flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

SCUP and University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing release study results on lactation policy and facilities in U.S. higher education

University Buildings

SCUP and University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing release study results on lactation policy and facilities in U.S. higher education

There is a wide variability between how campuses accommodate the needs of breastfeeding mothers.


By SCUP | December 17, 2018
University Building
University Building

The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing announced survey results from 114 US colleges and universities that help document the levels, quality, and availability of lactation spaces and supports across campus for breastfeeding faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors.

The survey was a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and SCUP. “To our knowledge, this is the first research that documents which stakeholders are involved in the planning of lactation spaces, and the amount of variation in the features these spaces have,” said Dare Henry-Moss, one of the research leads. “We hope it will help colleges and universities evaluate the accommodations they provide to breastfeeding mothers, including faculty, staff, students, and visitors.”

Study observations include:

— 90% of respondents reported that their institution had dedicated lactation spaces, but the study suggests that awareness of their locations should be improved.

— 68% of respondents reported a process or guideline for creating lactation spaces on campus with wide variation in approaches.

— collaborations are common; there are commonly between two and six different campus entities involved in the planning for lactation spaces.

The study also provides detail on the most frequent amenities designed into lactation spaces, including furniture, fixtures, and portable supports.“Through the excellent work of our research cohorts, this study will help higher education move toward a best planning practice for lactation spaces,” said Michael D. Moss, SCUP President.The research team was Dare Henry-Moss, MPH; Joyce Lee, FAIA, LEED Fellow; Diane L. Spatz, Ph.D., RN-BC, FAAN, and Principal Investigator; and SCUP.

For survey results: www.scup.org/wellness

Related Stories

University Buildings | Oct 7, 2022

Auburn’s new culinary center provides real-world education

The six-story building integrates academic and revenue-generating elements.

| Sep 14, 2022

Indian tribe’s new educational campus supports culturally appropriate education

The Kenaitze Indian Tribe recently opened the Kahtnuht’ana Duhdeldiht Campus (Kenai River People’s Learning Place), a new education center in Kenai, Alaska.

University Buildings | Sep 9, 2022

Alan Schlossberg, AIA, LEED AP, joins DesignGroup’s Pittsburgh studio as Regional Practice Leader

Alan Schlossberg, AIA, LEED AP, has joined DesignGroup as a principal of the firm and regional practice leader.

| Sep 2, 2022

New UMass Medical School building enables expanded medical class sizes, research labs

  A new nine-story, 350,000 sf biomedical research and education facility under construction at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, Mass., will accommodate larger class sizes and extensive lab space.

| Sep 1, 2022

The University of Iowa opens the new Stanley Museum of Art, a public museum for both discovering and teaching art

The University of Iowa recently completed its new Stanley Museum of Art, a public teaching museum designed by BNIM.

University Buildings | Aug 25, 2022

Higher education, striving for ‘normal’ again, puts student needs at the center of project planning

Sustainability and design flexibility are what higher education clients are seeking consistently, according to the dozen AEC Giants contacted for this article. “University campuses across North America are commissioning new construction projects designed to make existing buildings and energy systems more sustainable, and are building new flexible learning space that bridge the gap between remote and in-person learning,” say Patrick McCafferty, Arup’s Education Business Leader–Americas East region, and Matt Humphries, Education Business Leader in Canada region.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 90 University Contractors and Construction Management Firms for 2022

Turner Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting, PCL Construction Enterprises, and DPR Construction lead the ranking of the nation's largest university sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 85 University Engineering + EA Firms for 2022

AECOM, Jacobs, Salas O'Brien, and IMEG head the ranking of the nation's largest university sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 150 University Architecture + AE Firms for 2022

Gensler, CannonDesign, SmithGroup, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest university sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 90 Construction Management Firms for 2022

CBRE, Alfa Tech, Jacobs, and Hill International head the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




Mass Timber

Bjarke Ingels Group designs a mass timber cube structure for the University of Kansas

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and executive architect BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design. A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core.

halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021