Being a Parent and Future Parent in Academia

This community blog harbors personal viewpoints on how to navigate parenthood and academia from two perspectives, one a current academic parent and another future academic parent.

As a female academic parent, Dr. Indrani Kakati’s tryst with parenting has been full of roller-coaster experiences. As an early career researcher in a faraway land from home, a lot of strategizing, planning and sacrifices had to be made to be a dedicated academic and an available and doting mother. She mentions being fortunate to have a very understanding young son and have had support in the form of extremely co-operative mentors, group leaders and colleagues while there were friends who helped her with baby-sitting, pandemic pods etc. which made it easier for her to pursue her research diligently. But it is often seen that most academic fathers and mothers do not have the support or resources needed to have a work-life balance. A recent study provides four areas of recommendation for universities to support faculty (Kelling et al., 2023) which include communicating work expectations, new policies for academic parents at different career levels (early career/midcareer) and different type of institutions (R01-research intensive/minority serving/master’s level university), resources for academic parents and training on issues related to academic parenting.

Studies have also shown that the Covid-19 pandemic increased childcare responsibilities for both mothers and fathers (Yavorsky et al., 2021). It was also seen to be more stressful for female faculty during pandemic in many academic fields such as medicine (Mateluvicius et al., 2021) and sciences (Caldarulo et al., 2022). As a researcher mother in plant biological sciences Dr. Indrani says their work involves hours of meticulously planned time bound research projects, hence she believes it is imperative for her to encourage young women to pursue higher positions without having to compromise on having a family life or delay family life. She suggests a few points through this column to academic administration to help young early career researchers especially mothers in academic or research institutes: a. increased child care facilities on site or adding childcare facilities on site, b. having child care programs in conference/workshop setups to help single mothers., c. support first time moms with lesser course load post the 6 week maternity break and flexible work hours. She also emphasizes on the fact that for any early career researcher (ECR) or mid-career researcher woman to feel truly empowered they need to develop a trust towards their academic workplace to feel supported as a would-be parent so they can be comfortable with both parenthood and academic obligations. In UK, focused interventions like the Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) Charter, recognizes/accredits member universities who sign up to the charter and are awarded at bronze, silver or gold level to those higher education institutions and research committed to advancing careers of women in STEMM which is now also open for non-STEM fields (Barnard, 2017).

Another take on this topic is by an academic professor, Dr. Hao Chen, who envisions being a future academic father through some very thought-provoking points. Dr. Chen says although he isn’t a parent yet, he recognizes the values and skills required for effective parenting- patience, empathy, adaptability, and nurturing curiosity are deeply intertwined with the qualities he professes as an educator and mentor. Preparing for parenthood has encouraged him to prioritize the creation of inclusive and supportive spaces for growth. In his teaching philosophy, he emphasizes a question-oriented approach to foster curiosity and engagement, encouraging students to actively seek knowledge. He gives instances of a program called CATALYST, where he taught students with disabilities using visually captivating examples like bioluminescent mushrooms to spark their interest in molecular biology. This method not only reflects his belief in meeting individuals where they are but also lays the groundwork for how he plans to nurture curiosity and discovery in his future children.

Similarly,  Dr. Chen’s personal experiences as an international scholar adapting to diverse cultural environments have taught him the importance of equity and inclusivity. He aims to extend these principles to both his professional and personal life. By fostering a supportive and diverse academic environment, he is honing the skills that will be equally valuable in parenting, such as active listening, patience, and the ability to guide individuals toward their unique potential. According to him, mentoring students in research and academic growth provides a unique perspective on what it means to guide and support others. Teaching students to develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills mirrors the kind of guidance Dr. Chen hopes to provide to his future children. For instance, mentoring students in writing grants or developing their research projects has shown him the importance of fostering independence while offering constructive feedback. This balance between support and autonomy is a principle he hopes to carry into his parenting approach. Additionally, whether it is tailoring his mentorship to address a student’s strengths or adjusting teaching methods to accommodate their diverse learning styles, he believes these experiences prepare him for the adaptability, flexibility and creativity required to nurture and guide a child. By striving to create environments that inspire curiosity, foster growth, and celebrate diversity, he aims to build a fulfilling career in academia while preparing to embrace the challenges and joys of being a parent.

The overload of expectation on both academic fathers and mothers of being excellent at teaching, research and service is often found to hinder academic parents’ quest for work-life balance. Thus, to strike a balance academic organizations, administrators and academicians need to work collaboratively on new academic policies which encourages faculty to embrace parenthood healthily. The authors encourage more universities to make use of frameworks like the Athena SWAN charter, which is now used across the globe to assist institutions to meet equality legislation requirements and promote inclusive working spaces and believe more such similar initiatives could support and transform the future of academic parents.

 

References:

Barnard, S. (2017). The Athena SWAN Charter: Promoting Commitment to Gender Equality in Higher Education Institutions in the UK. In: White, K., O’Connor, P. (eds) Gendered Success in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56659-1_8

Caldarulo, M., Olsen, J., Frandell, A., Islam, S., Johnson, T.P., Feeney, M.K., Michalegko, L. and Welch, E.W. (2022), “COVID-19 and gender inequity in science: consistent harm over time”, PLOS ONE, Vol. 17, e0271089, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271089.

Kelling, A. S., Bartsch, R. A., Walther, C. A., Lucas, A., & Santiago-Vázquez, L. Z. (2024). Work-life balance of academic parents: expectations and experiences of mothers and fathers. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 16(5), 1614-1626.

Matulevicius, S.A., Kho, K.A., Reisch, J. and Yin, H. (2021), “Academic medicine faculty perceptions of work-life balance before and since the COVID-19 pandemic”, JAMA Network Open, Vol. 4, e2113539, doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13539.

Yavorsky, J.E., Qian, Y. and Sargent, A.C. (2021), “The gendered pandemic: the implications of COVID-19 for work and family”, Sociol Compass, Vol. 15, e12881, doi: 10.1111/soc4.12881.