Partner with the Partners Group
Sharing Some Platforms with Mothers at the GSB
Nidhi Thakur
Issue date: 9/28/06 Section: GSB Life
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Moms in some schools like Columbia University are organizing a group of their own, which seems a good idea in theory. However, one big issue here is that a student group like a Moms group may not always have the critical number that is needed to sustain it. In which case, there might be years when the group is non-existent and a new batch of moms would have to start a group all over again. On the other hand if the group is aligned with a Partners Group, then by virtue of the immortality of the CPG, the continuity of the POLO and its benefits are ensured for perpetuity. No new mom would have to start to run for course-packs, information sessions, and playdates at the same time.
Theoretically, the female student's partner (and/or the father of the kid) can be in POLO just by his status of a partner. However in practice, we all know that we have not seen many men in POLO. Thus extending POLO's hands to female students will have to be an explicit gesture. While the governance of the CPG is very flexible and perhaps could start to invite mom-students already, the GSB needs to give this issue an importance of an official nature. POLO membership is not free-it is included in the Partners' membership fee. Mom-students cannot be allowed free, either. But, money should not be a limiting issue for anyone---neither the moms nor the GSB. It's the institutionalization of a support group, dissemination of relevant information and acknowledgment of both mom-students' special needs and CPG/POLO's role in meeting those needs, at least to some extent, that needs to be done by GSB.
Theoretically, the female student's partner (and/or the father of the kid) can be in POLO just by his status of a partner. However in practice, we all know that we have not seen many men in POLO. Thus extending POLO's hands to female students will have to be an explicit gesture. While the governance of the CPG is very flexible and perhaps could start to invite mom-students already, the GSB needs to give this issue an importance of an official nature. POLO membership is not free-it is included in the Partners' membership fee. Mom-students cannot be allowed free, either. But, money should not be a limiting issue for anyone---neither the moms nor the GSB. It's the institutionalization of a support group, dissemination of relevant information and acknowledgment of both mom-students' special needs and CPG/POLO's role in meeting those needs, at least to some extent, that needs to be done by GSB.
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