Student Parents at U-M

Alexandra Ellard, Lyss Shumaker and Kerrigan Fitzpatrick are student parents at the University of Michigan. Photo by Alec Cohen/Michigan Daily

The University of Michigan has a “Leaders and Best” mantra, but that mantra’s perceptions and expectations present challenges for overlooked student populations. Student parents are not typically recognized as a population on Ann Arbor’s campus, especially at the undergraduate level. Utilizing FASFA data and childcare subsidy applications, U-M recently identified about 100 undergraduate and 550 graduate student parents. “Though not all-encompassing, this is the first time we have any real count. Since it’s a small population in terms of a larger one, it can be easy for the University to overlook them,” CEW+ Director Tiffany Marrra said. “It can be hard for student parents to find each other, congregate and identify needs. That’s where CEW+ is stepping in: to help tell their story and advocate for changes that make sense based on their circumstances.”

As Ronald A. Freeman Collegiate Professor of Sociology and Population Studies Barbara Anderson approached Marra to collaborate on the Ascend Initiative focused on student parent needs at the Aspen Institute, a group of student parents came to Marra regarding an organization they were starting. Alex Ellard, Lyss Shumaker, and Kerrigan Fitzpatrick, student parents at U-M, wanted to create a student organization so future student parents would have a support network. CEW+ recognized this need and joined them by providing financial support for hosting expenses.

The Michigan Daily reporter Alice Tracey interviewed these three students and published “Hidden Population: Undergraduate student parents advocate for more resources” in January. “The article was huge,” Marra explained. “A student chose to write it and interviewed students willing to share their stories. That’s major leverage to show there are students with children on campus and we need to do something.” The story’s exposure catalyzed a meeting of 15 stakeholders across campus joining at a common table in March to hear from student parents and strategize on policy change. Without the article, this meeting may not have occurred with urgency.

We’re meeting the original promise that we made to the community at the Center’s founding: supporting students who are raising families.

Marra would like to see the University adopt priority registration for student parents. “People understand that student-athletes have practices and competitions. Since their time is crunched, they are allowed priority registration. Now, imagine getting your child to school or childcare and needing to pick them up with the possibility that your childcare facility may not be open after 6:00 pm… Student parents have a time poverty issue.” Using the same logic used toward student-athletes, accommodations should be provided for student parents. This would not incur the University any additional cost, and the population is small enough that they will not over-tax the registration system. “Student parents should be able to set an academic schedule that allows them to participate fully in the classroom while raising their children,” Marra expressed. In addition, Marra hopes U-M will work with local childcare providers on a drop-in arrangement for when exams are outside childcare facility hours.

In addition to emergency funding, free counseling, and sponsorship of student-parent meet-ups, CEW+ launched an academic coaching program for student parents which will have its second term this fall. The “students with children’’ website is also being updated and migrating under the Center’s care. Marra is working with Theresa Anderson at the Urban Institute on an Aspen Institute grant proposal for the development of a student parent council. Why this work, and why now? “The large focus of CEW+ has been on women returning to school after or while raising families. So I see it as continuing the conversation,” Marra explained. “We’re not starting anew, but ensuring that we’re meeting the original promise that we made to the community at the Center’s founding: supporting students who are raising families.”