Are you a student parent or carer at UCL?
We want to work with parents and carers to improve their experiences significantly. We want to see UCL and Union services be made more child friendly, and there to be better, more suitable facilities.
Since 2013 we’ve been working on a number of objectives and have raised many of these issues with senior decision makers in UCL, including the Provost.
The objectives and progress made against them:
- Having a student parents and carers collective that is supported by the Students’ Union
In 2015 the Union introduced a student representative to its council for students with caring responsibilities. We have set up a Facebook Group and host events for student parents, such as our annual Halloween party.
- Make UCLU services child friendly
In 2014 the Union purchased a number of highchairs for our cafes and made it a requirement that all our events listed on this website state if they are family friendly.
- Monitor data on students with caring responsibilities
Until the academic year 2015/16 we didn’t know who student parents and carers were. The Union successfully lobbied UCL to record this information on enrolement and now we know that around 8% of the student body has some form of declared caring responsibility; 4.57% have a child or children, 3.04% care for an adult, 0.84% care for both.
- Understand the experiences of student parents and carers better through research
Now we know who student parents and carers are we intend to do a piece of research to more thoroughly understand these students needs.
- Ensure student parents and carers have access to funding
The Union is in conversation with UCL about funding, especially in relation to PhD students and maternity leave.
- Seeing support for students returning from interruption being implemented
Work on this objective is ongoing…
- Breastfeeding and baby changing facilities being put into place and signposted on campus
In 2013/14 it was the case that there wasn’t anywhere on campus that students could breastfeed or express. We’re now pleased to say that due to collaboration with UCL they now provide access to rest rooms which are also used by UCL staff.
If you are a parent or carer and want to get in touch, we would love to hear from you to learn about your experiences at UCL, and get your feedback in the above objectives. We want to facilitate parents and carers to meet and discuss issues that concern them, and to be collectively supported by the Union. You can email the Students with Caring Responsibilities Officer and/or join our Facebook group.