To the Editor:
Your article “Pregnant Pause: Fairfield’s Policy on Expecting Students” (Feb. 12) provided some useful information on a topic that may have been unfamiliar or mysterious to students. Laura Cantrell may, in fact, be right when she says that some faculty members would make few allowances for students who were pregnant. My experience working with students here, however, is more encouraging.
Several years ago, a senior I knew found herself unexpectedly pregnant. She had two goals: to complete her Fairfield education and to provide her baby with the best start possible. She stayed on campus during her first and second trimesters but decided, for a variety of reasons, to live at home for her last trimester and final semester. With lots of help from faculty members and the Dean’s Office, this student was able to put together a schedule of turbo courses and independent studies that allowed her to live at home and commute. Now, years later, she and her son are flourishing.
I hope that this story will hearten students who are pregnant and who want to complete their education at Fairfield. It would be irresponsible to suggest that doing so is easy, but it may be possible and you may find help in unexpected places.
Sincerely,
Betsy A. Bowen
Department of English
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