History professors Kate and Frans van Liere have the same office and the same job. As romantic as it seems, they rarely see each other on the job.

``It's something of a myth that job-sharing means working together or teaching together; essentially it means holding two separate part-time jobs,'' said Kate. ``For the most part, we are there at different times, and don't see each other that much at work.''

The van Lieres are among several married couples at Calvin who share their career with their significant other: one salary for two people, less hours for each, and more time with the family.

``We both wanted to be professionally active, but also be able to raise a family with a full time parent in the home,'' said Professor Mark Muyskens, who has shared his teaching position here at Calvin with his wife, Karen, since 1989.

Calvin has offered this opportunity to almost a dozen couples in the last 12 years and received an award from the Women's Resource Center last year for its work with family conscious employees through the job-sharing program.

``In higher education, it's quite rare to have half a dozen couples who are able to job share...it's quite unique and creative that our institution is willing to be that open,'' said Connie Bellows, Human Resource Director.

Calvin is not alone in following this trend of family friendly hiring. More and more colleges are becoming open to hiring professors through the job-sharing program.

``Few colleges hire as many job- shares as Calvin does. However, since more and more couples are meeting in graduate school and then looking for jobs together, more colleges and universities are starting to do the same,'' said Bellows.

According to Bellows, Calvin's openness to this policy allows the faculty to be more flexible when hiring professors that have the dual interest of a career and family.

``The faculty is able to recruit qualified people who have interest in balancing work and home life; both husband and wife want to have a part in raising their children and keeping current in scholarship,'' said Bellows.

This opportunity for professors is beneficial for Calvin in terms of the kind of family-oriented professors they are drawing in, but it also adds diversity to the classroom.

``Students will have a broad and rich experience by two people who are different in gender and the way that they deliver the material ... there is a different focus for each professor and it makes the student's experience more rich and broad,'' said Bellows.