LSU CUP: Bringing Attention to Single Mothers

Chris Lavan, master’s graduate student in public administration

June 25, 2008 — Focusing on youth and community development in Old South Baton Rouge, the LSU Community University Partnership, or CUP, recently completed a study on the status of single mothers in the area.

The study was designed to assess the racial demographic, educational attainment, family make up, and gender differences of single-parent households in general, and single mothers in particular, in Old South Baton Rouge and compare and contrast those variables with city, state, and national statistics. This action-oriented research project also included a survey of existing local and state resources for single mothers. Results from the study will aid CUP and other community and University partners in developing programs for this specific and underserved population.

“In the spirit of community engagement, we are extremely proud of this endeavor,” said Brandon Smith, community affairs liaison for LSU’s Office of Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach and CUP coordinator. “It is our hope that this work becomes a living, breathing document that empowers our community with information and pushes LSU CUP’s youth-centered programs to a greater dimension.”

The research project was led by Chris Lavan, a master’s graduate student in the public administration department. Lavan, who served as the CUP research associate, has spent the past year gathering and analyzing census, occupational, and labor statistics. His research was under the direction of Smith and Marco Barker, assistant to the vice provost for Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach. The study was funded through CUP’s New Directions Grant, which was awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community University Partnership Office.

“The study offers many considerations of ways that LSU can assist single mothers,” said Barker. “There are many resources and cultural opportunities offered through LSU in which single mothers and their families can take part. In addition to programs, I anticipate our Poverty Center and Women’s Center being able to work with other university departments in providing additional resources to single mothers in Old South Baton Rouge. For EDCO, it is all about creating and strengthening communities in a more holistic way.”

According to the research, single mothers lead 70 percent of the families in Old South Baton Rouge, which is slightly higher than the city (64 percent) and state (62 percent) statistic.

“This detailed analysis of the plight of single mothers in Old South Baton Rouge will prove to be essential as we continue our work in LSU’s neighboring community. The initiatives on the quality of life of youth and home ownership will certainly be informed by this vital research on families in Old South,” said Katrice Albert, vice provost for Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach.

CUP has worked with many campus and community partners to achieve the objective of community outreach and engagement. Community partners have included Advocates for Change, AmeriCorps, Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Campus Federal Credit Union, Chase Bank, City Year, East Baton Rouge City-Parish Government, Hope VI, Job Corps, Mid-City Dance Project, North Gate Merchants Association, and Old South Baton Rouge Community Revitalization Corporation.

LSU campus partners involved with CUP have included the Office of Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach; Office of the Chancellor; Office of Multicultural Affairs; Center for Community Engagement, Leadership & Learning; School of Social Work; and the Departments of Human Ecology, Horticulture, Landscape Architecture and Theatre.

In 2001, LSU received its initial $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that enabled the University to focus on community organization, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization in the urban area adjacent to LSU. Because of the success of this original grant, CUP was awarded the New Directions Grant in 2005, a two-year, $200,000 grant that was extended and completed in 2008. Through various campus and community partnerships, CUP combines the resources of LSU with the strengths of the area to promote a stronger, more economically sustainable community. CUP is currently housed and will be sustained under the LSU Office of Equity, Diversity & Community Outreach in Academic Affairs.

For more information regarding the single mothers study or CUP, contact Smith at cup@lsu.edu or 225-578-8699.

Forever LSU supports initiatives like LSU CUP. The Forever LSU campaign is a special fundraising effort that will raise more than $750 million in support for our University by the end of the year 2010. Get involved with the campaign for LSU’s future today by visiting www.forever lsu.org. Every Tiger can help!