TO: Computer Science and Engineering Department

FROM: Women in Computing (WIC)

RE: Requests for the new CSE building


The Women in Computing organization at UCSD (WIC) requests that the
CSE department consider the following two proposals for the new
building.

Traditionally, recruiting and retaining women students has been a
challenge for many computer science departments.  We believe that
careful consideration of what makes a good working environment can
help.  Specifically, we are concerned with parenting (which, of
course, is not just an issue for women) and pregnancy.

Our first request is a small one: diaper-changing tables in both the
women's and men's restrooms.  Although students, staff and faculty do
not bring children to work on a regular basis, there are times when it
is unavoidable, and changing tables could be a big help in terms of
convenience as well as sanitation.  We would like to see tables
available in at least one set of restrooms in the new building.

Secondly, women students are often in school during prime
child-bearing years, and many, especially graduate students, choose to
have children while attending school.  Certainly, women faculty and
staff may also choose to have children while working here.  For this
reason, we would like the new building to include a "rest area" of
some sort, possibly in conjuction with one of the women's restrooms.
The room would include a couch, and would serve several purposes.
First, breastfeeding women could utilize the private setting to
express milk, and, secondly, it would serve as a place for a woman to
lie down if feeling ill (which happens frequently to pregnant women).

An additional such room could be useful for men, so the department may
wish to include one for them.  We would prefer that the two rooms not
be combined, however, so breastfeeding women can be assured privacy.
(An alternative solution would be to have a single room with a lock on
it, so individuals can use the room undisturbed.  It is unclear if
this could introduce problems where one person monopolizes the room,
though.)  The extra rooms inside some of the women's restrooms in AP&M
are a nice model of what we wouldd like. (Unfortunately, we do not
believe the rooms are currently being used this way.)

Certainly, if this request is granted, and the women's rest area room
is included in the plans for the new building, it would still need to
be furnished.  Ideally, there would be at least a couch and small
table, as well as a refrigerator in which breast milk could be stored.

Currently, some grad student labs have couches, where students who
feel ill may lie down, but staff and undergraduate students do not
necessarily have access to them.  Furthermore, breastfeeding women
without private offices have had to make arrangements to borrow other
people's offices several times a day in order to express milk.
Including a rest area in the new building would be a more formal
solution to this problem.

In conclusion, we believe incorporating these two requests into the
new CSE building would help make the building family-friendly, and
we hope the department considers them carefully.  Our requests are
summarized below.  Thank you.




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REQUEST #1 - DIAPER-CHANGING TABLES IN WOMEN'S AND MEN'S RESTROOMS

Description:

-- diaper-changing tables inat least one set (one women's and one
   men's) of restrooms in the building

Purpose:

-- sanitation, convenience for students/faculty/staff/visitors who are
   parents

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REQUEST #2 - REST AREA FOR WOMEN (AND PERHAPS AN ADDITIONAL ONE FOR MEN)

Description: 

-- a 10'x10' space just off one of the women's restrooms (similar to
   storage area inside AP&M women's restrooms)
-- would require electrical outlets: one for a small refrigerator, and
   one for breast pumps

Purpose:

-- private place to express milk if breastfeeding, and possibly place
   to store it
-- a place to lie down if feeling ill, and perhaps a good place to put
   a changing table

Possible Furniture:

-- couch, chair and small table
-- small refrigerator for milk storage

Location Issues:

-- might want the rest area to be close to conference rooms so
   visitors have easy access to them as well
-- may want rest area away from high undergrad traffic areas (i.e.,
   near undergraduate labs) so it doesn't get overused/misused

Current Status:

-- Although grad student labs frequently have couches for short naps,
   staff and undergraduate students do not necessarily have access to
   them.  
-- Currently, women who express milk have to make their own
   arrangements, which has in the past meant the woman asked someone
   with an office to allow her to use it several times a day.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Related efforts at UIUC:
http://women.cs.uiuc.edu/building/

The family-friendly provisions that some other schools have:
http://women.cs.uiuc.edu/building/child_examples.html

INFORMATION ABOUT Women In Computing(WIC) at UCSD
http://www-cse.ucsd.edu/groups/wic/