This is a very good place to study, as I said, but nothing is perfect and there is still no daycare on the premises, nor is there definite plans for one, as far as I know. I ended up waiting twelve years to come back to school, because there was no daycare then either but I honestly feel that it didn’t have to be so. Iam older now and although my age hasn’t hindered me in any way since I came back here, I do wish I could have finished a little earlier. Capilano College and Langara have made arrangements for their students fo have access to the local school. Students of both schools have on-site saycare for the younger children. It just makes sense. If something comes up for me and I need to take them somewhere after 4:30, I have to go to Burnaby first, to get them from the babysitter which takes one hour, then we have supper and about 45 minutes of commuting time before I can get back here. By the time I get here, I’m usually exhausted and so are they, and there’s hardly any time left to do anything anyway because they have to be in bed by 9:00 or at the latest 10:00. The trip backtakes the 45 minutes again and what’s worse is that thay usually fall asleep so I have to try and wakw them up first because I can’t carry two kids up the stairs by myself. Other institutions, such as U.B.C. and Simon Fraser have taken this issue into account as well. ~ U.B.C. has a school on site, because of their P.D.P. program and family housing. They are a huge university with many more people that we have so it’s not really a fair comparison. Simon Fraser is a smaller place, and has no on-site school, but they have also made arrangements to have their students’ children attend the local school. This frees up the students to concentrate on their work, not on the babysitter. As women artists with children, we have to constantly prove that our children don’t hinder our practice, that we are able to produce good work in spite of them. In fact I think there ought to be 24 hour acces at the school, which would make it easier ton every- one who has a weird schedule. Some people work as well as going to school and many have told me they would rather get up really early and come to school at 6 a.m. to do their work. The school is school is basically closed for an hour each night and it seems such a waste. . .guards locking doors and gates etc. that are only gooing to be opened an hour later. The shops should be open longer too with student moni- tors. ; They do this at S.F.U. and frankly, I don’t know how they got around the Union rules, but it would be worth a phone call I think. I know that at S.F.U. every student gets a key to the studio and they have the run of the place. I think creativity is facili- tated this way, but.who am I to say? I don’t mean to sound like I’m unhappy here. Tam. I just think we need to open up access a little more in order to get the most from the fantastic facilities we have. I am not interested in asking that the work load be decreased because I love to work and I love to work hard. I’m doubly aware now at age forty that this is my last chance. I either make it or I don’t. I can’t come back for another starting round. I have to get on with my career or forget doing it altogether. The work load here is not the problem. The problem is that parents have many other commit- ments and responsibilities outside the school, such as parent/teacher meetings, extra laundry to do and more time spent on shopping for food and clothing, housework etc. All necessary and time-consuming, things to do, for anyone, but when you have sr~all children that can't really fend for themselves, it’s a much heavier load. When I have added all these ‘extra’ things together, I’ve figured out that we spend at least 50 hours moore a week on activities unrelated to school work, than people with no children. There are lots of mothers here. Why don’t we sit soown and talk about the changes we would like to see implemented $0) we are not left to fend for our- selves like orphans. | We are part fo this school and we would like some 'recognittion. Communications I would like to give you an example of the kind of situations, that arise for mothers here, in which we are treated with total lack of sensitivity. My son David fell off the monkey bars at — school one day last term. He had a concussion and his school phoned me here so they could find out what to do with him. Unfortunately, someone at the desk.said she didn’t know me. I didn’t find out that my son havd the concussion until seven o’clock that evening when I got home from school. This situation infuriated me. We ought to have a better communi- cation system, or a loudspeaker, so emergencies can be dealt with quickly. Some other suggestions Thesingle most frustrating thing about this school is the photocopier in the library. Two sugges- tions: 1. I wouldlike to propose that we get onto a library. 2. We also needa 5 cent copier, somewhere in the copycard systemat the school. The library would be the ideal place, but the cafeteria or another area would do as well. Students at Emily Carr want to have a student- run gallery/retail space. A school store would be a’ fun thing for students and visitors, a lot less poverty for students. Most of us have serious cash-flow problems around here. Why don’t we have a school lounge, a funky old space, here at the old school, where we can put our old feet up on old furniture and relax? The Faculty Lounge seems like the logical place. The students of Emily Carr need a permanent lounge for our mental health if nothing else. and we are not fussy about who shares the space. It would be a very open atmosphere in which to have individual appointments with teachers, because the Faculty Lounge has a feeling of privacy as well. The cafeteria is definitely not the same. Many of us are getting older and we want to make up for lost time. Year-round classes for those of us who are not spring chickens and would like to work a little faster would be very civilized. Con- versely, there are those of us who would like to work a little slower so we could accomodate family com- mitments more easily into our schedules. Why can’t we go year round, on a three semester system? I believe a three semester system would pay for itself, if the school opened up to senior citizens and other mature students in the community, like colleges have done elsewhere. Conclusion There’s a million things that could be done to help women artists, but nobody has gone ahead and tried them yet. I think the time to start looking for other options is at hand. We don’t want to be invisible at this school. Please don’t forget about us, don’t leave us to fend for ourselves like orphans. We are part of this school and would like some recogni- tion. I would like to suggetst an immediate affirma- tive action plan, perhaps using some of the ideas presented here, or perhaps using other viable solu- tions. We need to facilitate more access to students who are parenting, especially for those of us single parenting. I think it is a worth-while cause and if we take up the challenge, we will be keeping up with the times by making this a truly equal opportunity