By Isabella Cerveira
As a college student, there are many areas in my life that I need to conciliate. As a woman, there is an important role provided mainly by my gender: caretaking. It is a role that I experienced, and I also witnessed many of my female classmates provide for their families. However, it is not easy, mainly because of the absence of a college facility to help people with this role while college students pursue a better life for themselves and their little ones.
Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) is the largest college in Northeast Ohio. As a community college, Tri-C has many differences from traditional colleges. The differences are that Tri-C offers a two-year degree, affordable tuition, smaller classes, career-oriented programs, and a flexible schedule for students who need weekends and evening classes. The main differences are that community colleges are an opportunity for first-generation people, people who want to change their fields, or people who seek higher education to join the workforce as soon as possible. Community colleges also provide an option for locals who never had the opportunity to attend college before due to economic or personal reasons. Despite these accommodations offered by Tri-C, caretaker students still struggle to pursue their educational goals.
According to DataUSA and the Cuyahoga Community College website, Tri-C has predominantly female students—around 60% in 2023. Additionally, 25% are enrolled in evening or weekend classes, and 71% are in technical job training courses. Based on the data and profile of the Tri-C students, it is important to question. Why does Tri-C not have childcare facilities or provide classes for students at times that do not overlap with children’s school hours?
I remember during my first year as a student at Tri-C, most of my classes started at 9 a.m. and finished around 1:55 p.m. or 2:30 p.m., giving me a short window of time to pick up my kids at their school. I also witnessed one of my classmates bring her kids to class because she had no one to watch them while taking class multiple times. These are not isolated cases.
Tri-C should adopt policies to support caretaker students better as a college with a predominantly female student body. By revising class schedules to align with school hours and establishing childcare facilities on campus, Tri-C can empower more students to succeed academically.
