Whereas, The University of Alabama provides fine day care for 48 children in its University Child Care Services, and fine care for 42 more children in its Infant Laboratory and its Child Development Center, all under the aegis of the College of Human Environmental Sciences; and

Whereas, these programs will be consolidated and the number of openings expanded, to provide even better child care in a new facility currently nearing completion (the Child Development Research Center); and

Whereas, the consolidated program will provide child care for only 116 infants and children, in a relatively costly and relatively inflexible all-day laboratory teaching/learning setting; and

Whereas, the waiting lists for the existing programs are very long, and most likely the waiting list for the consolidated program will also be long; and

Whereas, one of the greatest needs described by University of Alabama faculty in a recent survey conducted by the Faculty Life Committee of the Faculty Senate was the need for more child care, at reasonable cost, and of a flexible, regular nature not necessarily a part of a student learning situation, so that personnel are better able to perform their duties in the University; and

Whereas, a recent report of the American Council on Education and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation concerning the challenges to the success of women in U.S. academia, authored by a panel which included ten prominent university presidents and chancellors, called for better child care in order to help level the playing field for women in higher education; and

Whereas, the University seeks to recruit faculty and staff who are young and likely with small children and/or to have children, and whose salaries are relatively low, so that affordable daycare would be an important recruitment/retention tool; and

Whereas, the University has commendably embarked upon a program of raising faculty and staff salaries, but concomitantly there has been an increase in the cost of some benefits for faculty and staff;

Therefore, be it resolved by the Faculty Senate of The University of Alabama that the University provide, at reasonable, partially subsidized cost to users, high quality on-campus daycare services for the children of faculty, staff, and students which would operate on a flexible schedule, beyond the existing 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. time period and on a spot or portion-of-the-day basis; and

Be it further resolved that the consolidated child care program to be offered in the Child Development Research Center have a large number of its spaces reserved for, and give a preference for the remaining spaces to, the children of faculty, staff, and students, and that the cost be partially subsidized by the University so that faculty, staff, and students would pay 70% of what non-University parents will pay, for example $350 per month if the non-University price is $500 per month.

Adopted by Faculty Senate

March 15, 2005