Spouse Partner Resources

Support and Resources for Spouses or Partners

The Dean of Faculty office recognizes that for many prospective and current faculty, issues relating to possible employment opportunities for spouses or partners figure prominently in whether candidates accept offers of employment as well as subsequent decisions by faculty to stay and invest in the college community. In order to recruit and retain a talented and dedicated faculty and to make Hamilton College a desirable place to work, the College has several structures in place to respond to the needs of dual-career couples (whether they are both academics or not). 

While the College is not able to create tenure-track or staff positions and cannot and does not guarantee job placement for spouse or partners, the College is committed to supporting spouses or partners, including through:

• Shared positions: at the time of hire, these involve splitting a position between the two members of a couple, who have both applied in response to a national search and whose expertise would meet identified needs of an academic department or program. Most often this is a tenured or tenure-track position. As indicated in Hamilton’s Faculty Handbook, “A full-time position may be shared by two appointees, each of whom shall normally teach a five-course load over a two-year period, and who shall be considered as separate part-time appointees for the purposes of reappointment, tenure, and promotion” (p. 24).
• Temporary positions: spouses or partners who are qualified for open, temporary visitor positions in an academic department are given preferred consideration when they apply. In the case of a partner or spouse of a tenure-track hire, a department may ask the Dean of Faculty to consider the appointment of the partner or spouse as a renewable leave replacement when available.
• Adjunct positions: at the request of a department or program, and with the approval of the Dean, a spouse or partner with a terminal degree may be asked to offer up to two courses a year as an adjunct professor. Adjunct professors hold the title of Lecturer and are paid competitively per course; benefits are not provided. Normally, adjuncts are appointed to teach one course a year with a semester-based contract. The hosting department or program needs to submit a request that the spouse or partner be hired to teach a specific course, including a curricular justification for offering it, to their Associate Dean of Faculty.
• Scholar-in-Residence: an academic spouse or partner may apply to the Dean of Faculty to be appointed as a scholar-in-residence. This position is not compensated, but it does provide a title as well as access to some College facilities, including the Mail Center, computer labs, Burke and other libraries, and dining halls, and one can apply for a Hamilton email account. Occasionally a scholar-in-residence may be hired, as needs arise, as an adjunct faculty member or as a leave replacement, as noted above.
• Staff or administrative positions: spouses or partners who are qualified for open positions are encouraged to apply. If your spouse or partner has applied for such a position, please notify your Associate Dean of the Faculty, who can contact the hiring officer to ensure that full consideration is given to the application.
• Transitional support: helping people connect to specific interests and resources to make their integration into Central New York as smooth and as quick as possible; including connection to employment leads. 
  • Hamilton has partnered with M3, a local firm, to assist new faculty and their families transition to the local area. When you call, mention Hamilton College; we will cover the cost of services. 
  • Members of the Human Resources staff at Hamilton College can provide job search assistance to spouses or partners of faculty members, or they can provide referrals to local search firms. For further information, contact a member of our Family Relocation Support Team.
• Access to regional resources: Hamilton is a member of the Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC). Its website contains free resources and a listing of faculty and staff positions at nearby colleges and universities. Opportunities for staff or employment at nearby colleges and universities can also be found at the website of the Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium. Information about job listings in central New York can be found at this New York State Department of Labor webpage and at the New York State Job Bank. You might also find this Career Fact Sheet helpful.

Faculty members, job candidates, and new hires should discuss concerns around dual careers with the chairs or directors of their department or program as well as the Associate Deans of Faculty.