And now the Ass. Dean makes a real threat.. followed by the Dean trying to encourage me to back down

So there have been several volleys going on in email that I haven't taken the time to post. I will soon. Here is where things stand as of this afternoon, after I informed her this morning that I cannot find the policy that she refers to (after searching through several THOUSAND pages of the university's website) and will be bringing my baby to class with me as an act of civil disobedience if that's what it takes.

Latest email exchange with the Ass. Dean:

On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 2:20 PM, Dean P [name redacted] <[email redacted]> wrote:

Mrs [my last name redacted],
I will again emphasize that you cannot attend class with your child.  If you insist and fail to comply with this directive of a University official, you will be in violation of the University's Standards of Conduct and subject to the student judicial process and be disciplined  accordingly.
[Dean P's full name redacted]

**** my response ****


Dean P [name redacted,

Once again and very formally, I request you point out where this policy exists in writing, other than your emails.  I also formally question YOUR compliance with Standards of Conduct in making such a directive in the first place. I am quite prepared to face a student judicial process and potential discipline in this issue. I will also seek to have your behavior similarly scrutinized. Again, you are welcome to drop this issue at any time and allow me to proceed in the way I have set out in my academic career.

Mrs. [my last name redacted]

While I was composing this blog post I was interrupted by a pop-up telling me that the actual Dean (the one I like and respect from undergraduate education interactions) had sent me the following email:

[my first name - which I don't mind him calling me since I've known him long and well enough - redacted],

I want to assure you that the policy concerning "unregistered persons" does exist.  I inquired with the university attorney myself when this question first arose.  I was informed no visitors including children may attend class.  This is a policy that I am required to enforce.

In the [program name redacted] student handbook, the relevant policy is on page 65.  Here is a link to the pdf file,
[link redacted as it would identify the university in question, will cut and paste relevant section he's pointing to below my reply]

In regards to the 5 year limit to which you refer, that clock will stop if you are on maternity leave.  Dean P can assist you in withdrawing from the class and securing the approved leave.

[my first name redacted], the policies have to be applied evenly to all persons.  You are not being singled out.  I know that this is difficult for you and I appreciate your situation.  However, I hope that you will work with us to settle this situation.
[Dean G's initials]


****my response****

Dean G [name redacted],

Dean P[redacted] has consistently stated that there is a policy regarding *children* attending classes. It does not seem to exist. As for "unregistered persons", as I pointed out, there are reasonable exceptions made to that policy as needed.  

What kind of social worker would you be training me to be if I did not challenge what I see as unjust policy in application? As you know of me, I strive to live my ethics. I am sorry that the challenge is coming to this.  

I appreciate your clarification that the clock would "stop ticking" if I were to go on maternity leave, but that does not resolve the financial aid/loan issues it would cause. I also note you are the first person to make this statement - my academic advisor did not when I discussed the issue with her and I was made quite sure that the five year clock was continuing to run.

Dean G[redacted], you also know that I am not one to try to just make a situation better for myself - there is a reason I was interested in the Community and Social Development concentration.  If I must fight this fight, I do it with the cold comfort that I am also fighting it for those who come after me. One of my aspirations as a social science professional is to increase breastfeeding rates - a goal among many policy makers from the international level all the way down to the local. This policy, enforced as it is being enforced (willingly or unwillingly on your part), serves to  disrupt the dynamics of the breastfeeding relationship in ways that could and would unnecessarily shorten breastfeeding duration below expert, evidence-based recommendations in a less strongly-willed mother's case. I have on hand and can provide academically published research regarding societal/institutional interference with breastfeeding shortening duration below the recommended guidelines, it is a known issue to experts in this particular field. I will do my part to make sure that mothers who come after me are not similarly undermined in their breastfeeding goals.  The fact that this specific instance is tied in with disability access issues does not improve the situation for any involved.  

As I stated earlier, I am enjoying my classes and do not wish to withdraw.  I have already spent significant energy and money to make it possible for me to attend the classes I am enrolled in, with arranging childcare for my three year old and other issues.  In fact, due to this disagreement, I have already written and spent more energy researching topics related to it than I likely would have spent through at least the end of October in the class in question, including paying a care provider to assist me with my children while I deal with this even off-campus because it is stressing me out enough to set off symptoms of my medical condition. 

I have spent a significant amount of energy fighting oppression in other areas in the past, this is just one more and more personally directed.  Rest assured, I already have ample supply of allies to wage this fight if I need to call upon them.  I will fight the applicability of this policy when it comes to exclusively breastfed infants. They are not "visitors", they are, in a very visceral way, still a part of their student-mother.

As far as I can tell, you are free in your role as Dean to declare an individual exemption to allow my son to be in class with me during the time he and I cannot go longer than it would take me to get to/from him around the class period for feedings, since it is directly related to my physical disability (it takes me longer than it would an able-bodied breastfeeding mother to get to/from him around the class, which makes it impossible for me to be separated from him for the duration). This, as I have tried to point out before, is only an issue this semester and apparently only for my Thursday morning Oppression class since the [course identifier redacted] (Health Disparities)  instructors have no problem with the way I'm accommodating the issue on my own. You can make it as specific individual exemption to policy accommodation based upon my dual role as physically disabled student andexclusively breastfeeding mother - a combination you're unlikely to have to deal with again anytime in the near future.  Just as you could and would make an exemption to the "no unregistered persons" rule if a Sign Language interpreter for a Deaf student or a note-taker for a student who is visually impaired were required in a class.  If you and all else involved feel that this needs to go through a judicial process and potentially become a part of the public record, then that is your call.  I am not going to back down on this issue.  I would be quite happy to work on changing university policy for all exclusively breastfeeding mothers without this extra item on my to-do list.

Very Sincerely,

[my full name redacted]

edit: oops, forgot to include the part of the student handbook Dean G references:

VISITORS/UNREGISTERED STUDENTS IN CLASS

Only students who are officially registered for a class are permitted to attend the class. Instructors may permit students/visitors to sit in on occasional classes at their discretion, but persons who wish to attend class regularly without receiving credit should be advised to register as auditors. Any person who attends class but is not listed on the class roster should be directed to see the [program redacted] Registrar to resolve any registration problems he/she may have, and should not be admitted to the classroom until formally enrolled. Unregistered persons should never be permitted to take part in laboratory activities.

[bold emphasis added]

Sooooo..... the formal way to resolve this, silly as it sounds, may be to add my 3 month old exclusively breastfed infant as "auditor" of the class? Brilliant. And how much would THAT cost me? And FWIW, yes, I read the handbook last year when I started the program and I would never have guessed that anyone would try to apply that policy to an INFANT. It seems rather absurd.



Also found in the page before the above policy in the student handbook:

Students are admitted to specific programs (Full-Time; Intensive Weekend) and must register for classes in their own program. Exceptions to this rule are 1) when otherwise designated on registration materials as a course open to all programs; or 2) with prior permission from the Assistant Dean of Student Services. Such a request must be submitted ten weeks before the semester in which the course will be offered. In no case should a student request a syllabus or begin a course assignment unless registered for the course. Only on rare occasions will a full time student be granted permission to take a weekend course not intended for all students.

Guess who "the Assistant Dean of Student Services" is? Dean P.  How likely do you think it is that I'll have an easy time registering for any class that's not specifically on my "pattern of enrollment" sheet, including fulfilling the necessary credits for open elective hours (15 out of the 60 credits for my particular concentration, if I recall correctly)? Yeah... "creates a hostile environment" part of the discrimination protection laws, check mark already added in very bold ink here...