Editor’s note: ACCUTE is proud to present the next installment in a series of blog posts highlighting special sessions in ACCUTE’s program at Congress 2017. Today we highlight a panel on Academia and Families hosted by ACCUTE’s Committee for Professional Concerns. 

This panel seeks to query how we can create work places that are more supportive of work/life balance and, in particular, of one’s commitment to family, in whatever form that may take. How can we combat attitudes that often construct family and children as distractions to one’s commitments to the university? How can we empower our undergraduate and graduate students so that they need not feel their familial responsibilities need to be marginalized and kept secret? How can the professoriate advocate for better administrative processes (meeting times, etc.) so that those who do privilege familial responsibilities are not disadvantaged from contributing to the university? There may be various legislation or language in collective agreements that protect certain familial responsibilities – parental leave, care for elders, etc. – but how can a university also support familial responsibilities – the care for extended family members, etc. – that are less recognized but just as necessary?

• Organizer: Veronica Austen (St. Jerome’s)
• Jennifer Andrews (UNB), “Sanctioned Ignorance: Reflecting on Academia & Families”
• Andrew Deman (St. Jerome’s/Waterloo), “Wee Little Lotus-Eaters: The Fallacy of Academic Expiration”
• Anna Guttman (Lakehead), “Having it all, Some of the Time”
• Manina Jones (Western), “Dirty Laundry, Family Secrets, and Cultures of Caring in Academia”

The panel will take place on Tuesday, May 30th from 10:30 am-12:00 noon in Victoria room 203.