages with community stakeholders to create talent attraction programming and initiatives to make the university an ideal employer of choice for new faculty and their families.
“Our outstanding faculty are the university’s most significant strength. We are committed to recruiting exceptional, diverse faculty and supporting them — and their partners — through programs such as our Dual Career Program and others. We are thrilled to be recognized nationally for our work in this area,” said Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost John Coleman.
For the Partner Hire Scorecard project, researchers analyzed publicly available information related to dual-career issues at 146 R1 universities (i.e., doctoral universities with very high research activity) in the U.S. The goals of the project are to provide clarity about dual-career approaches at universities and to empower academic couples in their job searches.
Editor’s Note: For additional information, contact Stephanie Henry, Communications Associate for the OVCAA, (217) 244-1183; slhenry@illinois.edu.
