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University Daily Kansan/Wednesday, October2, 1991
ONTHEHILL
Totally together twosomes
KU faculty couples don't just share their homes; they share academic and University experiences
rgaret Arnold, associate professor of English, and her husband, William, associate professor of sociology, often share their lunch hour at her office in Wescoe Hall.
By Jennifer Bach
Kenneth Stuffauer
Kansan staff writer
Fivedays a week, Timothy Mitchell drops off his wife, Nancy, at Lippincott Hall where she works. He then drives around the corner to the museum, museum, parks their car and goes to work bins itself.
The Mitchells, each wrapped up in their own world at the University of Kansas, seldom see each other again until they meet for lunch at the Kansas Union.
Timothy Mitchell, professor of history, said that he and his wife, the assistant director and adviser of study abroad, had such different jobs that it seemed as though they did not work together at all.
"It really is very much like having two separate jobs," he said. "Besides from being physiotherapist, I have always been a nurse."
Timothy Mitchell said he and his wife liked working in separate departments, but he said there were advantages to working in the same environment.
"We both know immediately the terms and the people each other is referring to, and in a situation like this," she said.
The Mitchells have never worked in the same department, and Timothy Mitchell said he
"This is just speculation," he said. "But, there would be a lot of competition involved in working in the same office or department. It could create a lot of tension."
However, working in the same department has not created tension between two married partners.
Philip Barnard and Cheryl Lester have been married for seven years. They have been able to work together successfully in the same department, they said.
"We don't compete at all," Barnard said. "In fact, we collaborate a certain amount. I feel very comfortable in the department with her because she's someone I can trust."
However, to avoid any conflict of interest, they are never on the same committees in the department.
"We don't want to influence each others' votes," he said.
Although Barnard said he enjoyed working with his wife, he said if a couple were not aware of each other's intentions, she could have been
If we were on the same committee, it could be weird," he said. "We would maybe have been wrong."
To accommodate their 2-year-old daughter's day care schedule, Barnard and Lester stagger their schedules.
Barnard works on Tuesdays and Thursdays,
and Lester works on Mondays, Wednesdays
If they did have the same schedules, Barnard said it would not affect their working relationship.
"It's nice because you have a second pair of eyes looking over you when your spouse is a colleague," he said. "It tends to be an advantage."
Lester said that because their offices were different floors of Wesco Hall and they worked on opposite days of the week, they did
not see each other as much as they would like.
doesn't bring us as close together as you might, but it makes me feel very welcome. A common ground and we all enjoy that.
She agreed with her husband that working with a spouse was beneficial.
"Imarried him." Lester said. "I think highly of him. I'm happy to have him in the department. I have a lot of respect and faith in him."
Lester said working in the same department gave them more opportunities to see each other, rather than creating tension between them.
*If we didn't have this, we'd really miss each*
Michael Butler, associate professor of English, and Donna Buler, editor of independent study continuing education, work in such projects as it is as though they do not work in the same university.
"We don't see each other at all throughout the day, except by accident." he said.
But, he said that working at the University taught them something common about their work.
Margaret and William Arnold have been an academic couple at KU since 1968.
Although some married couples may argue about academic issues, the Arnolds have
enjoyed working at the same university, said Margaret Arnold, associate professor of English.
"You understand the demands and pressures of an academic schedule when you work together," she said.
Arnold said that if she could relive her career, she would still work in the same profession as her husband, who is an associate professor of sociology.
"I think it would be hard for me to have a non-academic husband," she said. "It's a goodthing for both of us. We meet in college and never left the university environment."
STUDENTS BASKETBALL TICKETS
The basketball portion of your sports combo ticket is available.
Please stop by the ticket office in the EAST lobby of Allen Fieldhouse.
Starting Tuesday, October 1st between the hours of 8:30-4:30
Please bring your current KUID with a Fall sticker and also your paid fee statement or current class schedule.
Is your checkbook hurting? Alvin's can help cut your grocery bill. KU students save 5% on total purchases, simply by showing their KUID. Offer valid every Wednesday. Also, take advantage of these low prices:
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12ozcan
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