North Columbus News

The Ohio State University’s Columbus campus has secured the No. 4 position in a national ranking of “partner-friendly” hiring practices among top-tier research universities. This ranking, known as the Partner Hire Scorecard, is part of the Dual-Careers Project, which examines challenges faced by couples working in academia. The research team for this project is based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is funded by a U.S. National Science Foundation grant.

Patrick Louchouarn, senior vice provost for faculty at Ohio State, noted that the ranking reflects the university's commitment to creating a supportive environment for prospective faculty members and their families. “The significance of having a program that is so well-developed as ours sends a message to potential faculty that we are really committing to them being here fully – not just them, but with their family,” he said.

Ohio State has adopted a proactive approach led by Sarah Conley, assistant vice provost for dual careers and faculty relocation in the Office of Academic Affairs. This strategy has significantly improved recruitment and retention of dual-career partners. Louchouarn highlighted last year's success: “What happened last year is that we tripled our number of completed and successful offers to partners,” he said. “We went from an average of about 16 to 17 for the past four years to close to 48.”

The Dual-Careers Project found that more than one-third of academic researchers are in relationships with other academics. Offering employment opportunities to partners can help colleges and universities attract top talent in various fields, according to Louchouarn. “It really is a competitive advantage,” he said. “When you make people comfortable and welcome with their partners, then people tend to commit much more easily to the institution.”

Louchouarn emphasized that best practices in hiring include recognizing dual talents equally: “It’s elevating double talent, rather than just one,” he said.

An effective hiring strategy involves providing diverse options for dual-career partners, including non-tenure-track positions. “Not everybody wants a tenure-track position,” Louchouarn stated. “What we support is the consideration of all types of faculty positions.”

Ohio State also collaborates with central Ohio public- and private-sector employers to offer professional opportunities for partners of new hires who may not be seeking academic positions. Louchouarn explained this tailored approach: “When you have a partner that is not an academic or not looking for an academic position, we also make contact with a group of partners that we have outside of the university for potential hires.”

The Dual-Careers Project analyzed publicly available documents related to issues facing couples in academia at 146 R1 institutions—doctoral universities with high research activity. Other Ohio institutions ranked in this study include the University of Cincinnati – Main Campus (49), Case Western Reserve University (52), Ohio University – Main Campus (97), and Kent State University (121).