How to factor family into higher education
Family-friendly attitudes and services create institutions in which those with parental and caring responsibilities can thrive, which in turn can boost staff and faculty retention and productivity and student completion rates. Childcare provision, course flexibility and dedicated spaces are all effective measures. Another is formal and informal networks, which provide a voice to parents from across the institution. This collection of resources looks at how family and university life intersect, with advice for creating a more inclusive, collegial campus for all – from practical advice for managing parental leave to sensitive insights for supporting colleagues through times of crisis.
Systems that benefit academics’ family life
Universities need to factor the whole person into their support offering, recognising that the personal and family-related challenges faced by staff and students will change dramatically throughout their lives. Empathetic management and collegiality can go a long way but sometimes more practical steps, for instance, to help faculty on long-term leave return to work, are needed, as these resources explain.
Supporting parent academics through staff networks: The power of a combined voice can make working life easier for university faculty and staff with children. Here, Judith Lock of the University of Southampton lays out the challenges of mixing parenthood with academia and how networks lead to more family-friendly campuses.
The art of balance for primary carers in higher education: The dual role of primary caregivers and higher education professional is a delicate balancing act. Here are some strategies for juggling two very demanding endeavours, from Monika Shukla of the Singapore Institute of Technology.
What can universities do to support academic couples? What elements can make a university stand out as being partner friendly? Here are ways for institutions to support academics in dual-career partnerships – and boost their ability to attract and retain the best talent, from Torin Monahan and Jill A. Fisher of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
What parents need to succeed in academia and how universities can help: From working hours that fit in with childcare to a place to pump, Lancaster University’s Nadia von Benzon explains how universities can support staff who are parents.
Childcare for students and academics needs resources and relationships: Handling a challenging academic workload along with parenting responsibilities is complicated, writes Kim Thomason of Virginia Tech. Support, connection to resources and access to reliable childcare are all needed for parenting students and professionals to succeed.
How to manage parental leave for university staff: Parental leave presents challenges for the parent and the workplace, writes the University of Southampton’s Judith Lock. Here are some dos and don’ts for before, during and after the leave period that aim to smooth the return to work and fix academia’s leaky pipeline.
Breaking barriers for women - how to build effective parental leave: Seven UK-based academics who recently navigated the topsy-turvy world of maternity leave make six recommendations for ensuring motherhood is compatible with academia.
Working with the whole person, at all life stages
The line between personal and academic life is porous and weighing one against the other can mean tough choices. For many academics, the decision to relocate for a job or travel to advance their career comes with family considerations. Here, you’ll find advice for academics seeking to move up the career ladder without changing institutions and on managing the pressures to be mobile in a sector where the gatekeepers of prestige are often located in the Global North.
Support for faculty on long-term leave is a career lifeline: Institutions and academics both benefit when support frameworks are in place to help extended leavers back into work. Four educators from Cranfield University offer a case study in what one might look like.
How to support your staff during personal crises: A little-discussed aspect of leadership is how to support faculty and staff during times of trouble. Here, Helen Norris of Chapman University offers advice for making space and effective communication.
Infertility is a private struggle that requires open and supportive solutions: With infertility on the rise, is it time for universities to consider how they support staff struggling with fertility? Devon Oakley-Hogg of the University of Glasgow shares a first-hand account of her failed IVF cycles and how the experience has left her craving change
Menstruation, maternity, menopause: making space in the academy for all elements of womanhood: Do women’s health policies in higher education meet the needs of those they are meant to serve, and how might the stigma relating to aspects of womanhood be addressed? Ask Christina Dzineku and Devon Oakley-Hogg of Leeds Trinity University and University of Glasgow.
How academics can ‘stay put’ without ‘staying still’: Moving universities for career advancement is a common practice in academia. But what happens if you want to remain in the same institution? Doune Macdonald of the University of Queensland shares how to keep progressing into new roles and responsibilities.
Advancing women in academia - geographical mobility and the path to success: Hypermobility has brought opportunities for career advancement in academia, but it comes with expectations and gender-based barriers, writes Singapore Management University’s Lily Kong, especially when international events are focused on the Global North.
How to support university students who are parents
Widening participation and focus on lifelong learning mean that more university students today are parents or carers. Even among traditional undergraduates, about one in five college students in the US are parents. Older learners may care for ageing parents; graduate students may be combining study with a demanding job and raising children. So, flexibility to set their own study plans, classes available out of normal working hours and family-friendly spaces can be a lifeline alongside financial support. These resources explore what really makes a difference.
Balancing books and babies - empowering graduate-student parents: Juggling academics with family responsibilities is complicated. Barbara Hoopes of Virginia Tech shares advice on supporting and empowering graduate students who are parents.
Childcare remains a barrier for too many learners. Here’s how institutions can help: Universities can design programmes that meet student-parents where they are with their childcare needs. Here, Joanitt Montano of College of Health Care Professions and Chike Aguh of Harvard University outline three ways.
From prams to postgraduate degrees - how universities can support student parents: Educators play a crucial role in getting student parents the support they need. Mia Burleigh of the University of the West of Scotland offers seven tips, drawing on her own experience.
Twenty per cent of US undergraduates have children – we must do more to support them: Dedicating funds and resources to parenting students, most of whom are mothers and single, is also an investment in the prosperity of future generations, writes Sara Goldrick-Rab of Education Northwest.
More needs to be done to normalise and support students with caring responsibilities in HE: Universities have a duty to ensure a robust system is in place to support a growing number of students with caring responsibilities, colleagues from the University of Edinburgh write.
What universities can do to help academics with caring responsibilities: Higher education institutions can help their employees balance the demands of family responsibilities with work. Ambreen Ansar of Dubai Medical University explains how.
Factoring in all elements of family life
If universities want to achieve true diversity and gender equality among staff and students, they must embrace family life and responsibilities as something to be balanced alongside work and studies. Educators who listen to their students and relate teaching to their family and life experiences will help students understand and apply their learning, as explained below.
Four ways to tap into students’ family experiences for better learning: Using students’ family experiences as a jumping-off point for learning can help engage them and prepare them for the workforce. Here’s how to do it, from Ankit Agarwal of Adelaide University.
‘Gender equality is more rewarding than just ticking a box’: A whole-culture change to dismantle structural barriers has included mentoring, promotions workshops, and childcare and family leave support. Here are reflections on 25 years of advancing gender equality at Queen’s University Belfast, by Karen McCloskey.
If we want non-traditional results, we need non-traditional approaches: We must listen to − and respect − the needs and aspirations of learners as they are, not as we wish them to be, say Gregory Fowler of University of Maryland Global Campus and Kate Smith of Rio Salado College.
Developing an effective orientation programme for families and friends: Bring families and friends into the onboarding process to ease first-year students into university life, writes Kareina Cadel of Dalhousie University.
Thank you to all Campus contributors who shared their expertise and insights in this guide.
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