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[grendels_mother]

Spouse and I have both been on the market this year, trying to solve a 2-body problem.  Currently he's t-t and I've been adjuncting at the same school in a very expensive part of the country.

A few weeks ago, Spouse received a different tenure-track offer at a great school in a more affordable city (let's call it school A).  They have offered me a part-time VAP for a year, and say it's very likely I will be able to renew the position (perhaps indefinitely), but since there are currently several faculty in my area, it's unlikely a t-t job will open up for me there any time soon.

Spouse and I also both interviewed for t-t jobs at school B, a state school in a more affordable location (we both applied for jobs and got campus visits individually), but neither his potential department nor mine can make a decision about offers until next week.  We are unable to extend our deadline with school A any further than we already have.

What would you do?   Go with the sure thing at school A (though it's not two tenure-track jobs), or hold out for the possibility of school B? 

[sciencephd]

Since A doesn't really solve the problem, why take it ?

[locutus]

Hold out for B.

[grendels_mother]

Since A doesn't really solve the problem, why take it ?

Because our money would go quite a bit further there than where we are currently (and we've got kids, so we worry about money more than we used to).  School A is also a substantial step up from where we are currently, & hence a good move for my spouse, career-wise.

[appendage]

My spouse and I have been worried about exactly this kind of situation. For us, solving the 2-body problem is a *must*; so any offer that doesn't solve it adequately is a just, in our opinion, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. If the long-term goal is two TT jobs, then this move is just another move that precedes yet another move someplace that will fulfill that goal.

Furthermore, I'm not at all sure I'd be comfortable leaving a solid position for a non-guaranteed, *potentially* renewable visiting line. In this crappy economy, if the permanence isn't in writing or the job isn't TT, then I'd steer clear.

What does School B say when you tell them (1 week from their decision) that School A is pressuring you?

[grendels_mother]

What does School B say when you tell them (1 week from their decision) that School A is pressuring you?

The last of the candidates to school B are visiting today and tomorrow, so school B says they won't be able to tell us anything until the next week.

I'm not sure how "solid" my adjunct job is here, but in light of the budget cuts our college is facing, I'll probably be able to count on more work here since adjuncts are such cheap labor and we've got a hiring freeze in effect on tenure-track lines.

[appendage]

The last of the candidates to school B are visiting today and tomorrow, so school B says they won't be able to tell us anything until the next week.

I'm not sure how "solid" my adjunct job is here, but in light of the budget cuts our college is facing, I'll probably be able to count on more work here since adjuncts are such cheap labor and we've got a hiring freeze in effect on tenure-track lines.

Hmmm ... so School B isn't willing to offer any hints, eh? That's unfortunate. Can you wait until Friday and ask School B one more time? Maybe email them on Friday (after their final candidates have interviewed) and say, "We *must* decide today. we would prefer to be at Illustrious School B, yada yada."

Is that an option? Or is School A making you decide today. As so many other threads in this forum indicate, if y'all take the jobs at School A, the only way you're ever going to get a TT job is for you and your spouse to go on the market again and get an offer for a dual hire ... and even *then* it's not guaranteed that School A will bite.

My spouse and I were in that situation recently. She had (still has) a TT job in one place, I had (past tense) a TT job several hundred miles away. Once I got there, it became clear that they were never going to act on a spousal hire ... even if I git a competing offer. That combined with some other reasons led me to take a postdoc closer to my spouse. Now we're both on the market and have almost lucked out.

That said, our status quo is one person with a TT job and one without. If we're going to have to be on the market again next year, we'd rather do that without having to move our house and animals too. Ultimately, though, I think it's a decision that depends on your long term goals and your strategy for attaining them.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

[prytania3]

I might go with School A. School B sounds like a total crap shoot. You are not waiting for one but two offers.

[grendels_mother]

Good luck to you, too, appendage.    This is so tough.

We are very tired of moving. If we took the job at school A, we'd be making a commitment to be there for the next several years, which I know will limit our ability to solve the 2-body issue.  School A is located in a major city with about 10-12 other colleges pretty close by-- and that's not even counting community colleges.  School A also has a fair amount of prestige-- but would a VAP there help at all when I apply to other schools in the area in the next few/several years?  I don't know. 

I did get very good vibes from school B during my visit last week (a few members of the committee flat out told me I was their first choice).  We were hoping our spousal situation might actually work in our favor there, since we did both get campus visits on our own merits, and since school B is located far, far, far, from any major city-- if they hired us both, they'd get two people who will actually stay there for the long haul-- but this may be just wishful thinking on our part.  In the end, though, Prytania is right-- it's still a crap shoot.

I can't wait to be past this whole thing.

[sibyl]

I agree with appendage that it's worth saying to B, "I must know today or I have to withdraw, even though I would rather be at B."  But the other reality is that you don't know whether you will get one offer, let alone two, from B. 

You have not said anything about School C -- where you are now.  If you pass up School A for School B, and then you don't get School B (or if only one of you gets School B), how would you feel about going back to School C?  Have you told C about A and invited them to counter with a tt job for you?  Have they already come back and said, No way?  Or do you want to escape so much that you don't want to come back to School C even if it means tenure for you?

If you think that you won't "solve our two-body problem" without two TT jobs, then A doesn't really solve it, so you could pass it up and hope that B comes through; if B does not come through, you can go back on the market next year, or the year after that, or the year after that.

And maybe one offer from School A is better than one offer (for either of you) from School B.  You've said that two offers from B is better than one offer from A.  But I'm not seeing many reasons to think that one from B is better than one from A; while the trailing spouse has options at A, B sounds so remote that there aren't any good options for the trailing spouse there.

Based solely on what you've said so far, I'd incline to A.  You may be able to carve something out at A or at a school in the area -- maybe something where you teach part-time and administer part-time.  You aren't able to carve anything out at C, and you may or may not be able to make B work.

Good luck.

[grendels_mother]

Sibyl,
Oddly enough, school C (where my spouse is t-t currently) swooped in with a tenure track offer for me late last week.  When that happened, we let school A go.  School B has also given me an offer, but we still have several days to wait to find out about my husband's prospects there (he's not too keen on going there, though, even if an offer emerges).

In the meantime, my husband has also received another offer from school D, a top 10 liberal arts college I'm sure you've heard of.   They may or may not be able to come up with a visiting job for me.  So things are still a bit unsettled.  Two tenure tracks at C does solve our problem long term, though school D may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for my spouse.   Since I'm not totally in love with school C, I'm considering going with D if I can get any part time or temporary work there, but it's still a terribly tough decision.

[secretweapon]

Wow, G_M, you two are one hot couple!  Even though it sounds like you're in an enviable position to have all these different options, I can imagine how you must be going crazy right now.  Keep calm and let us know how you get on!  I hope School D moves fast and comes up with a good deal for you.

[boringmember]

Wow, good for you!  I'd be inclined to take C because even if it's not the ideal place, it will position you better for the future.  Good luck

[mended_drum]

Wow, good for you!  I'd be inclined to take C because even if it's not the ideal place, it will position you better for the future.  Good luck

Personally, I agree.  I wouldn't sacrifice my own chance for a tt job so that my spouse could have a dream job if I'd have to stay an adjunct or other non-tt faculty member.  Perhaps I'm just cynical, but should the marriage ever break up, you'd be in a very unfortunate position.

[sibyl]

All of this is good news, g_m.  It's certainly stressful, but there's really no way to alleviate that except with the realization that you'll be in great shape once it's behind you.  Hang in there; best wishes for D; and congratulations.