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[saintannie]

Hi-
I've searched the forum but can't find anything- if this has been discussed before can you please direct me to the thread?

I have a phenomenal t-t job. Met my love after moving here. He has been VAP 3 years at a school 90 min away-  that job is finally being converted into t-t, and he's interviewing for it, but his institution seems much more shaky, financially, and I have serious doubts about the future there. I am concerned that even if he's hired the job won't materialize.

We have openings in my dept that are not being addressed due to finances- instead we hire adjuncts semester after semester. My partner could definitely teach these courses. (we are in the same area).

My question is: I would like to ask for a spousal hire for him, but don't know if I can do it mid-contract and without another offer on the table from a competitor for leverage. Of course when I took this job- the logical time to ask for a spousal- I didn't even know him.

The other option is that HE could ask for a spousal for me at either of the two OTHER places he's interviewing this month (the place where he's VAP would not give me an offer due to the aforementioned financial difficulties) and then that could be leverage to take back to my university.

I hope this question is clear- the underlying issue is that I was a single hire but in the last two years this relationship has become paramount and we want to work together. When/if to discuss this, optimally: with current employers? prospectives? BTW we are both in demand in our field.

thanks,
A

[secretweapon]

Given the thread title and your moniker, I was kind of hoping that this thread would be about medieval women mystics. 

I don't have any experience with this, but I'm sure others will advise you that the time to negotiate is when you have another offer.  Thus, it is most likely that if anyone will be negotiating a second hire, it will be your love if and when he is offered something.  If he gets one, then you could go back to your university, because you will, in effect, have a counter-offer.

You may also find that it is difficult to be taken seriously if you are not married and you have the legal right to be. 

[sibyl]

Yes, the optimal time to discuss it is after (a) you get married or enter domestic partnership, depending on your state and your institution, and either (b) you or your partner has a job offer with the potential for a spousal hire or (c) you get tenure.

That said, it doesn't mean that you can't ask now.  If you have a good relationship with the dean of your school or the chair of your  department, you can broach the idea.  You are more likely to get results if you are working to solve a problem -- i.e. you say, My partner can teach all of these classes and we won't have to hire adjuncts.  (That said, if there are enough adjunct courses to support a tenure line, the department or school has probably already considered and rejected making a full-time hire.)

Good luck.