OSU Kidspirit

Oregon State University’s Childcare and Family Resources office is sponsoring a campus-wide event on Friday, April 27, with “Bring your Kids to Campus Day.” The day, which corresponds with an early release day for the Corvallis School District, is a way to celebrate family, the importance of education, and to highlight family-friendly activities on campus. Additionally, it coincides with the national Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work day (April 26).

A number of campus organizations will be providing activities throughout the day, including KidSpirit, the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Lab, Dixon Recreation Center, and MU Bowling.

With an advance registration each child will receive a reusable lunch bag with a snack and coloring pages. Activities planned range from a tour of the Sea Anemone Lab to field games such as Frisbee and rugby.

While department heads are encouraged to make offices, classrooms and work spaces family-friendly during the day, parents are fully responsible for their children while on campus, and are expected to check in with their supervisors to see what is permissible. Some departments may choose to allow their employees an extended break to take their children to attend some of the free or low-cost events taking place on campus.

For advance registration, a schedule of activities and more information visit: http://oregonstate.edu/childcare/bring-your-kid-campus-day-2012

Please contact Childcare and Family Resources at familyresources@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-4906 with any questions.

Professor Patricia Muir received the first Family Friendly Faculty Award. (contributed photo)

The Family Friendly Faculty Award is awarded to a faculty or staff member that has provided exemplary support to an OSU student parent; furthering the students’ success at OSU and beyond.

Support may come in the form of mentoring and encouragement as well as accommodations made in and out of the classroom to remove barriers to success and elevate the campus awareness of students with children.

Nominator Kayli Peterson said Muir was consistently understanding when family issues arose for Peterson which interfered with her class attendance.

“Overall, Professor Muir was warm, caring, and encouraging. I feel so lucky that she was my professor especially during my last trimester of pregnancy,” she said.

Amy Decker, another of Muir’s students, also praised Muir’s accessibility and understanding.

“When she gave outside activity assignments there were several options for days and times to participate in events as well as options to perform activities at home.  When I could not find care for my daughter she allowed her in the class, even taking time to comment on how well behaved and artistic she was,” Decker said.  “I could not have been happier or more successful without her!”

Several other OSU faculty members received honorable mentions for their family friendly approach to teaching. Those faculty members include Beverly Law, Melissa Cheyney and Megan McClelland.

~ Theresa Hogue

OSU has a host of resources for parents on campus. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

Many of the faculty and staff, and a number of students on campus, are parents in addition to the myriad of other ways they define themselves. The Childcare and Family Resources office at Oregon State University works to provide information and support to those parents, and as part of their work, they are offering a series of lunchtime workshops designed for parents.

“We were recognizing that a lot of parents don’t have a place to get together and interact,” said Kristi King, who runs the drop-off childcare center for student parents in the Valley Library.

The workshops last an hour and take place on the second Wednesday of each month, most of them held in Memorial Union 109A. The topics range from healthy cooking for kids to childcare options to pregnancy and birthing options for expectant parents. Experts are brought in to cover each topic.

“We want it to be a worthwhile time that offers some good information to parents,” King said.

The series kicked off in October with a session on maternity leave. While most sessions are open to students and staff, the first session was just for OSU employees. A number of representatives from the Office of Human Resources provided a variety of helpful hints and resources for expectant mothers or those simply looking to have children in the future.

The maternity leave discussion included information on FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), how to make leave requests, and how mothers can use sick, vacation and personal time off during their leave. They also explained how signing up for short-term disability could help supplement income during maternity leave. Staff and faculty members had a lot of questions for the employees, who helped them prepare to navigate the labyrinth of leave options.

The next workshop takes place from noon to 1 p.m., Nov. 11, in MU 109A. The topic is breastfeeding and working/studying. Guest speakers include members from La Leche League.

For more information on parenting resources on campus, see http://oregonstate.edu/childcare/ Click on events to see times and locations for the workshops.