Parenting Students and Graduate Education: A Call for Child- and Family-Friendly Infrastructure at Rutgers
August 2024
Briana M. Bivens, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, SGS
Henry Boachi, Ph.D. student, Communication, Information, and Media
Eric Chiles, Ph.D. student, Microbial Biology
Shannon Dickey, Ph.D. student, Ecology and Evolution
Emily C. Hanselman, Ph.D. student, Neuroscience
Courtney R. McDermott, Ph.D (graduated Spring 2024, Neuroscience)
Zainab Mustapha, Ph.D. student, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Elizabeth Rosenzweig, Ph.D. student, Quantitative Biomedicine
Tracy Youngster, Ph.D. student, Ecology and Evolution
*shared first authorship*
The School of Graduate Studies' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Graduate Student Advisory Committee is delighted to release a policy brief, entitled, "Parenting Students and Graduate Education: A Call for Child- and Family-Friendly Infrastructure at Rutgers."
The brief summarizes research about parenting graduate students and outlines the following five recommendations Rutgers should take to support this community and grow the University-wide commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion:
- Establish a permanent liaison for parenting students.
- Grant priority access to teaching schedules, class registration, and flex-work policies for parenting students.
- Collect data on parenting students and caregivers to support effective interventions and resources.
- Create equitable access to lactation spaces and family-affirming infrastructure.
- Expand access to quality childcare on campus and provide graduate childcare stipends.
The report reflects the culmination of two years of research, relationship-building, and co-writing by graduate student and postdoc members & conveners of the Holistic Student Supports subcommittee of SGS's DEI Graduate Student Advisory Committee.
This policy brief is part of a growing campus-wide effort to expand supports for parenting graduate students, thanks to the leadership and advocacy of the Supporting Parents and Caregivers at Rutgers (SPCR) Graduate Student Organization, the Office of Graduate Student Life, the Title IX Office, and Dean Mark Robson in the School of Graduate Studies.
The co-authors hope that Rutgers administrators, faculty, and staff will engage with the brief to inform creative and sustainable investments and supports for parenting graduate students.
Engage with and share the brief today!