William: Since the U.S. Supreme
court overturned
roe V. Wade in June, abortion
has dominated the headlines.
Questions over access abound in
courtrooms, hospitals, and
statehouses, and now, college
campuses.
Amna nawaz is back with more on
the challenges ahead for the
higher education community.
Amna: As the fall semester
begins at colleges and
universities across the country,
students, parents and higher Ed
health officials are grappling
with how to navigate new
restrictions on abortion.
The newshour spoke with people
on both sides of the debate over
abortion access about how the
post roe landscape impacts their
lives and choices as they go
back to school.
>> I'm a junior at the
university in New Orleans,
Louisiana, and I'm 20 years old.
This decision has definitely
impacted me along with my
community.
>> I'm a junior at liberty
university and I'm 20 years old.
Because liberty is a very
Christian and conservative
school, we've been able to be
extremely simple.
>> I am 21 years old and I am a
senior public health measure at
Texas A&M -- major at Texas A&M
university.
It is difficult in states where
abortions are completely banned,
there are no exceptions at all
here in Texas.
>> I am currently a sophomore at
concordia university in
Wisconsin.
>> I'm Susan Ernst, and I am at
the university of she can.
And I first heard that roe V.
Wade was overturned, there was a
feeling of frustration.
>> I'm 18, and I'm a freshman in
Decatur, Georgia.
>> I live in Albuquerque, new
Mexico.
I am the mother of Sophie.
>> When I heard roe V. Wade was
overturned, I immediately called
my mom.
We just talked about how mad it
made us and how angry.
>> If anything, I felt kind of
relieved that I would be going
to a women's college that
focuses on women's leadership.
After the supreme court decision
was leaked, the university of
Michigan created a task force to
address abortion access.
Both in the case of a ban on
abortion or if abortion remained
legal in certain states.
>> The United States has a
history of denying rights,
especially when it comes to
one's health for black women.
As student leaders, we are
working with the administration
to talk about what our health
options on her clinic on campus
for students who need them.
>> I am the coleader of the life
ministry on her campus.
We spend our Saturdays uplifting
those nonviolent resources in
the community among whether it's
a pregnancy help organization or
any other nonprofit that steps
in the gap.
>> Georgia just passed a very
strict abortion law that outlaws
abortion after six weeks
gestation.
Our college want you to know
they are there to support them.
>> It's a very supportive
community and their
communication is excellent.
I guess I just want to say that
we are in a position of
incredible privilege, the fact
that I can choose a college out
of state.
Most people don't have a choice.
>> The overall guidance from
Texas A&M has been none.
There were no emails, student
health services did not say
anything.
My organization is called
feminists for education.
We will hold education meetings
talking about reproductive
justice topics.
I've known a couple of
individuals who have thought
about it, but liberty actually
has their own crisis pregnancy
center.
They will help students who end
up in a crisis pregnancy be able
to still continue their
education while living near the
campus and having those
resources available to them.
>> We are looking at every
aspect of campus life that could
be impacted by this decision,
teaching in the academic
environment, how we support
students, what students are
concerned about, and will need
in these situations.
>> Young people are fighting the
good fight.
We are on the ground, doing the
work.
There are so many people that
are still committed and
compassionate.
I know so many of my peers who
are continuing to do good for
the community, no matter what is
going on.
I think it is young people who
are leading today's movement
that are fighting these
different fights, because it is
going to be our country soon.
Not soon, it is our country
right now.
Amna: And we're joined now by
Bayliss fiddiman.
She's director of educational
equity at the national women's
law center.
Welcome to the newshour, thanks
for joining us.
Broadly speaking when you look
, at the landscape since roe was
overturned, what kind of
reaction, if any, have we seen
from colleges and universities?
Have they been changing their
policies or trying to update
guidance or offer more
resources?
Or have things largely stayed
the same?
Bayliss: We're looking at a
patchwork across the united
States where depending on which
state a university or college or
university may be in the laws
there are different, of course,
and some universities are state
funded, some are privately
funded, some are religious
institutions.
And so each university would be
responding to this situation at
a different level.
Amna: Prior to roe being
overturned what kind of support
, could pregnant students for
, example, what kind of support
could they expect from college
health centers or services?
And how has that changed since
roe was overturned?
If it has.
Bayliss: One of our biggest
concerns is whether students
information and their privacy
rights would be protected when
they go to university health
center.
So before being able to go to
university health center to
request birth control access or
letting the university health
center know that you did receive
an abortion.
And now our biggest concern is
whether students private
information is protected in
those settings.
Amna: In towards that, you know,
continuing their education.
What about parenting students?
I mean, do we know about what
kind of support is available for
college students right now?
Bayliss: So we know that only
about half of teenage mothers
earn a high school diploma by
the age of 22.
And 52% of students who are
parenting students in college,
they only 52% complete their
degree.
Yet they are a significant
population within our
universities because one in five
undergraduates are raising
children.
So despite these barriers, these
students do a great job.
They're statistically more
likely to earn higher grade
point averages compared to their
peers without children.
So at the moment, we could be
doing a lot better to support
students who are parenting on
campus, for sure.
Amna: Bayliss, let me ask you
specifically about the impact on
black women, because there's
this Washington post analysis
from last month that pointed out
roughly three quarters of all
hbcu's are in states where
abortion has already either been
mostly or completely banned.
And we know that black women in
America seek abortions at higher
rates.
They face the highest maternal,
maternal risks, I should say.
And they could also face higher
risks of maternal mortality
since roe was overturned.
So what should institutions and
those states be doing right now?
Bayliss: Yeah.
I mean, ultimately, we do know
that most student parents of
people of color and 33% of
student parents are, in fact,
African American students.
So in places where bans are
going into effect and where
hbcu's, which ultimately are,
where most of the risks are
located, it's really important
to make sure that students again
are protected on campus, that
their privacy is protected.
But ultimately, there are
resources that universities can
think about providing, which
would include offering up some
family planning services on
campus as a preventative
measure, but also making sure
that students have resources
such as affordable, quality
child care on campus.
Amna: Bayliss, it feels like
there's a lot of uncertainty.
You're seeking clarity on a lot
of these issues.
It's a complicated patchwork of
a legal landscape.
What is your advice to college
students as they begin this year
and they try to figure out what
they can and cannot legally do?
Bayliss: Absolutely.
So for college students, I would
suggest making sure that you are
aware of the laws in your state.
Make sure that you know how
those laws are changing, what
your options are.
If you need to leave a state,
too, to receive a reproductive
health service.
But ultimately, I would suggest
being as discreet as possible,
considering your health
concerns, of course, but as
discreet as possible if you do
decide to move forward with
terminating your pregnancy.
Amna: Bayliss fiddiman, director
of educational equity.
Thank you for joining us.