The Duck of Minerva

The Baby Penalty

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by Amanda Murdie

17 June 2013, 1056 EDT

I keep seeing this article pop around websites this morning: “Rule No. 1 for Female Academics: Don’t Have a Baby.”

I’m happy to see all the family friendly policies mentioned concerning assistant professors.  But, as the article points out, the “baby penalty” is also a concern for graduate students who are parents. My question: do you know of any family friendly policies for grad students?

Amanda Murdie is Professor & Dean Rusk Scholar of International Relations in the Department of International Affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She is the author of Help or Harm: The Human Security Effects of International NGOs (Stanford, 2014). Her main research interests include non-state actors, and human rights and human security.

When not blogging, Amanda enjoys hanging out with her two pre-teen daughters (as long as she can keep them away from their cell phones) and her fabulous significant other.

4 Comments

  1. Vincent
    Vincent on 17 June 2013 at 13.27 EDT

    The University of Michigan has a child care subsidy program for Graduate Student Instructors. It pays for a little less than half of our 205$-a-week daycare costs. It would have basically been impossible for me and my wife to study here without that money. So thanks to UofM, and thanks to our Graduate Employees’ Organization!

    • Amanda Murdie
      Amanda Murdie on 17 June 2013 at 14.56 EDT

      That sounds awesome! My husband and I worked opposite shifts because of the price of daycare during grad school.

      • Vincent
        Vincent on 17 June 2013 at 14.57 EDT

        hhuh!

    • carrar
      carrar on 17 June 2013 at 15.23 EDT

      University of California has similar through the TA union, and the university has recently expanded this to grad student researchers as well.