Dual Career Support

Michigan State University recognizes that dual career partner assistance is an important aspect in recruiting and retaining outstanding, qualified and diverse faculty and staff. A dual career couple is one in which both heads of household pursue careers and, at the same time, maintain a family life together. Dual career couples often face challenges finding jobs within a commutable distance to meet career goals for both partners. See below for a general overview of the university's efforts to support talented couples in their search for meaningful employment at MSU and in the Greater Lansing Area.

Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs Resources

Search committees are frequently asked by a potential recruit about job opportunities for a spouse/partner. If a spouse/partner is qualified for an academic position, you may wish to contact the appropriate academic unit or college to explore appointment opportunities. This type of activity may, of course, be reciprocal. If an arrangement is reached, it may also be possible to appoint a spouse/partner in a non-tenure system position. The Vice Provost and Associate Vice President for Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs (FASA) may be of assistance in exploring opportunities.

In situations where a formal arrangement for employment has not been secured at time of offer, FASA can meet with the spouse/partner of the newly-hired faculty member to explore academic opportunities at MSU.

To contact Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs, email fasaffairs@msu.edu. 

To search for jobs at Michigan State University, please visit the MSU Careers website. 

The Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC)

The Higher Education Recruitment Consortium is committed to supporting the efforts of its member institutions to recruit and retain the most qualified and diverse faculty, administrators and staff through the sharing of information and resources. HERC recognizes that recruiting and retaining outstanding employees often includes assisting outstanding spouses/partners too. This is why HERC also seeks solutions to the dual career challenges, an increasing concern in higher education recruitment and retention. With a free account on hercjobs.org, job-seekers and their partners can search for two jobs within a commutable distance. The site also features access to webinars and blog posts and a resource page focused on dual career couples.

As the lead institution for Michigan HERC (MI-HERC), Michigan State University hosts the Director of MI-HERC within Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs. The Michigan HERC Director can assist job seekers in setting up a job seeker account with job alerts and provide support in navigating the job search in the greater Lansing area. The Director can also share resumes for dual hires with other HERC member institutions. 

To contact the Director of Michigan HERC, Maranda Holtsclaw, email mholtscl@msu.edu.

If you are looking for a new career in higher education, visit the Michigan HERC site! HERC has a variety of resources and tools available, free to any job seeker, including: career advice, job search tips, resume and cover letter guidance and a job board for careers in higher education with custom searches and alerts.  To sign up for a free job-seeker account and to set up custom job alerts, go to the job seeker login and click “Sign Up.”   

University Health and Wellbeing

The MSU University Health and Wellbeing has a career resources one-pager as well as other resources to support employees and newcomers. You can find the additional resources by visiting the WorkLife Wellbeing page.