Feminism module at a time when not as accessible to women

[HighlandCowbag]

I am studying eng and phil at my local university and was really hoping to take a feminism module in year 2.

The philosophy department helpfully release lecture and seminar times early to help students decide what they are taking. Attending lectures and seminars is compulsory.

The feminism module has 2 lectures, both running 2pm to 3pm (on seperate days). So for a parent responsible for organising childcare, most likely a woman, it means at least 2 blocks of afterschool care. Plus obviously another 2 modules to accommodate.

I accept afterschool clubs are going to be necessary but obviously try and minimise the amount I have because of the cost mainly. And I understand that mature students are in the minority but we are there and it seems counterintuitive to offer a module about feminism that makes it difficult for a certain cohort of women to take it.

Do you think it is worth raising by email? It is probably too late to change the timetables for next year, but not impossible and I really wanted to do feminism.

I think this would certainly be valuable feedback for them.
Timetables, in my experience, are rarely driven by student needs unfortunately.
The majority of my students are female, mature, with caring responsibilities and jobs and the institution still tries to timetable the across the week with a scattergun approach to make the most of estates/ resources. It’s really contradictory as they allegedly pride themselves on being an inclusive institution and ‘widening participation’
I would email and include the course leader, head of department and the Education Officer at the Student Union.

Its worth mentioning, yes.

I work in a completely different industry that is male dominated, and it's ridiculous when they talk about including women but don't make simple changes like this one that could then allow more women to work there. It's basic stuff, but people can be blind to it.

Yabu. For most people university is (and should be) a full time commitment to study. Why should a feminism module be more accessible to female students than, say, a reproductive biology or suffragette history module? Or indeed access to any module - is it ok to schedule engineering lectures at pick up times because mums won’t be into that sort of thing? Access to all study is important. But I think if you are trying to get a university, with its massive logistical and timetabling challenges, to fit the lectures you want to go to around your school run times, perhaps full time study isn’t for you.

I agree with backinthebox

@backinthebox

Yabu. For most people university is (and should be) a full time commitment to study. Why should a feminism module be more accessible to female students than, say, a reproductive biology or suffragette history module? Or indeed access to any module - is it ok to schedule engineering lectures at pick up times because mums won’t be into that sort of thing? Access to all study is important. But I think if you are trying to get a university, with its massive logistical and timetabling challenges, to fit the lectures you want to go to around your school run times, perhaps full time study isn’t for you.

Bit harsh I think, I am fully aware of the commitment university is. Did a foundation year in lockdown, halfway through year 1, passed semester 1 modules with a high 2.1, on course for a 1st in the year long module, and have fully committed to my studies.

It's much more than wanting to do the school run, it's about being able to access a module about feminism, as a feminist who also happens to have a family and has to juggle childcare and finances alongside full time university, my fees are the same as any other students. A feminism module is different to engineering etc as it is studying the political, social, educational and financial policies that affect women.

Something as simple as timetabling affects women with children more than other cohorts and I think it's a bit odd that the timetabling of this module in particular affects a certain cohort of women accessing it as easily as one scheduled to be taught at 11am.

I factor in afterschool costs, this semester I need it twice. Mainly because the philosophy department emailed me the seminar timetables and allowed me to chose which slots I took. So I think as a department they are generally open to accommodating students with additional responsibilities. If I do this module then find that lectures for the English modules I am taking, or seminars fall at times I will also need afterschool care I double my childcare costs. I can chose not to do the feminism module but it seems worth an email at least.

A feminism module is different to engineering etc as it is studying the political, social, educational and financial policies that affect women.

You are quite spectacularly missing the point.

Send your email, by all means. But remember that moving the modules to suit your individual circumstances will disadvantage other students, equally deserving.

Timetabling is quite simply the worst job in the world.

As a feminist myself I think we need far more women in engineering. Not sure that will change lecture times to accommodate mothers though. Can your children’s father not collect them those days? I don’t think the university are excluding mothers by timetabling lectures at a time that doesn’t suit you. In all walks of life you are expected to make arrangements for childcare, and the fact that it is a feminism uni module doesn’t make your situation more special than all the other feminists in other areas who are getting on with booking their kids into childcare or getting their partners to pick the kids up one or 2 days a week for a term!

Yes I agree with more women in stem subjects. And timetabling is a difficult job. Of the other 9 modules, non have them have lectures split over 2 days at a time that makes childcare difficult. My dh would not be able to collect ds twice a week uness we used afterschool club. He works 90 minutes away and is self employed so we would not be able to take the hit financially. Cheaper to book afterschool club.

I don't think the timetabling has been done deliberately to exclude anyone, it willl just be the way the resources have been booked. If the lectures were on one day, say 3pm to 5pm it would be much easier as only 1 lot of childcare to pay for.

And with regards to any degree subject having times that aren't conducive to childcare that is absolutely correct but humanities based subjects only tend to have limited contact time, the majority of my work is independent study. At the moment I have 4 hours of lectures, 2 x 1 hour seminars and one 90 minute workshop/seminar a week. I suspect most stem subjects have greater amount of lectures/practicals/labs etc and if I were doing a degree like that, expect to use more childcare.

It just seems a shame that this particular module, on feminism, runs across 2 lots of childcare times which will make it less accessible to women with childcare responsibilities. Especially when it is probably randomly generated times.

I would certainly question an open day for instance to promote women going into engineering that ran over a half term. Or if there was a module in engineering that was discussing how women should be supported in engineering, if the lectures ran across 2 days at 3pm.

I think I am going to email my philosophy tutor anyway and point this out, it won't change for me to take the module I don't think but if I raise it maybe next year it will be possible to run at least one of the 2 lectures in a time slot that doesn't make it more difficult for women to attend.

You might as well raise it, because you seem determined to. But there’s no reason, as PP have said, that a feminism module should be more accessible to mature female students than any other module.
University is a full time commitment, even if you don’t have full time teaching hours, so they will expect students to be available full time. If you wanted support/timetables specifically designed for mature students with responsibilities you should have opted for a university specialising in this.
The lectures being split could be for a number of reasons, including those being the agreed hours of that lecturer, or previous feedback from students that they prefer that to one really long lecture.