Paleonet: Earth Science Women's Network Event - The Two Body Problem in USA Academia - November 7th 1900 UTC

[Weil, Anne]

On the other hand, if one wishes or needs one's partner to have a job at the same institution, a candidate DOES have to bring it up as a condition of signing an employment contract.

It's not a matter of answering questions so much as one of exploring fit.  In many cases, if the partner can't be hired locally that's a dealbreaker for the candidate.

When exactly to mention an academic partner is indeed a tricky question that is completely worthy of a panel discussion.

Even in the U.S., institutions span a range from those that have anti-nepotism rules that prevent them from considering a spousal hire to departments that will create a second position or call around to departments in other fields to try to fit the "trailing" partner in.  The latter can be highly advantageous to the institution and has become progressively more common - so the experiences of recent hires may be uniquely illuminating.

Anne

From: Paleonet <paleonet-bounces+anne.weil=okstate.edu at paleonet.org> On Behalf Of Tom Dignes
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2023 4:50 PM
To: PaleoNet <paleonet at paleonet.org>
Subject: Re: Paleonet: Earth Science Women's Network Event - The Two Body Problem in USA Academia - November 7th 1900 UTC

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You are absolutely correct, Christina. The hiring decision itself is where such information may not be used.

All the more reason to firmly NOT RESPOND to such irrelevant questions.

If your potential employer insists on asking such things, it's a very good sign you have applied to the wrong place to work. My advice - look elsewhere immediately, and share your experience there with everyone you know.

Best,

Tom

On Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 5:30 PM Cristina Robins <cristina.robins at gmail.com<mailto:cristina.robins at gmail.com>> wrote:
This is a common misconception. In the US, it is NOT illegal to ask about family status, religion, etc., but it is illegal to make decisions based upon the answers. Individual states vary on how strict the protections are, especially regarding non-heteronormative relationships. This means that some companies prohibit those questions in interviews to avoid the perception of bias, but there is no law against asking.
The two-body problem often impacts female academics more than males, as there are a larger proportion of women who are partnered with other academics, but it is quite difficult for all involved.


Cristina M. Robins, PhD

Instructor, Geography and the Environment

The University of Alabama<https://www.ua.edu/>
crobins at ua.edu<mailto:crobins at ua.edu>
[The University of Alabama single line nameplate design without box A]<https://www.ua.edu/>



On Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 2:55 PM Tom Dignes <tom.dignes at gmail.com<mailto:tom.dignes at gmail.com>> wrote:
It is illegal in the United States for job interviewers to ask about one's family status, so I certainly wouldn't answer questions along those lines if I was presented with them. And, as a long time interviewer myself, I NEVER went there.

Yes, that is serious stuff. None of it is anyone's business but your own.

On Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 2:44 PM Weil, Anne <anne.weil at okstate.edu<mailto:anne.weil at okstate.edu>> wrote:
"Two-body problem" = Having a partner who would also prefer to be employed in academia, faculty jobs being notorious as geographic randomizers.

From: Paleonet <paleonet-bounces+anne.weil=okstate.edu at paleonet.org<mailto:okstate.edu at paleonet.org>> On Behalf Of Tom Dignes
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 6:44 PM
To: PaleoNet <paleonet at paleonet.org<mailto:paleonet at paleonet.org>>
Subject: Re: Paleonet: Earth Science Women's Network Event - The Two Body Problem in USA Academia - November 7th 1900 UTC

CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe
Please confirm my guess on this. Is the "two-body problem" mentioned here that of 'having a spouse'?

On Wed, Oct 11, 2023 at 7:35 PM Earth Science Women's Network Events <events at eswnonline.org<mailto:events at eswnonline.org>> wrote:
Dear paleonet community,

Are you considering applying for a faculty position in the USA this year? Facing a two-body problem? Worried if you should include this information in your application package, or during the interview?

The Earth Science Women's Network will be hosting a webinar on November 7, 2023, at 2:00 pm Eastern Time (19:00 UTC) to answer all these questions and many others. A panel of assistant/associate professors within multiple earth science disciplines will share their experiences and "lessons learned", and answer your questions. This workshop is geared towards graduate students and post-docs considering an academic career in the USA.

We will be joined by:

- Rachel Bernard - Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, Amherst College
- Alexandria Johnson - Assistant Professor, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University
- Katherine (Kat) Allen - Associate Professor, School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine
- Maria Rugenstein - Assistant Professor, Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University

There will also be an opportunity to network with our speakers after the panel discussion.

Register here: https://forms.gle/G5WCoQ7hkjKxK8se8

If you have any questions, please email us on events [at] eswnonline [dot] org

Hope to e-see you soon,
The ESWN Board and Associate Board of Directors

--

Earth Science Women's Network Member Events Committee
Professor Karin Ardon-Dryer (Earth Science Women's Network Member Events Co-Chair)
Dr. Rehemat Bhatia (Earth Science Women's Network Member Events Co-Chair)
Find out more about ESWN: https://eswnonline.org/
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