Equitable Conferencing: Caregivers Perspectives and Prospects

Assessing the Challenges and Barriers to Conference Participation

by Layla Alanazi,

Virginia Common Wealth University

As a mother of an infant and a toddler, a wife, and a Ph.D. student, I took the decision to take my children with me in all of the conferences which I plan to attend. My husband has been of great help to me as he babysits with them at the hotel where we are staying while I present, participant, and enjoy the conferences. While we both as a couple started our family as graduate students and we both have the same career bath, things do not always seem easy as it sounds. 

For me as a mother, planning to attend a conference while having young children is a challenge in many ways. First, there is no space or childcare accommodation in any of the conferences that I have been to except a few that provide nursing or breastfeeding rooms for mothers. Second, the financial difficulties that we undergo to go as a family to attend a conference is always a serious issue. Examples of these costs include purchasing air tickets, providing appropriate accommodations for a family, and childcare Third, I have to lose many conference opportunities or try other ways like coauthoring as a way to opt-out from presenting at conferences to meet my motherhood responsibilities. 

Attending and participating in conferences for a mother like me with young children sometimes feels like a burden. Not a burden in terms of money, but always in terms of time and the expectations for research, work, and the various school duties. While I do not believe it is a healthy thing for our family or others with the same situations to exceed those expectations, the culture of academia needs to change towards mothers with children. At the school level, there must some kind of policies granting incentives for women scholars with children to participate in conferences, most notably graduate students. Examples of those incentives can include reimbursing the student to cover for travel or childcare incurred costs. At the conference level, logistics should not impede the full participation of parents with children. These logistics can include arrangements, such as providing an affordable childcare zone, planning family-friendly activities, allocating nursing rooms for mothers, and organizing special receptions for families traveling with children. 

At the macro level, School policies need to be set fairly to save families in terms of providing an appropriate maternal leave, financial support, and accommodations, so that no student-regardless of his or her gender-is left behind. While no study shows how many women opt out of graduate school to meet their motherhood responsibilities, the current structure of academia has unfairly empowered men and childless women, and participate in systematically marginalizing women and their dependents. To better provide a healthy, non-toxic, and non-stressful School environment for mothers with young children, policymakers need to answer urgent questions: what policies have been made to address this challenge, and what steps have been taken to help remove the barriers to conference participation for this group? 

Layla is a Ph.D. candidate in Public Policy and Administration program at the Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.  She holds a master’s degree in Global Human Resources Management from the Management School at the University of Liverpool. Also, she holds another master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. Her research interests include human resources management, organizational behavior, performance management, and public management.

Equitable Conferencing: Caregivers Perspectives and Prospects

Four Ways to Help Academic Parents Conference with Ease

by Hannah Lebovits,
Cleveland State University

Much like being a grizzled Auror in the Harry Potter universe, parenting involves “constant vigilance” (RIP Mad-Eye Moody). No, I’m not endorsing hover-parenting, I’m referring to the basic awareness of where your kids are and what their most basic needs might be at any given time. If your children aren’t yet old enough to be home alone, you know that this state is definitely constant and absolutely requires vigilance. Day-care and school hours are finite, and you are wholly responsible for everything that happens before and after someone else is watching your child (and during, but that’s another conversation). This makes academic conferences a challenge for many parents who are the primary caregiver. Your youngins rely on you being around all night, early in the morning and after school/day-care hours. 

The stress permeates everything- from the application process until the return flight. Appropriate plans must be somewhat secure before applying, no one wants to be “that person” who dropped out of a conference, after the proposal was accepted. Once accepted though, the heavy lifting really begins. It’s time to deal with payments- registration costs, travel, additional childcare, etc. Schools might cover basic travel costs, but child related expenses are expenses and not often covered in full. Detailed arrangements must be made, deposits often have to be put down- and on-site childcare might be needed if children lack the permanent attachment system that allows them to be left without parents for a significant amount of time (i.e. nursing babies, young children, newly adopted children, etc.)

