Work/Life Balance For Dual Career Faculty Couples

Dual career faculty couples face a unique set of challenges within the academic world. While these couples face the same challenges as all dual career couples, faculty couples have to also combine these normal stresses with special challenges of working as a faculty member. The first challenge is the original job search and finding two positions. The next challenge is to both make it through the tenure and promotion process. The third challenge is to have advancement opportunities. Along the way, the couple has to work together to develop a work/life balance plan to provide an environment for each person within the pair to thrive toward his/her career goals and personal goals. Besides balancing the day-to-day activities of a functioning household, couples must agree on timing for or if they will start a family and advancement opportunities for each. This paper and presentation will discuss our experiences over the last fifteen years related to work/life balance for a dual career engineering faculty couple. We will discuss the various phases of our careers and different “give and take” situations at those times. We will also discuss the tools and advice that have been extremely helpful to us as we work to maintain a healthy balance between our work and personal lives. Tips for couples from graduate students to faculty will be provided.