Requesting Dual Career Support

Recruitment Referrals

Dual career liaison Rhonda Smith is available for consultations on job search advice and career transitions for eligible dual career partners who are seeking off-campus employment or nonfaculty positions at the UO. After the first consultation, partners who are interested in pro tem, career, and tenure-track faculty positions will be referred by Rhonda to the Office of the Provost. 

Employment is not guaranteed.

Deans, vice presidents, and vice provosts may request dual career support for partners of the following primary hires:

  • Individuals recruited for tenure-track faculty (TTF) positions.
  • Incoming TTF members prior to their start date or within the first six months of employment.
  • Individuals recruited for Officer of Administration (OA) positions when the salary band is 11 or higher.
  • Incoming OAs in salary band 11 or higher prior to their start date or within the first six months of employment.

Career faculty and other employees are not eligible. Dual career support is intended for partners who are not employed. If partners are employed in a job that can be brought with them or maintained remotely, they are not eligible.

To request support, submit the following information to Rhonda Smith, dual career liaison, at rhonda@uoregon.edu.

  • Name, title, department, and school/college/vice presidential portfolio of the primary hire.
  • Name and current email address of the primary hire’s partner.
  • Resume or CV of the partner. 

Note: To propose the hire of a TTF partner of a TTF, refer to information about Faculty Positions for Partners.

What to Expect

After the referral, the dual career liaison will contact the partner to schedule a meeting to explain the consultation services and discuss the partner’s career and employment interests. Employment is not guaranteed. A job search is most successful when partners take initiative and are motivated to achieve their goals. After the referral, the liaison will work with a partner until employment has been attained or for up to one year. Partners who are interested in pro tem, career, and tenure-track faculty positions will be referred by Rhonda to the Office of the Provost.

  • A consultation usually begins with a phone/virtual conversation or an in-person meeting to identify the partner’s employment interests.
  • On-campus positions are not guaranteed; however, the liaison will work to identify administrative/staff positions that may be of interest to the partner.
  • For a partner interested in off-campus positions, the liaison will develop a list of potential employers and share contacts for networking.
  • The liaison will maintain communication with the referring dean, vice president, or vice provost during the recruitment.

For additional information about requesting dual career support, contact Rhonda Smith at rhonda@uoregon.edu.

Retention Referrals

Deans, vice presidents, and vice provosts may request dual career support for the partner of a TTF or an OA in salary band 11 or higher in response to a retention concern. The employee’s partner must be currently unemployed; assistance is not intended for employed partners. The need for partner assistance will be evaluated in the context of other aspects of retention.

  • Referrals for the partners of TTF should be made to the Executive Vice Provost through the TTF Offers role account at ttfoffers@uoregon.edu.
  • Referrals for the partners of an OA in salary band 11 or higher should be made to Jenna Schuttpelz, Director, Talent Acquisition, Classification and Compensation, at jrakes@uoregon.edu.

If it’s determined that partner assistance is to be pursued, the employee’s partner will be referred to Rhonda Smith when the partner is interested in nonfaculty work (at UO or in the community). The vice provost will refer the matter to the appropriate dean if the partner is seeking faculty work.

Information about Faculty Positions for Partners

Rhonda Smith does not provide direct support for a partner’s pursuit of a faculty position, including non-tenure track (pro tem and career) and TTF roles. If the partner expresses an interest in a faculty-related position during the initial consultation, she will make a referral to the Executive Vice Provost who will work with the dean(s) of the relevant schools or colleges to determine if an appropriate faculty-related position can be identified.

The university does support tenure-related faculty recruitments where the partner is also suitably qualified for a tenure-related position with the primary purpose of recruiting excellent new faculty who will advance the academic priorities of the university. In exceptional cases, this support may be extended for the retention of current tenure-related faculty who meet this description.

Following the decision to hire a TTF member, the university may consider a qualified partner for a TTF position, provided the following conditions are satisfied:

  • The partner has obtained the terminal degree appropriate for the field.
  • The potential hiring unit of the partner has reviewed and vetted the partner’s academic record and has indicated its full approval for this second hire.
  • The dual hire clearly furthers the university’s fundamental goal of academic excellence, as consistent with academic priorities.
  • Preference will be given to those cases where a strong record of academic achievement has been established.

In no cases are partner hires guaranteed or automatic. 

For more information on submitting a proposal for the hire of a TTF partner of a TTF member, follow the UO TTF Direct Hire proposal process as outlined on the Target of Opportunity page.

Questions

For additional information about requesting dual career support, contact Rhonda Smith at rhonda@uoregon.edu.