Still, even when everything is perfectly aligned- drama always seems to arise. Kids get sick the day before you’re about to leave, plans fall through, on-site childcare gets cancelled. Travel can be anxiety ridden, with parents running through a never-ending mental list of every possible scenario, attempting to ensure that no matter what- their children remain safe, well-cared for, and (at least mostly) on schedule. 

What can our universities, conference organizers, professional associations and fellow academics do to assist parents? 

Here are four simple ideas:

1. For conference organizers: Offer reduced one-day admissions so that academic parents can come in for just a single day of the conference. This isn’t our ideal either- but it allows us to at least attend and present, even when we can't stay to network and support others.
2. Also, for conference organizers: Include child-related information in the call for proposals/original conference information. Make information related to nursing rooms, childcare, and other accommodations clearly outlined at the proposal stage by providing a directory and conference center maps to ensure that parents are aware of the resources available. Include a tab on the conference website that clearly supplies this information.   
3. For conference go-ers: If you know an academic parent that might be considering going to a conference, reach out WHEN THE CALL COMES OUT and offer to help/support them in any way. The week before or day of is too late, we’ve already decided the conference isn’t a possibility or we’ve already booked childcare arrangements.
4. For universities: Make conference spending flexible enough to cover child related costs, in addition to booking airfare, hotels, and other travel costs. If the university cannot pay directly for the childcare costs, they should at least immediately reimburse the conferencing parent so that that money can be spent on child-related costs. We might be a long way from seeing the whole academic and all of the costs associated with conference travel as a singular entity, but a mom can dream.

Hannah Lebovits is a PhD candidate in urban studies and public affairs at Cleveland State University. Her research focuses on issues related to social equity, justice, and sustainability in local/regional governance. She is also a frequent contributor to local and national news outlets. She lives in Cleveland, OH with her husband and two children. 

Social media info: Twitter- @HannahLebovits 

Equitable Conferencing: Caregivers Perspectives and Prospects

Single Parent Duty

by Anonymous

When I started my doctoral program, I had recently re-married.  Initially, my new husband and child did not see my endeavor as a doctoral student as “real work” because in the words of my child (who was nine years old when I started my program), “It doesn’t look that hard.  All you do is read.” Yes, it’s true that I had quit my full-time job to attend school full-time and work as a graduate assistant to fund my education. And yes, I was always reading at home. However, this led us to have a difficult conversation as a family when I began to travel to academic conferences to present my work.  I quickly realized that academic conferences are designed for people who either don’t have children to worry about or have someone at home taking care of them.

Initially, I traveled to conferences that were relatively close to home, requiring no more than an overnight stay.  For a new stepdad, that seemed manageable. However, once the trips required plane travel, figuring out flights that worked around my husband’s work schedule and that fit our budget (because support from school was in the form of a reimbursement), things became more challenging.  Because we were essentially a single income household, my husband’s job performance was critical to ensure raises, promotions, and bonuses. Leaving him behind with a small child for me to travel to an academic conference for three to four days was very stressful for him. What if our child was sick and needed to be picked up from school or needed to stay home? What if he couldn’t work late because there was no one else to pick up our child from the afterschool program? My husband did not want to be “that guy” who was not available to an employer’s beck and call because of a childcare issue while I was off gallivanting at academic conferences.  I needed both of them to understand that these academic conferences were an important part of my job as a doctoral student, but also for my future in academia. It took them attending part of an academic conference with me to fully appreciate what I was doing.

Once they experienced the intense schedule of a conference, they realized it was “work” and wanted to be more proactive in supporting me.  My husband was able to work out a telework schedule when I was traveling. As he earned promotions, he was also able to have more control over his own work travel schedule so that it wouldn’t conflict with mine.  As our child grew older and was engaged in more activities, we relied on my high school and college friends who had moved to the area to help in case of emergencies. While these things sound simple, not everyone has a partner with job flexibility or has the benefit of friends and family living nearby to help.  This means families or single parents without these support systems might spend more money on childcare or even forego attending a conference.

