The College Fix

OPINION: It’s a refreshing example of pro-family values that other institutions should replicate.

A new room at San Francisco State University filled with toys and games for young children and a studying space for their parents is a refreshing example of pro-family values that are too often lacking in academia.

The Family Study Room, which opened this spring in the J. Paul Leonard Library, is designed to be a welcoming, supportive space where parenting students can study while their children play, the Golden Gate Express reports.

Photos of the colorful room show toys, stuffed animals, children’s books, crayons and coloring pages, a white board and markers, and games, along with adult and children-sized chairs and tables. There’s also a few things for parents of very young children, including a pack-and-play and a nearby lactation room.

The library also provides “Kid Kits,” or “backpacks filled with age-appropriate toys, books, and activities” that parents may check out for up to four hours.

“Whether you’re a parenting student or a member of the SF State staff or faculty, you and the kids in your life are all welcome here,” the library website states.

Currently, about 700 students at the public university are parents, according to the Express.

For one of them, Katarina Argandar, the Family Study Room also has become a place to connect with other parenting students.

“Meeting other parents and hearing their stories has been one of the highlights,” Argandar told the newspaper. “Just building that community and bond with other student parents has been really rewarding.”

Librarian Zia Davidian said the goal in providing these resources is to help students thrive academically.

“If basic needs like childcare aren’t met, it affects a student’s ability to focus on academics,” Davidian told the Express. “This space aims to support students as whole people, helping them manage both their studies and parenting responsibilities.”

It’s refreshing to see the university make such a conscientious effort, especially when many institutions send the opposite message.

Three years ago, for example, the University of Massachusetts hosted a talk called “Abolish the Family.” And last fall, there was an uproar at Georgetown University after an expecting mother said she was denied an exam accommodation; the Catholic institution’s law school later backtracked.

One UC Riverside professor even wrote a book linking young women’s negative perceptions about childbearing to fears about “climate change” – an overly hyped issue in many higher education institutions.

Meanwhile, marriage rates are down and abortion rates remain continuously high among young adults.

A leading academic voice on the topic, Professor Brad Wilcox at the University of Virginia believes bad PR is part of the problem.

He previously told The Fix that academic leaders could help young adults see the value of marriage and family by being more open about their own family lives.

“Many professors and administrators are happily married! Talk about it,” Wilcox said. “Tell the students how you did it. Invite students to a family dinner. And sponsor classes that teach the basics about love and marriage. These steps would help make it easier for college students to date and later get married.”

Showing is one way, and doing is another. And that is happening at San Francisco State. The Family Study Room sends the message that parenting students are more than just welcome – they’re important enough to put resources behind.

It’s an encouraging trend that hopefully more universities will follow.

MORE: More students would give up having children than cellphones to help climate: poll

IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A new room at the San Francisco State University library provides a place for parenting students to study with their children. San Francisco State University

Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter