“Being a Parent at UW” Report

25 08 2026

What is the daily life like for those who combine parenting with studying, pursuing doctoral studies, or working at the University of Warsaw? What solutions help balance family and academic roles, and where changes are still needed? The report “Being a Parent at UW” provides answers to these questions. The authors, Professor Aneta Ostaszewska (Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Resocialization), and Marta Jadwiga Pietrusińska, PhD (Faculty of Pedagogy), both affiliated with the Center for Research on Women and Gender Issues.

The report summarizes a study on the experiences of parents within the University of Warsaw community. Its aim was to understand both the daily challenges associated with combining family responsibilities with study and work, as well as solutions that can support parenting at the university. The study included the perspectives of students and doctoral candidates, those employed in academic and administrative positions, and those in management roles.

The results show that the University of Warsaw is perceived by parents as a place with clear potential for creating conditions conducive to combining family and academic life, but also with significant systemic gaps. Problems concern various areas of the university’s operation – from the organization of work and study, through infrastructure and access to information, to organizational culture and performance evaluation procedures.

One of the most important findings of the study is that childcare responsibilities remain largely an individual challenge for parents. Support often depends on the ability to establish individual solutions with superiors, colleagues, or instructors. As a result, parental experiences can vary significantly across University of Warsaw units.

Researchers also highlighted infrastructure limitations. Among the most frequently cited problems were insufficient places in nurseries and preschools, a lack of adequate parent-child rooms, and difficulties navigating campus with a stroller. Another challenge is access to information. Awareness of existing forms of support is particularly low among students and PhD candidates. The dispersion of information means that existing solutions are not always easy to find and utilize.

The report places a special emphasis on the issue of inequalities related to parenting. The study shows that women mothers are more likely than men fathers to experience the negative consequences of parenting in the academic environment – ​​including being questioned for competence, perceived as less flexible, and overlooked for promotions and awards. The report’s authors refer to this phenomenon as the “motherhood penalty.”

The report demonstrates that a parent-friendly academic environment requires not only individual amenities but, above all, consistent and predictable solutions. As the study’s authors emphasize, a parent-friendly university is also a university that supports work-life balance and better responds to the needs of the entire academic community.

The report “Being a Parent at the UW” is available here.