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[seventysix]

This post is pretty far in advance, but I thought I'd solicit advice here.  To summarize the situation:

Me:  tenure-track, in science area.  PhD from top 5 program.  Up for tenure in a few years at a public research university where I'm very happy with the town, teaching, and academic environment in general.  There are definitely stronger departments - I think my research is strong enough to move up, but it's not superstar quality.

My partner:  graduate student, in humanities area, at a different university.  Finishing her Ph.D. in a few years from her top 5 program.  From what I can tell, a rising star in her field, already publishing, speaking, and teaching extensively.  Her studies qualify her for multiple departments.  Wants to be at a good research university as well (my university would be a good fit, though there are much better departments elsewhere).

Our hopes:  both of us with happy tenured/tenure track jobs at a good research university, in a wonderful town, of course!

I wonder if there's anything I/we can start doing, besides working our butts off, publishing, teaching, speaking, and accumulating excellent CV's and references. 

Ideas I have: 

1.  Letting colleagues at other universities know that I might be willing to move, if both of us can be hired. 
2.  Discussing our situation with the dean/chair at my university, in hopes that some interdepartmental coordination might lead to her being hired by my university.

Generally, I wonder if and when such steps should be undertaken.  Timing seems crucial.

Worries I have:

I don't want to start any rumors that could effect my tenure possibilities (though I think they are pretty safe otherwise). 

I don't know how coordination is possible between departments as distant as mine and my partner's.

I don't know what is legal at a public university, regarding spousal hires, even when they are highly qualified.

I don't want to hold back my partner, who is at an earlier but extremely promising career stage.  On the other hand, I don't think I'd mind being a "trailing spouse", if it was at a good institution.

Any advice?
 

[sibyl]

I don't think you can openly talk about it at this point.  I wouldn't discuss it with colleagues or the dean; unless there is already an opening, it doesn't matter until she's really ready to go on the market, and you run the risk of undercutting your own position.

I think your current pose has to be that of the proud partner.  Brag (in a modest way) to the dean and other people about your partner and her wonderful work.  Ask the head of what would be "her" department at your institution whether the Journal of the Enormously Prestigious Scholarly Association is a "good" publication, and when the head asks you why, tell the head about your partner getting published there.  ("And she's only a grad student!")  This will encourage the head to start coveting her.  The same strategy can be employed with influential people in "her" department.  When people ask you about your long-term plans and whether she would move for you or you would move for her, be disingenuous.  ("Gosh, I haven't thought about it.  I'm thinking more about tenure for myself right now.  But sure, I suppose we will want to be together, or at least near each other, at some point.")

In the meantime, if "her" department has an opening, you should go over and ask someone whether they'd consider someone who was pre-PhD.  Then have no further contact with the committee.  (Of course she should apply even if she's not done yet and even if they say they won't take her.) 

Also in the meantime, look at the hiring practices and demographics of "her" department.  How many people do they have in her area?  How many people do they tend to hire in subfields?  If her specialty is 19th century European basketweaving, do they have strength in European basketweaving?  Is there any subfield in which they have more than one person -- say one German-centered and one French-centered specialist?  Or would she have to wait until the current inhabitant of her specialty decides to retire?  Is that person 38 and just starting, or 68 and bound to retire one of these days?  This will help you get a sense for arguments you can make when it is time to talk turkey.

The time to be specific about it is when she is going on the market, or when there are actual offers on the table.

In the meantime, keep on doing all that "working your butts off" you rightly describe.  That will strengthen your hand more than any of these other strategies.  Good luck.

[seventysix]

Thank you for the advice, Sibyl!

But one thing has me concerned about waiting until she is on the market.

In my department, we typically decide on hiring fields almost a year in advance.  For example, we might decide in January, 2009 or earlier on what field to hire in during the 2009-10 job-search, for a position beginning in the fall, 2010.

Do you think I should start contacting her department earlier, in order to let them know about our situation before they settle on a specific field in which to hire?  Our could that backfire?

[sibyl]

No one wants to think that they settled for anything less than exactly what they wanted.  For that reason I think that if you openly encourage "her" department to hire in her subspecialty there is a high risk of backfiring.  If it were me I'd make sure I did my bragging to the chair about her publications now, so that the chair can start musing "Well, we really could use a basketweaving specialist," but nothing else.

[sciencephd]

Since the time horizon is a few years, the best thing you can do to enhance your portability is get more grants.  This is the primary factor that will affect your desirability to a larger set of universities.

[seventysix]

Thanks again for the advice!  I will take it to heart.

And, regarding grants, please keep your fingers crossed on my behalf.  I should know in a few weeks about a big one!