University support for student parents w/ young children at home?
Question for parents who are also students (community college or university) -- how is your school supporting you?
Do you all know if UC Berkeley, City College, CS Hayward, etc. are offering any expanded resources for students who are parents at this time? ... in light of the additional stress/time dedicated to homeschooling their kids? (Yup, I'm calling "online school" homeschooling ;-) I'm asking because I'm currently in a grad program (online) and am really struggling ... I need a 1 semester extension to complete coursework because I am taking care of my 3 small kids -- no childcare -- while in school full time. The college is refusing to grant extensions or provide any resources for student parents ... and I can't fathom how that is possible. My situation is not unique; surely other universities have figured out ways to help? I understand that budgets are strapped, so I'm not referring to financial assistance (I already used up all my financial aid on tuition) ... rather, I'm curious about policies that could help students during this time while they are taking care of their loved ones -- small children, aging parents, or anyone who is ill from COVID. This is information I can use to make recommendations to my department chair. I am also reaching out to friends at various universities, but will not cite anyone's names or even the university names; rather, I'm looking for examples of policies that are helping students who are precariously straddling family care / full course loads / COVID-19 / (and also perhaps working). Thank you!
Parent Replies
You can find information about how UC Berkeley is supporting students with accommodations and other resources at family.berkeley.edu. There is a link specifically for graduate students.
Hi There,
I'm so sorry you're struggling and that your school is not being more supportive.
I work with students at UC Berkeley and student parents is one of the demographics I focus on within my department. This is a new focus for me, so I am still learning.
UC Berkeley has made this new website for families: https://family.berkeley.edu/. Some options are going down to part-time status (which undergrads may do in normal circumstances, this seems like a new option for grad students though) and helping with childcare including connecting with each other to find pods. As it takes students longer to finish when they go to part-time status, additional semesters are almost always approved (again, I'm talking from an undergrad advisor point of view, but it's just common sense that it would take students more time, if they're only taking 1-2 classes/semester).
I created a Slack page for student parents in my department so that they could connect with each other more easily. It's a space for them to share resources, vent, find study partners, etc. Our semester has not yet begun, but the page is starting to have more action and the student seem to appreciate the space already. You could create a page and invite your classmates with children to join. If nothing else, support from each other is incredibly important. Slack is free and easy to use.
Best of luck to you. I have a son and am working from home and it is so difficult, even with some help from family.