(3-minute read)
August 2024
By A. Chau, 4th year PhD student at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education & K. Karbasy, Family Care Office/ Faculty Relocation Services Education and Communications Coordinator, University of Toronto
The Student Advisory Committee at the Family Care Office is more than just a group of students voicing their concerns—it’s a supportive community that helps shape the university’s family-friendly culture. This committee is dedicated to understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by students with family responsibilities, ensuring that their needs are considered through thoughtful programs and services.
A Testimonial from Annie Chau
My name is Annie Chau, and I am a PhD candidate in Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto. I am also a mother, raising two sons, one who is seven and another who is four, with a life partner. I was motivated to volunteer as a member of the Student Advisory Committee for the Family Care Office for two reasons. One, I wanted to be more involved and have a say in the campus community and two, as someone who has accessed and used some of the essential services and programs that the Family Care Office has offered over my three years of study here (such as the Orientation for Students with Family Responsibilities, the one-on-one appointments with Family Care Advisors, and the various family-friendly events), I wanted to give back.
The discussions we had at our meetings were wide-ranging yet centred on our lived experiences – our challenges as students with family responsibilities and consequently, our suggestions to overcome such challenges. Our meetings felt like intimate and compassionate focus groups, in which the other members and I shared dreams for our own futures as students and the dreams of our family members, our children and our partners as well. We emphasized how important their well-being is to ours. Learning that a significant percentage of the student population at the University of Toronto has family responsibilities, I believe we provided necessary insight into the full lives of students, an insight which I hope can result in a more family-friendly culture on campus.
The time we spent together was enriching and supportive. The expectations of members were made very clear and held to. I would absolutely volunteer again. Even though our discussions frequently veered to venting our various frustrations and perhaps, offered too many or too unrealistic suggestions for the Family Care Office to take on, the staff always listened with appreciative understanding.
I hope that the staff at the Family Care office knows how important they have been to many students’ lives, including my own. I am incredibly grateful for your existence!
The committee meets three times per academic year and participation is eligible for CCR recognition. Email the FCO at family.care@utoronto.ca if you are interested in joining the Student Advisory Committee for the 2024-2025 academic year!