Balancing geographical mobility with individual ambition is a familiar crossroad for many families in the academic community: When one partner receives a promising job offer at a college or university, the other might face significant difficulties securing employment in or near the same location. To address this issue, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and University of Massachusetts Amherst participate in the Plus One Network.
As part of the Five College Consortium, the network includes several esteemed institutions across New England — Amherst College, Smith College, Hampshire College, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Mount Holyoke College.
The Plus One Network aims to build community by encouraging interaction between dual career couples. It boasts a centralized platform with access to job postings from all of the participating colleges, networking events, and more to assist the spouses and partners of faculty and staff in building professional networks of their own.
Opportunities for participants include exclusive workshops and lectures, relocation resources, and early access to job listings at member institutions and independent schools throughout the region.
This partnership is mutually beneficial, allowing the institutions to recruit and retain talented faculty and staff while effectively alleviating the dual career hiring pressure on the institution and providing essential resources for spouses and partners.