school. This is a very good place to study, as I said, but nothing is perfect and there is stil no daycare on the premises, noris there definite plans for one, as far as I know. ended up waiting twelve years to come back to school, because there was no daycare then either but I honestly feel that it didn’t have to be so. Iam ‘older now and although my age hasn’t hindered me in any way since I came back here, I do wish I could have finished a litle earlier. Capilano College and Langara have made arrangements for their students fo have access to the local school. Students of both schools have on-site saycare for the younger children. It just makes sense Ifsomething comes up for me and I need to take them somewhere after 4:30, I have to go to Burnaby first, to get them from the babysitter which takes one hhour, then we have supper and about 45 minutes of commuting time before I can get back here, By the time I get here, 'm usually exhausted and so are they, and there’s hardly any time left to do anything anyway because they have to be in bed by 9:00 or at the latest 10:00, The trip backtakes the 45 minutes again and what’s worse is that thay usually fall asleep so Thave to try and wakw them up first because I can’t carry two kids up the stars by myself Other institutions, such as U.B.C. and Simon Fraser have taken this issue into account as well. ULB.C. has school on site, because of their P.D.P. program and family housing. They are a huge university with many more people that we have so it’s not really a fair comparison, Simon Fraser is a smaller place, and has no on-site school, but they have also ‘made arrangements to have their students’ children attend the local school. This frees up the students to concentrate on their work, not on the babysitter. As women artists with children, we have to constantly prove that our children don’t hinder our practice, that we are able to ‘produce good work in spite of them, In fact I think there ought to be 24 hour acces at the school, which would make it easier ton every- ‘one who has a weird schedule, Some people work as well as going to school and many have told me they ‘would rather get up really early and come to school at {6a.m. to do theit work. ‘The school is school is basically closed for an hour each night and it seems such a waste. . guards locking doors and gates etc ‘that are only gooing to be opened an hour later. The shops should be open longer too with student moni- tors, ‘They do this at S.F.U. and frankly, I don’t know how they got around the Union rules, but it ‘would be worth a phone call T think, I know that at ‘S.E.U. every student gets a key to the studio and they have the run ofthe place. I think creativity is facii- tated this way, but who am Ito say? don't mean to sound like I'm unhappy here. Tam, 1 just think we need to open up access a litle more in order to get the most from the fantastic facilities we have. Tam not interested in asking that the work load be decreased because I love to work and I love to work hard. 1m doubly aware now at age forty that this is my last chance. I either make it or I don't. Lean’t come back for another starting round. I have to get ‘on with my career or forget doing it altogether. ‘The work load here is not the problem. The ‘problem is that parents have many other commit- ‘ments and responsibilities outside the school, such as parent/teacher meetings, extra laundry to do and. ‘more time spent on shopping for food and clothing, housework etc. All necessary and time-consuming things to do, for anyone, but when you have srvall children that can't really fend for themselves, it’s a ‘much heavier loa ‘When T have added all these ‘extra’ things together, I've figured out that we spend at least 50 hours moore a week on activities unrelated to school ‘work, than people with no children. ‘There are lots of mothers here. Why don’t we sit coown and talk about the changes we would like to ‘see implemented so, we are not left to fend for our- selves like orphans,| We are part fo this school and we ‘would like some recognittion. ‘Communications T would like to give you an example of the kind ‘of situations that arise for mothers here, in which we are treated with total lack of sensitivity. ‘My son David fell off the monkey bars at school one day last term. He had a concussion and his school phoned me here so they could find out ‘what to do with him. Unfortunately, someone at the desk said she didn’t know me. I didn’t find out that ‘my son havd the concussion until seven o'clock that ‘evening when T got home from school. This situation infuriated me, We ought to have a better communi- cation system, ora loudspeaker, so emergencies can be deal with quickly. ‘Some other suggestions Thesingle most frustrating thing about this school is the photocopier in the library. Two sugges tions: 1. I wouldlike to propose that we get onto a copycard systemat the library. 2. We also needa 5 cent copier, somewhere in the school. The library would be the ideal place, but the ‘cafeteria or another area would do as well ‘Students at Emily Carr want to have a student: run gallery/retail space. A school store would be a fan thing for students and visitors, alot ess poverty for students, Most of us have serious cash-flow problems around here. Why don’t we have a school lounge, a funky ‘old space, here at the old school, where we can put ‘our old feet up on old furniture and relax? The Faculty Lounge seems like the logical place. The students of Emily Carr need a permanent lounge for ‘our mental health if nothing else, and we are not fussy about who shares the space. It would be a very open atmosphere in which to have individual appointments with teachers, because the Faculty Lounge has a feeling of privacy as well. The cafeteria is definitely not the same, ‘Many of us are getting older and we want to, make up for lost time, Year-round classes for those of us who are not spring chickens and would like to work alittle faster would be very civilized. Con- versely, there are those of us who would like to work a litte slower so we could accomodate family com- ‘mitments more easily into our schedules, Why can’t ‘we go year round, on a three semester system? I believe a three semester system would pay for itself, if the school opened up to senior citizens and other mature students in the community, lke colleges have done elsewhere. Conclusion There's million things that could be done to help women artists, but nobody has gone ahead and. tried them yet. I think the time to star looking for other options is at hand. We don’t want to be invisible at this school. Please don’t forget about us, don’t leave us to fend for ourselves ike orphans. We are part of this school and would like some recogni- tion, would like to suggetst an immediate affirma tive action plan, perhaps using some of the ideas presented here, or perhaps using other viable solu- tions. We need to facilitate more access to students ‘who are parenting, especially for those of us single parenting, I think itis a worth-while cause and if we take up the challenge, we will be keeping up with the times by making this a truly equal opportunity school.