This phase in our marriage and family life gives me pause.  The conflict revealed so many issues that working mothers, and especially single parents, still face today.  I was only able to expand my career opportunities once I re-married and had another trustworthy adult committed to raising a child with me. Yet, somehow single parents are doing what seemed impossible to me when I was a single mother.  I have met a few at academic conferences! Here are some suggestions for supporting single parents and single income families attending academic conferences:

• Consider holding conferences around federal holidays during the school year.  While it’s impossible to work around every jurisdiction’s school calendar, nearly all close for the same federal holidays.
• Consider holding conferences during summer break and offer programs for school-aged children in addition to other childcare options.  This could be a great opportunity to partner with education leaders, nonprofit organizations, college prep, and/or technical training programs at free or reduced costs.
• Offer travel and childcare scholarships for single parents and one income families. 

Although my family is very supportive and proud that I completed my doctoral degree, it took them a while to fully get it.  Figuring out our roles, experiencing stress over work and finances, and managing life as a single parent when one of us must travel for work took us some time.  My hope is that conference planners will take into consideration that even those of us who are married with children face childcare issues because the spouse left at home is on “single parent” duty.  Single parents face these types of challenges on a regular basis and more support should be offered to them as well.  

                                       *********

The author is an anonymous admirer of single, working mothers who manage to rise above the challenges and gender discrimination they encounter. She also acknowledges the spouses and partners who take on “single parent” duties to support their student/scholar’s careers.  

Equitable Conferencing: Caregivers Perspectives and Prospects

Adoption and Conferences: A Caregiving Perspective

By Seth J. Meyer, LMSW, PhD

Bridgewater State University

When talking about conference participation and caregiving, we often focus on a heterosexual couple who has given birth to their child. While this is the reality for many, some may choose a different path toward having a child. People who decide to adopt, whether they be a heterosexual couple, a homosexual couple, or single parents, have different needs and anxieties. In the conference setting, there are three specific issues which a caregiver may face: 1) The social anxiety of not knowing when they will have a child, 2) The need to leave a conference abruptly or cancel due to having a child, and 3) Being questioned about being the child’s parent. Understanding this perspective is a way we can make conferences welcoming to all families.

First, when a person is waiting to adopt, they can get a call at any minute informing them that their child is born. This is a stressful time in a person’s life. Often, they get questions regarding their adoption, such as “have you heard anything” and “how are you preparing”. When a person has been matched with a child, they may not tell many people. This is because, even after matching and placement of the child, the birth parents still have the opportunity to change their minds after the baby is born. This can be a heartbreaking process for an adoptive family. Therefore, questions can be awkward for waiting parents. To help alleviate stress, phrase things such as “Let me know if you want to talk about the process” or let your colleague know that you are free to talk if they want. 

When a parent is waiting for a child, all plans are tentative. During the adoption process, the potential parent may get informed that a birth mother is pregnant and will give birth in three months, or that a woman who has just given birth would like to put her child up for adoption. Going through the adoption process means being ready to make quick decisions that will change one’s life. Therefore, if your colleague is in the adoption process, it is possible they may need to leave a conference early or not come at the last minute. 

Once a child is adopted, there are sometimes certain complexities that families face which are unique to their situation. This is only amplified when the adoptive parents are in a same-sex relationship. To start, the child may be of a different race than the parent. This can lead to people asking about the child’s parents and suspicion of the parents by outsiders.  When creating caregiver spaces, allow for the child to say things such as “My parents adopted me” and help answer other children’s questions regarding the child looking different from the parents. One of an adoptive parent’s worst nightmares is being constantly questioned or having to constantly justify that their child is, indeed, their child. 

The most supportive thing academics can do when their colleague is adopting is to understand that they are in a stressful position, and the stress is different from when one is pregnant. Be understanding of the flexibility that an adoptive parent may need while they wait for their kid to be born and be understanding that their child may be of a different race. Most importantly, be happy for your colleague as they grow their family.

Seth J. Meyer, LMSW, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Management in the Department of Political Science at Bridgewater State University. His research focuses on LGBTQ and Jewish issues within nonprofit organizations and organizational behavior in organizations with multiple sites. He is also a consultant helping build organizational relationships with affiliates. Seth received his MSSW from Columbia University and his PhD from Rutgers University-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration. Seth can be followed on twitter @sethjmeyer. 

