From finding a bathroom with a changing table to searching for places on campus that are kid-friendly, some student parents argue many aspects of MU are unaccommodating.

“I think Mizzou is pretty unfriendly for students with children, for the most part,” senior Lauren Ma said. “There’s some organizations like the Women’s Center that do really well with helping parents and children feel welcome, but for the most part, I think Mizzou is very unwelcoming.”

The Women’s Center provides many different resources to student parents, such as a library with books and magazine subscriptions for parents, along with many other services for everyday students.

“Our biggest resource is our family-friendly space,” Women’s Center adviser Suzy Day said. “We encourage people to come to our program and to bring their children.”

The Women’s Center held the grand opening for a new multipurpose family room Friday.

The new family room provides student parents with a space of their own, Day said. It serves as a lactation station for breast-feeding mothers, and it includes lockers for parents to store baby bags throughout the day. It is also a child friendly location with doors that can shut, so parents can work on homework while their children play.

“I think Mizzou needs to continue to add these things,” Day said. “I think Mizzou just needs to be aware of the issues that do exist and be accommodating.”

Graduate student Emily Marschall has two children under the age of five and said she agrees with Ma that MU does not do a good job of accommodating student parents.

“I don’t think that campus really thinks about student parents,” Marschall said. “From really simple things like trying to have my children on campus to finding a place to change diapers. I’m fortunate that I’m in a really supportive academic department.”

Ma said the MU Student Center is a step in the right direction for student parents. It has changing tables in the bathrooms and is a kid-friendly environment.

Although more student parent accommodations similar to these around campus would be beneficial, Marschall said raising awareness is more important.

“I feel like there isn’t a whole lot of awareness or understanding,” Marschall said. “I don’t feel like MU is understanding to nontraditional students. It’s hard to find other student parents, and we’re having a hard time networking and pulling our resources together.”

Although MU makes big strides on showing how diverse the school is, very few student parent opportunities come up on campus, Marschall said.

“I’m in grad school because of my kids,” Marschall said. “I want to get a better job and support them. I don’t feel like there’s a whole lot of support for me on campus. As a woman on campus who happens to be a mother, I’m just invisible.”

Chancellor Brady Deaton started Family Friendly Task Force to make sure MU is filling these needs.

“The university is definitely making steps,” Day said.