BCS Team
Oct 18, 2024
Inside the First BCS Meeting: Real Talk on Balancing Caregiving, Student Life, and Pushing for Policy Change
BCS Meeting Transcript - October 18, 2024
Welcome and Introductions
Ashlie Dao (0:16): “Welcome, everyone, to our first meeting of the quarter! I’m Ashlie Dao, one of the co-founders of BCS. We’re thrilled to have you all here. Today, we’re excited to discuss some of the plans and goals we have for the club, and get to know each of you better.”
Keo (0:22): “Thank you, Ashlie. Hi, everyone, my name is Keo, and I’m the new President of BCS for this year. Before we dive in, I just want to briefly introduce our executive board and share some updates. Unfortunately, Jamil couldn’t make it today, but he sends his regards.”
Agenda Overview
Keo (2:22): "Today, Ashlie will share more details about what driven caregivers are and what BCS is all about. Then, I’ll lead a discussion to reflect on our future goals and get your thoughts."
Ashlie Dao (2:23):
Overview of BCS: “BCS was created to help caregiving students who are taking care of adult dependents gain access to the same resources that parenting students have. For context, UCLA provides various forms of support to parenting students, but when I approached Student Affairs as a caregiving student, I was turned away because my dependent was over 18. This was when I realized there was a significant gap in support.”
Key Statistics: “A study from nine large public research-intensive universities found that one in five students identified as caregivers. Caregivers for adults outnumber parenting students nearly two to one, yet all the resources are geared toward parenting students.”
Establishing CSI: “After recognizing this need, I conducted informational interviews, including one with the Students with Dependents (SwD) program director. This led to my being hired to identify and support caregiving students, and I formally established the Caregiving Student Initiative (CSI).”
Achievements: Ashlie detailed various achievements of CSI, including conducting UCLA’s first-ever caregiving student survey in collaboration with SAIRO, establishing a fundraising event, and presenting findings that were recognized with the Dean’s Prize.
Icebreaker Activity: Rose, Bud, and Thorn
The icebreaker activity encouraged each member to share three things:
Rose: A positive event or something bringing them joy
Bud: Something they are looking forward to or working on
Thorn: A current challenge they are facing
Keo’s Reflection (2:23):
Rose: "I’m really excited about starting my new role as the President of BCS and working towards cross-departmental collaborations."
Bud: "I’m looking forward to exploring new initiatives with other departments and stakeholders at UCLA."
Thorn: "Balancing my education major and coursework with my responsibilities has been challenging."
Member Reflections Summary
Loryn: Enjoyed the weather and looked forward to an upcoming solo trip but faced challenges with time management as a commuter student.
Jonathan: Celebrated completing an exam and looked forward to a full day off but found it challenging to balance academics and home responsibilities as a new transfer student.
London: Focused on working towards her dissertation proposal, incorporating storytelling, but faced challenges pulling it all together.
Two Main Goals of BCS
Practical Support:
BCS aims to connect caregiving students with available resources, create support groups, and foster camaraderie.
Advocacy for Policy Change:
The club is focused on advocating for policy changes, with the first step being equal rights for caregiving students to match those of parenting students.
Ashlie Dao (10:00): “One of our key long-term goals is to expand Title IX protections to include caregiving students. We’re inspired by the progress made at UC Berkeley, which offers a robust program for caregiving students that includes financial stipends and accommodations.”
Details on UC Berkeley Program (14:45):
Ashlie explained that UC Berkeley’s program for caregiving students is primarily focused on graduate students and offers the following key features:
Financial Support: Berkeley provides a financial stipend of approximately $12,000 annually to caregiving students, the same amount offered to parenting students.
Accommodations: The program at Berkeley includes flexible assignment deadlines, attendance accommodations, and other support mechanisms to help caregiving students manage their responsibilities effectively.
Integration with Parenting Programs: The program at Berkeley builds upon and parallels the support systems already in place for parenting students, recognizing the unique challenges faced by caregiving students.
Ashlie Dao (14:45): “Berkeley has a more extensive program with significant financial resources, which makes implementing such programs more feasible. Even though their funding surpasses UCLA’s, knowing they have successfully established a program for caregiving students is encouraging. It shows us that there is a precedent for this kind of support.”
Q&A and Reflection Period
Member Reflection - Lyndon (19:44):
Lyndon shared her experience of caregiving for a brother with special needs and expressed concerns about future responsibilities. She noted the mental strain and anxiety this responsibility creates, even if she isn’t actively caregiving right now.
Ashlie’s Response (21:42):
Ashlie acknowledged Lyndon’s concerns and clarified that caregiving extends beyond physical responsibilities to include mental and emotional burdens. She explained that BCS supports students in similar situations by connecting them with caseworkers who can facilitate accommodations and additional support, such as financial aid for travel.
Challenges and Institutional Roadblocks
Keo (18:46): “We have institutional support from the Bruin Resource Center and Student Affairs, but navigating the bureaucracy can be a challenge. It takes time to get buy-in from different departments and stakeholders.”
Ashlie Dao (25:13): “Yes, and even with support, there are many layers of administration. For example, gaining approval for our first caregiver survey was a significant milestone. It usually takes years to get initiatives like priority registration approved, as was the case for parenting students.”
Looking Ahead: Next Steps and Action Items
Keo (36:07): “We’d love to hear your thoughts on holding these meetings weekly. Also, if anyone has suggestions for raising awareness or ideas for outreach, please share.”
Member Questions:
Loryn (32:40): Asked about the vision of BCS and long-term goals.
Ashlie’s Response: Ashlie reiterated the two main goals of BCS and shared plans to model their efforts after UC Berkeley’s program.
Jonathan (23:43): Inquired about obstacles in gaining resources for caregiving students.
Ashlie’s Response (26:18): Ashlie explained that while there’s no direct opposition, the challenges lie in coordinating with different departments and gaining institutional support.
Outreach and Raising Awareness
Ashlie Dao (38:16): “Our immediate goal for this quarter is to raise awareness and increase membership. We want to connect with departments, professors, and students to spread the word about BCS. If you have connections with programs or large listservs, please let us know so we can collaborate on outreach efforts.”
London (40:17): “I work with several large programs, so I’d be happy to help spread the word. I can connect with program directors to share flyers or other materials once you have them.”
Ashlie Dao (40:27): “That would be fantastic, London. We’re grateful for any support in expanding BCS’s reach.”
Closing Thoughts and Next Steps
Keo (41:54): “Thank you all for your input and reflections. We’ve got some great ideas to move forward with, and I appreciate the insights you’ve shared today.”
Ashlie Dao (42:27): “If you have more questions or want to get involved, please reach out to me or Keo. We’ll continue to build on these discussions and work towards our goals for the quarter.”