Equitable Conferencing: Caregivers Perspectives and Prospects

Navigating Caregiver Challenges at Conferences:

My Experience
by Gina Scutelnicu, Pace University

Gina Scutelnicu is an Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Public Administration at Pace University and a proud academic parent of two young children.

Attending and presenting at conferences is extremely important, especially for graduate students and junior faculty, as these venues are ripe opportunities for networking, getting constructive feedback and establishing an academic reputation. My conference presentations and participations helped me develop a healthy professional network, develop and sustain an active research agenda, stay up-to-date with current research in my area, turn my papers into refereed articles, become a peer-reviewer, serve on the board of several professional associations, and serve on the editorial board of one journal. 

I had children during the most busiest and challenging times in the life of an academic: I had my son during my dissertation writing years and my daughter during my tenure-track years. Having children occurred during the same time when I needed to start and develop my academic career. Attending and presenting at academic conferences was one way of getting known so, I made sure I presented my research at least twice a year. My spouse offered the support that I needed during these difficult times. He would travel with me and my son, and later, my daughter to conferences held across the country in places such as Kentucky, California, North Carolina, Maryland, Vermont, Louisiana, Florida, Colorado etc. For half of the conferences I attended during this time in my life I was only able to present my research papers. I was not able to network beyond fulfilling my conference roles as a presenter, or panel moderator/discussant. I had to miss out on some of the conference experiences: I did not attend other panels, luncheons or professional development opportunities. But this semi-exposure to the academic network helped me a lot in my career and I am very grateful that I had this opportunity.

Being a woman and an immigrant from a non-Western culture in the U.S. made it more difficult to have access to resources for conferences, most likely, because I was not familiar with the U.S. higher education system and national culture. I did not know that I could ask for more travel money or viewed asking for more resources as inappropriate. When I was a Ph.D. candidate, my university would only cover $300 towards conference travel per year for graduate students. Towards the end of my doctoral studies, I witnessed how women peers who were born and raised in the U.S. were successful in asking and securing significant funds for conference travel both domestically and internationally. This experience served as a lesson for my next career stage. After becoming an Assistant Professor, the amount of my travel funds increased significantly but I still had to supplement and invest in my professional development. Reflecting back on my own experience I would definitely advise women of various backgrounds to, at least, ask for more funding for conference travel.

Typically, conference funding required that I presented a paper and covered registration fees, transportation, accommodation and some food costs but it would not cover caregiver costs. I remember of a specific conference (Midwest Political Science Association) that would offer childcare scholarships at the conference hotel for caregivers who were presenters. Given my personal and subjective experience, caregivers and especially women face several barriers to conference participation. These are: 

• Lack of any institutional funding that can be used towards child or elderly care when attending conferences.
• Lack of or limited family support to help with child care.
• Lack of or limited access to everything conferences have to offer - which may end up in limited visibility among the academic community and longer time to establish an academic reputation.

Some of the recommendations to overcome such barriers consist of the following:

• Institutions should offer their employees child-care assistance programs in the form of subsidies and access to child-care centers (Gordon & Rauhaus, 2019) such as vouchers, reimbursements, tuition scholarships, and offering discounts through child-care network programs. 
• Institutions could create dependent care travel funds or repurpose travel funds to include child or elder care expenses for their faculty and staff. Such funds could cover the additional hours of care at home when employers travel, costs for childcare at/or transportation to a conference site (see Brown University’s initiative).
• Professional associations and conference organizers could provide child and dependent care as a service for a fee or as a scholarship, and
• Conferences could organize family-friendly professional development activities and events at conference sites.

Work-life balance is different for men and women as women are, still, expected to contribute more at home when working and having young children (Scutelnicu, Knepper & Tekula, 2018, p. 33). Offering attractive work-life benefits such as child-care support for conference participation would lead to high retention rates among employees (Gordon & Rauhaus, 2019), would narrow the inequity gender gap in the workplace as women tend to be the majority of caregivers (Gerson, 2017) , would increase women’s advancement opportunities in academia by helping them to break the glass ceiling (Scutelnicu & Knepper, 2019), and would create more inclusive work environments (Knepper, Scutelnicu & Tekula, forthcoming). As we are witnessing a declining trend in college enrollment (Fain, 2019) it is important for institutions of higher learning to pay attention and support the needs of current caregivers to make sure they sustain a steady future generation of students. 

