The dissertation deals with the theoretical generalization of the problem of educating the students of the classical university to be responsible for parenthood in the process of extracurricular upbringing activities. Investigated is that issues concerning the organization of upbringing activities aimed at the formation of a responsible attitude to the parenthood in the students require a detailed study. Five stages in the development of the aforementioned problem in the historical and socio-pedagogical contexts are defined and characterized. Due to the specification of the content of the research key concepts a responsible attitude towards parenthood among the students is considered to be a stable internal quality of an individual (as an element of consciousness) based on the awareness of their own life choices and willingness to solve the problems connected with the future family life, family planning, the birth and upbringing of children individually. It also reflects the necessity to accept a system of one's own responsible dependence on the family members and the society. The essence of the phenomenon called the "formation of a responsible attitude to parenthood in classical university students during extracurricular upbringing activities" lies in defining it as a well-directed, controlled and multifaceted process affecting student's consciousness, feelings, and will with an aim to transform subjective personal values of the parenthood into superindividual unity, and to cultivate in oneself a set of stable qualities and traits necessary for father/mother to-be. The functions of the responsible attitude to parenthood are defined. They are protecting, presentational, mental, socializing, educational, communicative, recreational, and emotional. Its structural components are defined, too. They are motivational-value, intellectual-cognitive, evaluative-regulatory, and active-behavioral. The criteria and indicators defining the responsible attitude towards parenthood among the students of the classical university in extracurricular upbringing activities are determined. Motivational-value criterion has the following indicators: the existence of moral qualities, positive motivation for parenthood and childbirth, the hierarchy of values. Intellectual-cognitive criterion presupposes the existence of the following indicators: systemic knowledge about the person, family, parenthood, the role of parents, parenting styles, educational functions of the family. Indicators of an active-behavioral criterion are: availability of skills of effective interaction in the family, prediction of the consequences of one's own behavior in the family, responsible behavior in everyday life, tolerance, social maturity. Evaluative-regulatory criterion includes the indicators: an ability to objectively evaluate the results of one's own activities, self-improvement and self-regulation, an ambition to design one's own happy family life. Taking into consideration the degree of manifestations, frequency and intensity of the indicators typical of each of the aforementioned criteria the levels of the formation of responsible attitude to parenthood in classical university students during extracurricular upbringing activities are characterized. They are reproductive, productive, and constructive. The model of the formation of the responsible attitude towards parenthood in the students of the classical university in the process of extracurricular upbringing activities is designed. It includes some basic components: the goal to form the responsible attitude to parenthood in the students by creating favorable conditions in the educational environment of classical university; methodological approaches (axiological, subjective, competence and active) and principles (personality-oriented upbringing, initiative and creativity, activity and independence, subject-subject relationship); phases (organizational-diagnostic, active-practical, effective-reflexive); content (implementation of the "Happy Parenthood" club program and students' participation in university educational activities); interactive methods and forms, pedagogical conditions, as well as criteria, levels and the anticipated result - the formation of the responsible attitude to the parenthood as a personal value. Pedagogical conditions favorable for the formation of the responsible attitude to parenthood in classical university students during extracurricular upbringing activities are proved and experimentally verified. They include goal-oriented and positive motivation as well as raising the needs in responsible parenthood; improving the content of extracurricular upbringing activities by implementing the "Happy Parenthood" club program; the use of interactive forms and methods in extracurricular upbringing work; promoting the managerial teachers' interaction and student self-management.
