University of Pittsburgh
Office of the Provost
July 2020
Updated October 2025
In 2013, the Council of Deans approved a set of guidelines for a dual-career recruitment and retention program, which demonstrates our commitment “to recruit and retain the best faculty available for the University of Pittsburgh when partners also have academic careers.” These guidelines were updated in 2025 to conform to the collective bargaining agreement with the faculty union.
The guidelines presented below outline a process through which schools that wish to hire or retain key faculty members can work with other units within the University’s academic community to hire a faculty member’s partner in an academic capacity. Appointments through the dual career recruitment and retention program will typically follow the same procedure as Visiting Faculty appointments. In some instances, it may be possible to structure permanent appointments for the partner, subject to meeting specific conditions.
Specific criteria and guidelines are as follows:
- The program is available only to partners of tenured and tenure-stream faculty the University is trying to recruit or retain, and the size of the commitment in each case will depend upon the desire to recruit or retain the primary target of the recruitment or retention.
- The Provost or the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences will provide one-third salary support for up to three years, provided this support is matched equally by the school hiring the target faculty member and the school hiring the partner (1/3rd- 1/3rd-1/3rd split). To manage the costs of the program, we recommend a cap on positions or financial resources be established on a yearly or multi-year basis.
- Requests must be made by the dean of the school recruiting or retaining the target faculty member and need to be supported by the dean of the school, the president of the regional campus, or the director of the institute or center that is proposing to hire the partner.
- For the majority of partner hires, academic opportunities for the partner should be developed primarily as visiting professorships within departments and as fellowships in the institutes or centers at the University of Pittsburgh. These appointments should be for no longer than three (3) consecutive academic years. It is anticipated that in most situations the position will be a temporary visiting position, providing the partner the opportunity to search for a permanent position while meaningfully employed. The Provost or the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences will provide one-third salary support for up to three years.
- On rare occasions, opportunities for the partner may also be developed as appointment stream or tenure stream/tenured appointments. The requirements for each type of appointment is as follows:
- Appointment Stream: This would be contingent upon having an available faculty line, approved by the Provost (for Provost area units via a supplemental recruitment request), or the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences (contact the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences for process guidance). Initial appointments should be for two years. At the end of the initial 2-year appointment, the partner may be reappointed to the appropriate term for their rank; at that time, financial support from the Office of the Provost would cease.
- Tenure Stream/Tenured: The Office of the Provost will consider requests for appointing the partner to a tenure stream or tenured position, if there is a strong case for such an appointment. This would be contingent upon having an available faculty line or a line anticipated to be available within 3 years (e.g., through an upcoming retirement). Such a request will need to be approved by the Provost (for Provost area units via a supplemental recruitment request), or the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences (contact the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences for process guidance). The Office of the Provost will consider requests for partial support of start-up costs on a case- by-case basis. If the partner is reappointed at the end of the initial 3-year appointment, financial support from the Office of the Provost would cease.
- Each request will be evaluated based on individual merits and in the context of the overall budget for the program.
- The Provost will provide the matching funds when the target hire or retention is in the provost area and the partner is in the health sciences area. The Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences will provide the matching funds when the target hire or retention is in the health sciences and the partner is in the provost area.
- The program is limited to positions at the University of Pittsburgh.
- The partner must be qualified for the position into which they are being hired.
Should you have any questions about these guidelines or procedures, please contact facultyrecruit@pitt.edu or John Wallace, Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and Leadership Development (412-624-5749 or vpwallace@pitt.edu).
PROCESS
To request Dual Career Hire funding, submit a Dual Career Hire Form via Docusign using the following links:
Provost Area Units: OTP Dual Career Hire Request Form - Provost Area Units
- To be used when both the target faculty and their partner are joining Provost Area units.
Health Science Units: OTP Dual Career Hire Request Form - Provost Area/Health Sciences
- To be used when the target faculty member and/or their partner are joining a Health Sciences school.
After the Dual Career Hire Request has been approved by the Office of the Provost vis Docusign, submit a requisition for approval by the Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing in Talent Center to request a Targeted External Faculty Recruitment (TEFR). The Office of Institutional Engagement and Wellbeing does not require a search committee to be formed for this type of posting, but the unit must identify a search committee administrator. If the Office of Institutional Engagement and Well-being approves the request for a TEFR, they will post the position for 5 days. The partner hire being recruited must apply for the position. After the posting is removed, the search committee administrator will need to disposition all applicants.
After the above steps have been completed, submit all of the required documentation in Talent Center to complete the appointment for the partner hire.
- Provost Area Units only - Please note that if the applicant will be in a non-visiting role upon hire, a request to negotiate will need to be submitted and approved prior to negotiations with the individual. If an approved request to negotiate is not submitted in Talent Center for any non-visiting role, the Talent Center submission will be denied by the Office of Faculty Affairs.