“Being a parent at UW” study

What is it like to combine parenthood with studying, research, teaching, and administrative work on a daily basis at the University of Warsaw? What barriers do those raising children face, and what solutions do they need? The study “Being a Parent at UW”, conducted by the University of Warsaw Equality Team in cooperation with the Center for Research on Women and Gender Issues and the Department of Education Quality Evaluation, provides answers to these questions.

The study resulted in the 2026 report “Being a Parent at UW,” authored by Professor Aneta Ostaszewska (Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Resocialization), and Marta Jadwiga Pietrusińska, PhD, (Faculty of Education), both affiliated with the Center for Research on Women and Gender Issues.

The study covered various groups within the University of Warsaw community: students and doctoral candidates, those employed in research, teaching, and administration, as well as those in management positions. In the qualitative section, focus group interviews were conducted with 33 individuals. This was followed by an online survey with 1,315 individuals working at the University of Warsaw and 1,373 students and PhD candidates. This allowed for a diverse perspective on parenthood and captured both individual experiences and barriers related to the organization of university operations.

The full report is available here, and the most important conclusions are described below.

Parenthood and the Academic Career

One of the report’s most important points is that the arrival of a child can significantly impact academic and professional development. Academics most frequently cited limitations regarding research trips, participation in training and study visits, conferences, publishing, and conducting their own research. Among the academics surveyed, 76% reported a slowdown in research trips, 68% in participation in training and study visits, 64% in conference trips, and 59% in publishing. These difficulties were more frequently reported by women. The consequences extend beyond the current work organization. Over a third of UW employees declared that they had postponed parenthood due to career development. This figure was 39% for women and 28% for men. Among academic teachers, the figure was 44%.

Parenthood also impacts the situation of students and doctoral candidates. 66% of the parents surveyed from this group indicated that having children influenced their thesis or dissertation preparation. Among doctoral candidates, half assessed that their situation during doctoral studies worsened after having a child, and 75% of parents felt that, compared to those without children, they had fewer opportunities for academic development. Over a third of the students and doctoral candidates surveyed chose not to travel abroad or refrained from doing so due to parental responsibilities.

Support Depends on Good Will

The report highlights that one of the key problems is the lack of a coherent, university-wide policy for supporting parents. The University of Warsaw is rated by parents as an institution moderately suited to their needs – with the potential to create good solutions, but also with clear systemic gaps. The most common rating was “average,” with 41% of employed respondents choosing this option, and 47% of students and PhD candidates.

A particular problem is the inequality of experiences between institutions. Whether a parent can take advantage of a flexible work or study schedule, the ability to participate in online classes, or other amenities often depends on individual arrangements with their supervisor, manager, or instructor. Over half of employees – 53% – have not encountered a workflow within their institution that accommodates parental needs.

The report’s authors emphasize that support based solely on goodwill may be insufficient. From the parents’ perspective, it means having to repeatedly ask for solutions and being uncertain whether they will be obtained. Systemic policies, however, could increase the sense of security of both parents and their colleagues and superiors.

Flexibility Matters

One area where the importance of organizational solutions is particularly evident is the ability to flexibly plan work and study. Parents cited difficulties related to, among other things, scheduling classes, organizing meetings, and participating in classes and academic events at times that conflict with the operation of nurseries, preschools, and schools.

The ability to participate in online classes proved to be a significant convenience – both in the event of a child’s illness and when a parent was unable to provide care. At the same time, the report indicates that the lack of university-wide policies regarding certain solutions, including individual study arrangements related to parenting, leads to significant differences between institutions.

The report also notes that regulations regarding remote work and occasional remote work came into effect at the University of Warsaw after the study was completed. This is an example of a solution that addresses some of the needs identified during the study.

Infrastructure and Information

The challenges concern not only the organization of work and study. Respondents also cited infrastructural barriers, including insufficient places in nurseries and preschools, a lack of parent-child rooms, and spaces designated for feeding and care. Accessibility to buildings for people using strollers is also a problem. There is also a lack of emergency, short-term childcare options, which increases stress levels in emergency situations and makes it difficult to respond to professional responsibilities.

Access to information is also a significant barrier. Particularly among students and PhD candidates, knowledge about available support options is insufficient. Even solutions already in place at the University are not always utilized because information about them is scattered or difficult to access.

The “Motherhood Penalty” and Organizational Culture

The report also shows that the challenges of parenthood have an equalitarian dimension. Mechanisms described in the report as the “motherhood penalty” are still present in the academic community. Women mothers are more likely than men fathers to experience their competences being questioned, perceived as less flexible, overlooked for promotions and awards, and greater pressure to prove their effectiveness.

At the same time, the organizational culture of many units is still based on the model of a constantly available employee. Parents often try to compensate for the limitations of caregiving responsibilities by working evenings, nights, or weekends. In the long term, this leads to overload, feelings of guilt, and a decline in mental and physical well-being.

What kind of University do parents need?

The study’s conclusions show that systemic solutions are needed above all, independent of the individual, position, or individual decision of a supervisor. Among the most frequently cited needs were the consideration of parental responsibilities in employee evaluations, promotions, and rewards, the development of flexible work and study arrangements, and the ability to adapt work hours and activities to the operations of childcare and educational institutions.

The respondents also cited the need for financial support, including scholarship supplements, tuition fee reductions, research grants for parents, and the financing of family participation costs during research trips. Psychological support was also important, including measures to combat parental burnout and support groups for those returning to work after parental leave.

Recommended areas of action also included the development of nursery and preschool infrastructure, the creation of emergency childcare facilities, increasing the number and quality of nursing rooms, and creating spaces where children could safely stay while waiting for their parents. Respondents also highlighted the need to better adapt the university’s spaces to accommodate wheelchair users and improve the availability of information about the support offered.

The report also highlights the broader dimension of building the academic community – including through organizing events, summer camps, and educational, sports, and artistic activities for the children of students and employees at the University of Warsaw. Therefore, it’s not just about responding to specific challenges, but also about creating an environment in which parenthood is recognized as a natural part of the diverse academic community.

A Parent-Friendly University is a University Friendly to All

The authors of the report emphasize that initiatives to support parents should not be viewed as solutions aimed solely at one group. A parent-friendly university is also a university that better meets the needs of the entire community – supporting work-life balance, reducing the culture of constant availability, and creating more predictable working and learning conditions.

The report is not only a diagnosis of the situation but also a starting point for further discussion on how to shape the organizational culture of the University of Warsaw so that parenthood doesn’t mean sacrificing academic and professional development or having to function at the university at the expense of health, leisure, and family life. As the authors of the study point out, building a university that supports parents is, in fact, building a university that is more equal, diverse and friendly to the entire academic community.