Baby on Board: Exploring the Experiences of Graduate Student Mothers and Faculty

• In Event: 63.084 - MTCC Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: 63.084-11 - Networking and Mentorship Supports for Women

Abstract

A qualitative narrative approach was utilized to explore the experiences of 11 women who balanced or were currently balancing motherhood and academia. Inductive analysis of the semistructured interviews and focus groups revealed five key themes concerning motherhood and graduate studies: (a) intersection of work and family; (b) mentoring opportunities and access to campus resources; (c) inconsistency between institutional and program policy (d) support from departmental faculty but lack of support from the university as a whole; and (e) an overall level of satisfaction in being a graduate student mother. Implications of these key findings are discussed within the paper and provide evidence on policy, campus resources, mentoring opportunities, and graduate student well-being, while also addressing issues of gender equity.

Author

• Kimberly Marie Hillier, University of Windsor