To honor Women’s History Month, the Committee on the Status of Women (CSW) and the Marymount Institute hosted a panel discussion titled “Mothers and Caregivers @ LMU” in the Hannon Library on Wednesday, March 12.
Moderated by Sheri Castro-Atwater, the CSW Faculty Chair and director of the LMU Master of Arts in Counseling program, the panel event was organized in response to the “unanswered questions” raised by CSW members about LMU policies, support, and the resources available to mothers and caregivers. These questions covered a wide range of topics, including childcare leave policies, parking accommodations, pregnancy support, wellbeing resources, tips for faculty caregivers who need to balance their scholarship, and more.
Colleagues across campus came together to support the LMU caregiving community and to learn more about what caregiving resources are available at LMU. The panel discussion focused on four areas:
- Wellbeing Resources for Caregivers
- Human Resource Policies For Caregivers
- Childcare Resources For Caregivers
- Faculty Perspectives: Balancing Scholarship and Caregiving Responsibilities
Wellbeing Resources for Caregivers
Marieclare Sia, Senior Wellbeing Strategist and Advisor, provided an overview of the physical and mental health resources available to caregivers on campus. She emphasized various opportunities for staff and faculty, including small, intimate yoga classes, on-campus Reiki sessions, massages, and discounts on wellbeing resources. For more information on additional wellbeing resources, please visit Wellbeing and Ergonomics.
Kat Brown, Director of Mission and Identity Programs, reflected on “cura personalis”—care for the whole 
person. She emphasized that this care extends not only to how we support students, but also to how we nurture ourselves as complete individuals. She highlighted how our multiple identities influence our presence in the community, whether we are staff, faculty, or both, and how these identities manifest both inside and outside the classroom and workplace. Being fully engaged in these identities is a valuable asset we can share.
She encouraged us to reflect on where we find joy, nourishment, connection, and deep meaning in our lives. She challenged us to seek ways to flourish by engaging in reflective practices inspired by Ignatian and Marymount traditions. For instance, she suggested asking ourselves key questions: “What am I experiencing? How did I feel during that experience? What did I learn? And how does this resonate (or not) with my core values?”
As a follow-up, Kat shared resources for mission engagement and reflection, including the Center for Mission and Identity faculty and staff programs, the Center for Ignatian Spirituality events and retreats, as well as personalized recommendations and resources. She also offers custom programs to LMU teams and departments focused on mission engagement, reflection, discernment, and Jesuit/Marymount education, tailored to their specific context.
Kat noted that she is available for one-on-one conversations to discuss personal interests, hopes, and questions, and to help individuals connect with opportunities and programs that best fit their needs. She can be reached at Katherine.Brown@lmu.edu.
Human Resource Policies For Caregivers
Rick Olshak, Interim Title IX Coordinator, reviewed legislation from 1975, 2020, and 2024 that affects Human Resources policies and procedures at LMU. He clarified that while Title IX does not specifically address childcare, LMU updated its policy on School and Childcare-Related Absences in 2023; this updated policy is available in LMU HR Policies and Procedures. He also explained the pregnancy and parenting leave policies, noting that faculty and staff have separate leave structures due to their different contractual and employment obligations with LMU. Faculty leaves structures are more nuanced and can be viewed at LMU HR Policies and Procedures.
Olshak addressed the topic of having children in the workplace. While LMU does not have an official policy regarding this issue, he expressed his support for managing such situations at the local level. He emphasized making adjustments for individuals, as long as these changes do not negatively impact the academic environment.
The discussion also included lactation rooms on campus. Olshak emphasized the importance of not tracking employees’ time during lactation breaks. Members of the CSW pointed out that the existing lactation rooms across campus are outdated and that they were working on making improvements. Panel moderator Kyle Studebaker invited input from faculty and staff—ideas and suggestions can be sent to kyle.studebaker@lmu.edu.
During the discussion, time off for childcare needs was addressed. Olshak explained LMU’s policies for employee caregivers around K-12 school activities, such as mandatory or encouraged volunteering. He also addressed what to do when childcare facilities are closed during breaks. Olshack is sharing the information provided during the panel discussion in his presentation deck. For additional inquiries, feel free to email him at Rick.Olshak@lmu.edu.
Childcare Resources For Caregivers
Máire Ford, Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development served as a panelist who presented the results of the LMU Faculty and Staff Childcare Survey conducted in spring 2025. The findings indicated strong enthusiasm and support for maintaining an onsite childcare center and a significant need for more affordable and accessible care for LMU employee caregivers. Additionally, she suggested ideas for subsidizing childcare costs for caregivers and expanding the current LMU Child Care Center (LMUCC).
Rebecca Okida, Associate Director of the Office of Student Conduct & Community Responsibility, shared that all of her children attended LMUCC. As a long-time member and supporter of the LMUCC Advisory Board, she understands the challenges that caregivers face while balancing job demands. She encouraged faculty and staff to support one another and actively seek out their community on campus. Okida also reflected on the different stages of caregiving, such as the daycare and summer camp phases. Additionally, as a member of the Committee on the Status of Women (CSW), she and other members are working to expand their list of caregiver and childcare resources. They welcome suggestions and additional resources, which can be sent to Rebecca.Okida@lmu.edu.
Faculty Perspectives On Completing Scholarship While Caregiving
Kristen Covino (top), Associate Professor of Biology, and Leena Pendharkar (below), Associate Professor at the School of Film, Television, and Theatre (SFTV), shared their unique perspectives on balancing caregiving responsibilities with their academic roles. They discussed strategies for managing family life alongside research productivity, emphasizing the importance of setting specific and realistic goals for scholarship. They also highlighted the need to balance time spent on research and creative work with caregiving duties. Additionally, they suggested utilizing flexible schedules
—such as conducting field research on weekends and taking time off during the week to accommodate this work.
Covino shared her “time blocking” as a strategy for managing service commitments. She pointed out that without strategies like this, service tasks could negatively affect her ability to make a meaningful impact on her work with LMU students. Additionally, she shared ways to use caregiving time productively, such as being physically present at her child’s dance class while taking advantage of that time to work, as it requires minimal mental engagement. Both Kristen and Leena reflected on the challenges of making time for creative work, acknowledging that this type of work is often undervalued but crucial for maintaining a connection to their careers and life purposes.
They identified several needs for faculty that LMU could address, including: Providing affordable on-campus childcare; Offering flexible parking options without requiring faculty to promise not to park in surrounding areas; Providing assistance during predictable school holidays that align with the Los Angeles Unified School District calendar, as many LMU caregivers have children attending these schools; Scheduling more accessible retreat days and times for faculty caregivers at LMU; Organizing additional community-building events to connect faculty and staff who have children of similar ages.
Throughout the panel discussion, comments emphasized the need to change the culture surrounding caregiving at LMU, sharing both positive and negative experiences. The concluding discussions focused on creating more opportunities for caregivers to connect and address their shared needs. Additionally, there was a focus on linking caregivers of children with disabilities and caregivers of older adults to communal spaces and resources for support.
CSW and LMU Marymount Center plan to continue the conversation by hosting a similar event in the fall of 2025, focusing specifically on the needs of LMU caregivers for older adults. Additionally, CSW will be adding specific resources and relevant information for caregivers to the CSW hub, based on the discussions held during this important event.
At the end of the event, participants received caregiving goodie bags and shirts. The discussions were lively, and the event can be viewed at the CSW Mothers@LMU recording if you missed it.
