For Soni Brinsko, the decision to pursue her education and expand her family at the same time was simple. Both were a priority — why should she choose?

When she began her undergraduate studies, she was expecting her second child. Now a proud mother to Lee,13; Lucille, 4; and Lily, 2, she’s pursuing her master of fine arts in creative writing while working as a graduate teaching assistant in the English department. Throughout her college career she’s balanced the demands of her coursework with the logistics of caring for her children. 

Brinsko is not alone. A 2016 analysis of data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, found that approximately one in five undergraduates (22 percent) were parents. Of the 3.8 million college students raising children, roughly 2.7 million (or 70 percent) were mothers and 1.1 million (30 percent) were fathers. This staggering data signals the importance of inclusive campus environments that take into account the specific needs of our students and employees who are also parents. 

Like many new mothers, one of Brinsko’s biggest challenges was figuring out when and how to nurse or pump breastmilk for her babies.

“Infants typically need to be fed every two to three hours and your body produces milk to accommodate this need,” Brinsko said. “It was very uncomfortable to sit in a three-hour class, with my body telling me it’s time to pump, but I also didn’t want to miss out on important information.”

To minimize her time away from class, Brinsko needed a place where she could pump within a short walking distance of her classrooms. She did some investigating, asked a lot of questions, and learned about UNLV's designated lactation spaces. 

Every space was private and met her needs, but not every space was the same. Some, for example, have bright lights, and are located in high-traffic areas, which made her fearful of being exposed, something that could negatively affect her milk supply. In some instances she could access spaces using a code, while in others she had to ask for access in class — similar to raising your hand to use the restroom. This was a bit uncomfortable because it essentially required her to “announce” her need to pump to her entire class. 

Adding lactation spaces

UNLV employee and mother to Gianna, 8, and Marco, 6, Dana Angioni, assistant director for leadership programs/academic advisor, nursed both of her children for more than three years each. 

“I did some research and decided that breastfeeding was the best option for me and my children,” Angioni said. “It offers nutritional benefits and contributes to the mother-child bond. It was also important for my mental health. Being separated from my infants was hard. Pumping made me feel connected to them even if we weren’t together physically.”

When Angioni had her first child, she was fortunate to have a private office to use for pumping, but it made her think about all the other moms who didn’t have that luxury. How were they doing it? She started talking with colleagues across campus including the Women’s Council and its Family Advocacy Committee and together they realized the need for more lactation spaces on campus. After years of discussions and dead ends, it came down to getting the right people in the room to help make this vision come to light. 

“When CFO Jean Vock heard about our challenges, she committed to helping us and really changed the tide,” Angioni said. “She organized an interdivisional task force with key people from around campus who could help us accomplish our goal.” 

The Lactation Space Task Force included representatives from UNLV’s Women’s Council, Women’s Center (now the Care Center), facilities management, space planning, planning and construction, Student Affairs, and Business Affairs. Each unit possessed the ability to move an aspect of the project forward. 

Family-inclusive environment

The common industry guideline for creating a family-inclusive environment is to have a lactation space available within a five-minute walking distance from anywhere on campus. Together, the task force did extensive research (and a lot of walking!) to discover the most opportune places to add more spaces.

They settled on the Classroom Building Complex (CBC-A) and the lobby of the Bigelow Health Sciences building. Since space is a hot commodity, they decided that installing two additional Mamava Pods — private, freestanding, nursing/feeding pods — was the best option to offer comfort and privacy in desired locations. 

They secured a funding commitment from CSUN, UNLV’s undergraduate student government, for one Mamava Pod with one stipulation — the campus would have to match their financial contribution. Former UNLV President Marta Meana and Vice President for Student Affairs Juanita Fain readily agreed. 

In the summer of 2019, the new Mamava Pods were installed, making the grand total 14 spaces on the main and Shadow Lane campuses. This will make life a little easier for moms like Brinsko and Angioni and is a tangible step toward creating a more inclusive campus environment. 

“Creating a diverse and inclusive campus environment is an important way we can attract, recruit, and retain talented students and employees to achieve our Top Tier vision,” said Jean Vock, senior vice president for Business Affairs and CFO. “Adding lactation spaces in visible locations demonstrates our commitment to making UNLV a family-friendly environment. This initiative is also a great example of the things we can accomplish when we work together to support our mission.”

With the hard work and efforts of the Lactation Space Task Force, lactation spaces have been added to the planning and construction’s design standards for renovations and new buildings moving forward. 

With the huge accomplishment under their belt, the committee now is focused on making other improvements, including standardizing access and features within each space. They’re also focused on normalizing family friendliness on campus by making these resources more visible. “Lactation spaces aren’t just for new moms,” Angioni said. “All  are welcome to use the spaces as a quiet place to feed their young children too. Whether breast or chest feeding, pumping, or bottle feeding, having an appropriate space available is essential to supporting our campus families. We are so thankful UNLV has supported this effort.”  

If you’re a new parent, Brinsko has some advice: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and utilize these resources,” she said. “By demonstrating the need, you’ll not only make your life a little easier, you’ll pave the way for others balancing family and education.”

Visit the Women’s Council website and the Campus Map to learn more about campus lactation rooms.

UNLV Lactation Space Task Force 2019-20

• Business Affairs Strategy and Strategic Communication (Executive Director Nicholle Zarkower)
• Planning, Construction and Real Estate (Associate VP Dave Frommer and Senior Project Manager Scott McClure)
• Facilities Management (Associate VP Allan Breese)
• UNLV Space Management (Executive Director Jennifer McCarthy and Space Planning Analyst Bridget Saul)
• Jean Nidetch Women’s Center (Director Maggie Campe)
• Disability Resource Center (Disability Specialist Patti Violi)
• Purchasing & Contract Services (Assistant Director Tonya Kemble)
• Women’s Council Family Advocacy Committee (co-chairs Dana Angioni and Shellie Brattain)