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Acceptance of appointment sharing by colleges is by no means universal. For example, when Peter and Sue Ellen Gruber, both now biologists at Mount Holyoke, were looking for jobs, they applied for every possible combination—his, hers, theirs—with separate letters of recommendation to match. But one time they mistakenly sent a joint letter to a college where only Sue Ellen was applying. Recalls Sue Ellen: "When the dean called me for an interview, he said, 'I notice that your husband is a biologist too. What will he do?' All of a sudden, he was backing away. I suggested that he consider both of us, but he wouldn't hear of it." Some college administrators feel that they have good reason to be wary. "If you get divorced," they ask appointment-sharing applicants, "will we be caught in the middle of a custody fight for the job?"
Shared appointments have their drawbacks for the couples. Tenure becomes a mid-career crisis; most colleges refuse to split a tenured post, so each partner must be considered separately. Professional jealousy can erupt between the sharers. Says Courtney Gordon: "You have to be noncompetitive in terms of your job—and have a very strong marriage." Another problem: it is virtually impossible to leave the office behind. The Grubers, for example, agreed initially that there would be no shop talk at meals. But after "a number of silent dinners," they gave in, and have never regretted it. Indeed, says Marjorie Woods, the joint interest in a job "takes away a lot of the pressure and strain. It's always nice to know you're working with a friend."