FORT SMITH, Ark. (KFSM) — One local professor is getting a lot of attention after photos of her holding a student's baby while lecturing went viral online, reaching over one million people on Facebook.
The photo, taken earlier this spring at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith shows Professor Robyn Slagle holding student Sarah Zieg's baby while giving a lecture in class.
Slagle encouraged Zieg, who gave birth the week before classes began, to focus on school instead of finding a daycare.
"Just having had a baby, it’s a lot to be doing classes and all. People are looking at me like you’re going to keep going to school this semester? You’ll have a newborn and all that," Zieg said.
Zieg's due date was the first day of class, so she decided to email her professors and let them know.
"Professor Slagle emailed me saying 'bring her to class'," Zieg said.
Slagle not only allowed her student to bring the baby to class but held her while she lectured to Zieg could take notes.
"If childcare would’ve been available to me when I was younger I may have pursued education in college a lot earlier," Slagle said. "As it was I didn’t take my first college class until 40 because I was at home taking care of children."
Slagle continued saying, "it is hard to be a non-traditional student, and I wanted to encourage Sarah to come to school, come to class and not give up."
"Having her in class with me really made it a lot easier to do focus and concentrate on what was happening each day while I was in class," Zieg said.
What started as a professor helping a student became much more.
"Riley is like a grandchild to me and Sarah is like a daughter, I would welcome them into my home life for the rest of my life, I enjoy them," Slagle said.
UAFS Chancellor Terisa Riley says she understands the struggle of students who have children and encourages her faculty to help when possible.
"I know for me balancing work, family and school is rough so I appreciate anything our faculty can do to ease our students," Riley said.
Professor Slagle, Zieg and Chancellor Riley met Monday (Sept. 30) afternoon to discuss a proposal for campus childcare.