Gina Scutelnicu, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair of the Public Administration Department 

at Pace University

E-mail:gscutelnicu@pace.edu

Gina Scutelnicu is an associate professor and chair in the Department of Public Administration at Pace University, New York. She has a Ph.D. degree in Public Affairs from Florida International University, a MA in Public Service Management and a BA in Public Administration from Babes-Bolyai University, Romania. One line of her current research examines gender equity in academia. Her work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals among which are Journal of Public Affairs Education, Public Integrity, Journal of Public Management and Social Policy and Public Administration Quarterly.

Equitable Conferencing: Caregivers Perspectives and Prospects

Conferencing as a Parent
by Tony J Carrizales,
Marist College

I have been attending academic conferences for nearly twenty years, half of those years as a parent. In preparing for my next conference, I pause here to share some thoughts and reflections on my conferencing as a parent evolution.

Soon after graduating and beginning my academic career I attended roughly two to three conferences a year. I made an effort to attend conferences throughout the country and on occasion, internationally. Over time, I lost some interest in conferences’ locations as places I had previously attended resurfaced. The interaction with colleagues and discussion about on-going and possible research began to create the greatest value in conference attendance. Ultimately, I went from attending a few conferences a year to one, maybe two within an academic year.  

Mid-way through my academic career, baby number one came along, followed by baby number two and baby number three.  My attendance at conferences slowed even more for me in the early years of my children -- limited to maybe once a year. That one conference was heavily dependent on location and proximity to where I lived.

As my children have gotten older -- my approach to conferencing as a parent has evolved. Two key factors impacted this evolution. The first is that I stopped viewing conferences as places and time spent away from my family and began viewing them as an opportunity to explore new places as a family. Even cities I had been to previously were now being viewed with a new perspective. It also helped that the children were getting older and traveling with them was much easier than when they were babies. 

The second key factor in the conferencing as a parent evolution is the approach that conference organizer have shown toward attendees. There has been an increase in conference promotions that encourage and welcome spouses to partake in events. There have also been recent conferences that have extended such resources and opportunities of engagement for children. 

Once again, I am excited about looking at the various conference schedules and locations. The panels and interactions with colleagues still provide the important academic value for attending a conference, but I am also excited to be able to bring my children to a new city they have never explored - a new zoo, museum, or park.

My class schedule, children’s’ school days, and my wife’s work schedule do not always allow for attending the three conference a year - I once did, but the stars do align every on occasion. As I prepare for my next conference panel - I am fortunate that my family will be able to join me in Anaheim, CA (not too far from Disneyland, I am told). Most notably, I believe I will be the most nervous I have ever been for a presentation with some of the toughest critics in the audience - my children.

I began this post noting how I have evolved in “conferencing as a parent” but in reflecting upon the topic – It may be equally attributable to the evolution of conference organizers. For example, here is note from the American Society for Public Administration conference organizers on their upcoming conference:  “Your children are welcome to attend any part of this year's conference for free. Whether it's a plenary, panel, networking reception, evening event or other conference session, you are welcome to bring your child.” Going forward and further – conference organizers can continue to encourage family engagement in conferences. Listing local attractions and museums for children or family activities can add to the overall experience of a conference for one participant who might have otherwise not attended at all. 

Tony Carrizales is an associate professor of public administration at Marist College and former editor-in-chief of Journal of Public Management and Social Policy. His research interests include diversity in the public sector and cultural competence. He received his Ph.D. from the School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University-Newark. He squad consists of Oliver, Claudia, and Warren, and his wife, Michelle.

Equitable Conferencing: Caregivers Perspectives and Prospects

Childcare in Time and Space: My Own Experience

by Sombo Muzata-Chunda,

Virginia Commonwealth University

Introduction

My children are in middle, and elementary schools, and I do not need to bring them to the academic conference with me. As a mother and one who has experienced a different reality around caregiving, I am sharing my lived experience because I believe this will enrich the present conversation. I am also sharing because I care. 

