Redefining Traditional: Understanding the Experience of Student Parents at the University of Toronto
The Family Care Office offers support to the University of Toronto’s students, staff, and faculty for family-care issues. To better understand the experiences of students with family-care responsibilities, the office partnered with the Innovation Hub over the past six months to collect reliable and definitive data about the tensions and barriers faced by student parents.
Fall/Winter 2018 - 2019
What are the experiences of student parents at U of T?
Innovation Hub analyzed semi-structured interviews conducted with student parents and Family Care Office staff to highlight the challenges that students face as they navigate their dual responsibilities at the University of Toronto.
KEY FINDINGS
Students face challenges as they navigate their dual responsibilities at the University of Toronto
Design researchers gained a deeper understanding of student parent experiences, what they need, and how higher education communities can support student parent experiences and needs. The analysis reveals four themes:
- Finding Belonging
- Navigating Systems
- Emotional Pressure
- Practical Needs
These core needs became the foundation of design thinking research in collaboration with student parent communities and the Family Care Office.
