By
It is certainly not easy to balance the roles of both parent and student. Finally, University of Louisville has taken the steps to help alleviate some of the stress of these two demanding jobs. U of Lís childcare service plan is now off the ground and could begin operation as early as 2008.
This announcement will undoubtedly bring a sigh of relief to the many students who constantly rush between daycares and classes. When looking back upon the statistics associated with students who have children, one can only question why this decision wasnít made long before now. According to the 2006 Childcare Center Feasibility study, 77% of undergraduate parents were unable to complete their degrees as quickly as their ability would indicate. What is even more startling is that 48% of these students considered ending their education before completing their degrees while 46% delayed their education for a period of time.
It is clear that the university could no longer allow these numbers to affect the student body. Other institutions throughout the state, such as Eastern Kentucky University and University of Kentucky have already employed childcare programs. For years this has affected the attitudes of several students who felt that U of L should have implemented these programs a long time ago.
“While students aren’t exactly leaving U of L en masse to go to Indiana University Southeast, I’d be willing to bet that some of them would do just that if they knew about the well-maintained, affordable child care center located on the IUS campus,” said columnist Dan Canon in a 2005 edition of The Cardinal.
But, despite the wait, students should applaud U of L for making such a beneficial decision, especially since the program does not anticipate raising tuition to fund the project. In addition, the use of need-based assistance would greatly help those students who struggle with the rising cost of daycare.
“No student should choose between accessible daycare and getting an adequate education that will allow for them to provide for their children,” said former Cardinal writer, Amanda Lee Anderson. This and similar statements made up the consistent proposals intended to persuade officials of the program’s necessity. Thankfully, U of L listened and can now proudly declare its intentions to put this plan into practice.
When considering the perks of on-campus daycare, retention is a main factor that comes to mind. However, retention is just one of the many things that have contributed to this decision. Daily class attendance, campus involvement, and an overall improvement in stress management are other important components that must be equated with accessible childcare. Basically, anything that helps level out family and educational responsibilities will do nothing but improve our university.
U of L is the largest commuter school in the state, so it should continue to properly cater to this population. Whether you believe this is being properly done or not, services like campus childcare prove that measures are being taken to improve the quality of non-traditional student life. Though the details haven’t been thoroughly worked out, the fact that the child center proposal has been approved is a big step toward improvement.