My childcare experiences outside the academe

Motherhood is a great joy. Yet it brings with it many challenges, some that one never imagined existed. The challenging experiences can be mitigated by deliberate individual actions and institutional policies. The level of income and type of society are all factors in what kind of motherhood experience one gets to have.  I gave birth to my daughters when I lived and worked at home in Zambia, sub-Saharan Africa. I worked for two different institutions, both in the nonprofit sector. 

When my older daughter was born, I worked at a national nonprofit and took four months of paid maternity leave. Upon returning to work and serving for some months, I needed to attend an advocacy skills training workshop in Mozambique. That was going to be my first international trip, and the first time I would leave my one year + daughter at home for more than a working day’s hours. Fortunately for me, I had support from my mother who traveled 135 miles to the city where I lived to help look after my daughter while I traveled to the training workshop. I was still breastfeeding and needed to manage not only the guilt that comes with leaving a child at home but also the flow of breast milk. I had mentioned to the lead training facilitator that I needed more time after lunch to express the milk because I wanted to continue breastfeeding when I returned home in a week’s time. Also, that I would step out if my breasts were too full and I needed to express to reduce the pressure. I got accommodations for this. 

I had my second daughter when I worked at an international nonprofit; a Swedish development organization. I am mentioning the country of origin of the organization because place and type of society is important like I indicated earlier. Sweden has some of the best policies on childcare in the world. With this organization, I had 6 months of paid maternity leave. I was able to take care of my daughter, and like the older one, exclusively breastfed her. I had a break to express breastmilk if I needed to. 

What is similar in both experiences is that the institutions I worked for paid for parental leave for four and six months respectively. If I had chosen to travel with my daughters, I would have got the support that was stipulated in the policies on childcare. Both institutions were deliberate about promoting and respecting women and the right to childbearing. Policies were developed with women in full participation. 

My observation of childcare in academic conferences, and conclusion

Living in the USA, as I attend my graduate studies, and participating in several academic conferences has exposed me to a different reality. This reality has had me wonder why I have not seen in the conference programs any information about where nursing mothers can take their children or who they can contact to arrange for caregiving. I have wondered if it is the types of conferences I attend? Or is it that women in public policy and public administration are not bothered by this? 

To present a business case, I can imagine academic conference organizers thinking that expecting them to make such arrangements would be costly and asking for too much.  I would imagine though that the individual cost to make childcare arrangements and complexity is a potential deterrent to women who would need this kind of support. I can imagine as a graduate student with limited resources, one would have to opt out of academic conferences to take care of their children at home and not have to go through additional stress. Many questions arise here including (i) does the academe expect childbearing women to choose between their children and attending conferences? (ii) what kind of support should academic conference organizers have or give to childcaring women? and (iii) beyond the academic conference sponsoring organizations, what policies do institutions of higher education have around childcare during official travel for their graduate students, professors, and faculty? 

I hope that institutions in the academe will rethink their policies to ensure no woman has to make the tough choice to stay away from an academic conference which could have been the opportunity to link them to a network or information they needed to succeed. In my childbearing time and space, I had the opportunity to benefit from the policies institutions that I worked for had in place. I attended the advocacy training and been able to speak up on many issues that affect women, children, and marginalized people. I am not sure I would have been writing this post if the institutions I worked for didn’t give me the right kind of support to take care of my children and at the same time do my work. 

Sombo Muzata-Chunda

Contact:chundasm@mymail.vcu.edu

Website: https://meritpages.com/Sombo1

Sombo M. Chunda is a Ph.D. candidate in the. L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Prior to pursuing her graduate studies, Sombo worked as country representative in Zambia for the Swedish international nonprofit, Diakonia. At Diakonia, Sombo was responsible for leading the organization through a phase of uncertainty and raised funding to resume operations. Sombo is a trained accountant, a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). She holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University. Her research interests include international development, anti-corruption, and women entrepreneurship. Sombo is a 2020 Section for Women in Public Administration Suffragette scholarship winner.