Support for faculty, students, and staff with small children
The Hendrix College family is growing. Bright young faculty and staff, and a record number of students are now enjoying the special environment that we have all worked hard to establish. This increase in population brings new challenges for the college. One such challenge is an increasing number of people on campus who are working hard to balance work and family. Conway does have several licensed day care facilities. However, the best ones have waiting lists of 1-3 years and the others are not satisfactory to a majority of parents who have researched them. At least three other ACS schools have on campus childcare facilities. The University of Central Arkansas also has an on campus facility. Twenty eight of the US News top 50 liberal arts colleges have childcare facilities on campus. This document is meant to open a discussion about how our college may offer new support for its workers and students with small children.
I. Options
In the past, a small number of faculty have been granted permission to have babysitters watch their small children in vacant offices or rooms on campus. The administration is no longer supporting this option due to an increased demand for space for offices on campus. The business office has also declared that the current liability insurance of the college would not cover small children on campus and adding such insurance would be cost prohibitive.
A solution to the problem is to invite a third party business or church to run a daycare facility in a college-provided building. The third party agency would provide the necessary insurance and license requirements needed to run the business. The college would have control over the business. The daycare would provide a structured, nurturing environment for infant to pre-school-aged children of faculty, staff and students as well as a practical, hands-on learning environment for students interested in early childhood development.
This center would be supported financially by the families involved and a collaborative effort between the college, education department, students, and the outside agency.
Potential sites on campus include:
1. The Cottage, recently vacated by the Student Senate
2. The new athletic center
3. The new student center
4. Buhler 2nd floor
5. The Academic Village
6. New charter school in the Academic Village
Please note that a similar proposal was made in 2004, with the Faulkner County Day School as the third party business partner. The 2004 proposal would have turned the Cottage into a daycare if it had been supported by the administration at that time.
II. Benefits to the College
A. For faculty, staff, and students with children who could use the daycare:
· Having a safe daycare facility on campus would alleviate a major stress in the lives of the parents.
· The parents would be able to check on their child via webcam or visit during the day.
· Decreased commute time if the daycare is on campus.
· If the college daycare were required to be open for each day the college conducts classes, the parents would be assured daycare for their children even for days when public daycares close for holidays and inclement weather.
· Interested parents would have input into the physical facility, curriculum, and staff as this new program is developed.
· Less absenteeism.
· Increased job satisfaction.
· Increased productivity.
B. For the students:
· Less disruption in academic buildings from visiting children of faculty and staff.
· An opportunity for experiential learning in the field of early childhood education.
· An opportunity for employment.
· A chance for students to see a model for balancing work and family.
· An increase in the hours faculty and staff are available on campus.
C. For the College as a whole:
· Recruitment and retention of faculty, staff, and students with small children.
· Recruitment tool for Admission office with students interested in early-childhood development
· The education department would have a working laboratory for instruction and observation of early childhood education, meeting requirements for accreditation.
· Other classes, such as PSYC 210 Developmental Psychology, could also benefit.
· Family involvement and enhanced connection and loyalty to Hendrix.
· Less absenteeism
· Increased employee satisfaction.
· Increased productivity.
III. A time for action
Having a daycare on campus would be a benefit to the entire Hendrix community. The first step is an open discussion among faculty, staff, students, and administration.
A motion to the faculty:
Create an ad hoc committee to discuss the current and future College policy on childcare issues.
The committee members should be chosen by APC, starting with a solicitation for volunteers. The committee should contain representatives from faculty, staff, students, and administration.
The ad hoc committee should be charged with the following mission:
· Promote discussion on campus among all parties.
· Identify a third party business or church interested in starting a Hendrix daycare
· Work on an operating budget to see if the proposal is financially feasible.
· Research risk management and liability issues.
· Investigate offering the daycare at a reduced rate for those with financial need.
· Research appropriate facilities for a temporary situation on campus now and design future facilities for the Academic Village.
· Research the facilities at other schools (UCA, Southwestern, etc.)
· Send a Hendrix representative to a seminar, course, or conference to learn more about starting a childcare facility.
· Bring a report back to the March faculty meeting and one or more proposals for faculty vote as soon as possible, ideally at the April faculty meeting.
A standing committee should be formed starting Fall 2007 to carry on the mission of the ad hoc committee. Members of the standing committee should be chosen by the Committee on Committees.