By EMILY PANDISE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fordham does not provide birth control to its students, which has sparked debate over resources for parents. (Christina Ferneini/THE RAM)
While Fordham upholds Catholic values by refusing to provide contraception to students and prohibiting sex on campus, it also fails to provide adequate support for student parents.
In many ways, the Fordham bubble, is at play. Students do not see very many pregnant peers around, so it probably does not make a whole lot of sense to start building a daycare center tomorrow. If we did have more resources, however, it would benefit not only students who want to carry a baby to term, but also plenty of graduate students and professors who are parents. In addition, it would create a more supportive environment for unmarried students who are faced with a difficult decision.
Fordham right now has only two diaper decks on campus, no area for private lactation, no family housing and no preventative measures available through the health center. In residential life, it is a bit unclear what accommodations would be made for students if they were to become pregnant.
According to Kimberly Russell, assistant dean of students and and director of residential life, “there is no policy for housing pregnant students on campus. We do not ask them to leave, nor are they removed, from housing.” The university, as a private institution, however, has no legal obligation to provide anything for students or other parents who are part of the university community.
Amy Gembara, FCRH ’14, and president of Respect for Life, agrees that Fordham should be more supportive of student parents.
“It’s part of Fordham’s mission to take care of the students no matter what,” she said in an interview.
Gembara also explained that sister Jesuit universities, such as Notre Dame and Georgetown, provide benefits such as daycare to students, faculty and staff. “If [Fordham] wants to be like those schools, we need to take steps to continue moving forward [and] have all those resources available,” she said.
Fordham does offer some support however, as Russell also stated contrary to some other institutions.
“I’ve read media reports and have heard rumors of other institutions and high schools who do ask pregnant students to withdraw from housing, activities or classes and that is very upsetting,” Russell said via email. “In contrast, being a Jesuit, Catholic institution encourages us to support every student, including pregnant students, with all of our services. So as far as asking students to leave housing, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. We work with any student who is expecting to make sure they are fully aware of all the services, programs and offices that are ready to assist them.”
Russell says that sometimes the residential staff is not aware of a student’s needs, since it is a private topic.
“Obviously, this is a very personal issue and we may not always know if a student is expecting, but if we do, we want to support that student as best as possible,” Russell said.
Dan Carter, FCRH ’14, takes issue with the legal obligation of the school to provide such resources. Carter explains that while he thinks the school should do more to care for its student-parents, “The reality is that student rights at this or any university are not absolute. Fordham places plenty of restrictions on our right to free speech, to privacy, etc. Due to its Catholic tradition, for example, it prohibits cohabitation, so the school has no legal obligation to house a pregnant student,” Carter said in an e-mail.
Carter is completely correct: The school does not have an obligation to provide resources that do not align with university or Catholic values, despite how the student body feels.
Perhaps not for legal reasons, but in the spirit of the Jesuit tradition, Fordham should provide more resources for student parents. Through simple accommodations, such as making sure pregnant students know their options, providing a lactation room on campus and eventually adding a daycare center, the university can create a better environment for student parents.
While conflicts between freedom of religion at a private institution and following the spirit instead of the letter of the law can get very gray, Fordham should consider the parents on this campus and make strides towards creating a more supportive community for them.
Emily Pandise, FCRH ’14, is a American Studies and Communication major from Mahwah, NJ.
The Fordham Ram executive board made post production changes to the article to include a few facts that were not included in the print version.
