New resources designed to make the difficulties of balancing a class load and family life a little less stressful for student parents are being created on campus.
The University is becoming a recognizably “kid-friendly” place with the creation of a map that illustrates areas on campus that are considered welcoming to children. Areas include the location of child care programs, the Knight Library’s children’s book section and the Office of Student Life. The map will be presented in a brochure-like handout, unfolding to a larger size that will accommodate the map yet making it easy to carry.
Work and Family Services Administrator Karen Logvin, who is heading up the project, said the map is intended “to be playful and have the information be accessible.”
“It was created as another format for informing the campus and the community about the many resources and opportunities for families on campus,” she said.
Logvin said she hopes it will be completed and available at the beginning of winter term.
ASUO Women’s Center Director Lisa Foisy said as a parent at the University, the map will help her when she needs to come to campus for after-hour meetings and events.
Foisy said she liked how the map itself is being created to appeal to children with its childlike fonts and symbols.
“Even my 3-year-old could look at that and she would know ‘look mama this is where the playground would be,’ so it felt very kid-friendly,” Foisy said.
Logvin said the map’s design comes from the InfoGraphics Lab in the Geography Department and is meant to be fun for kids, too.
“It’s playful yet professional,” she said.
ASUO Nontraditional Student Advocate Kimberly Archer said she thinks the map will be helpful for student parents who need to bring their children to campus during non-class hours.
“The child-friendly map will be a great addition,” she said. “It’s just a visual depiction of all the resources on campus.”
Archer said she is trying to create more resources for student parents as well. For one day during Dead Week, she will make student parents’ lives a little easier by providing daycare at her home for those who need a little extra time to study or do some holiday shopping.
“Being a student parent, my house is set up to accommodate several children,” she said. She added that those who are interested can e-mail her at [email protected].
Archer is also working to set up a baby-sitting co-op program in which parents trade baby-sitting hours with one another. She said student parents need to become more involved on campus for programs like this to be successful, however.
“Student parents are a group on campus that everyone knows exist but don’t get a lot of exposure,” she said, adding that many student parents blend in and it can be difficult to recognize one another.
Foisy said she feels the University could use some improvements for faculty parents, even though many resources are available for student parents.
She said at times her hours have accommodated her family life, but at other times they have been inflexible, adding that University childcare hours need to match up better with faculty hours.
“If the University wants to be family-friendly, here’s an area that really needs to be worked on and provided: University childcare services that are more flexible,” she said.