Stories & Case Studies
North Arkansas College (Northark) serves students in northern Arkansas and Missouri. The college is in the mountainous southern region of the Ozarks. Northark currently serves about 2,000 students, and Rebecca Martin, director of the Career Pathways program, estimates that 25%–30% of those students are parents. Her department works closely with parenting students throughout the year, offering support from tuition assistance to academic and personal advising, to help this population succeed in college and secure family-sustaining careers.
Career Pathways has supported students for 18 years, but in recent years the college has made a concerted effort to ensure the department’s services equitably benefit all students. Across departments, the college is implementing policies and practices to improve the learning environment for student parents, from greater flexibility offered to parents with often unpredictable child care needs to an updated room for nursing parents.
Institutional policies reflect strong leadership support and alignment with college-wide goals. Brittany Harris, an advisor in the Career Pathways program, said much of the focus has been on “making sure our policies are friendly for parents — that everybody knows them and they’re equitable.”
One of the major changes has been a college-wide policy regarding children on campus. Northark has implemented clearer structures and procedures, stating that children must be attended by a parent or guardian while on campus and outlining the steps the college will take if they’re unattended. The policy uses non-punitive language to make it clear that “children are welcome, but they have to be supervised,” said Martin.
Photos courtesy of North Arkansas College
Northark currently posts a printed “Northark Help” guide in each classroom at the beginning of every semester that points students to support services, but the college is also working to develop a page on its website that compiles services and resources specifically beneficial to student parents. This will not only help currently enrolled students access the support they need but may also attract prospective learners to the college. “So, if they’re trying to decide on a college,” Martin explained, “they’ll say, ‘Look at all the services I can get as a parent. I think I’ll go to Northark.’”
The recruiting department has also created an updated “look book,” a publication they show to prospective learners, which includes pictures of nontraditional students — such as students with children. This change is part of the college’s ongoing work to ensure student parents understand they belong, and can thrive, on campus.
“You really need to have some friendly spaces on campus,” said Martin. The Career Pathways office has toys available for children who come in with their enrolled parents, a simple addition that makes the space more welcoming for both student parents and their kids.
Looking forward, Northark aims to strengthen its ability to track and use data on parenting students across programs, including Career Pathways. As Harris pointed out, their team is in the best position to support students’ needs when they understand what those needs are and where to direct resources. Leaders also continue to think of ways to make the campus the most welcoming place it can be for parenting students and the kids who come along with them, understanding that a sense of belonging is key to a successful journey through higher education.
“These students are near and dear to our hearts,” said Martin of the parenting learners who come through the Career Pathways program. “We want to make sure that they have the best opportunity to succeed.”
North Arkansas College is a cohort participant in Moving From Data to Action — Scaling Support for Student Parents, a grant initiative aimed at helping a select cohort of colleges to design, implement, and assess supports that serve the needs of their parenting students.
