Support for Pregnant Students and Student Parents
Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Universities must provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant students essential to ensure that these students can continue their education without facing discrimination or undue hardship.
If you are a pregnant student, or student parent, you are protected under Title IX and may be entitled to:
- Academic accommodations
- Time and space for lactation
- Pregnancy-related absences
- Modifications in physical environment
- Access to parking and transportation
- Additional accommodations may be available
Request Support
Students seeking access to accommodation under Title IX for pregnancy or parenting, and for more information on University support for pregnant and parent students, please complete our referral form for support. A member of our team will contact you to schedule an information meeting to review accommodation, help guide to your rights under Title IX, and information on holistic University support.
Request for Accommodation, Information and/or Support
Provisions Pertaining to Pregnancy or Related Conditions
Nondiscrimination
The University will not Discriminate against, establish or follow any policy, practice, or procedure that discriminates against, or exclude from employment any person on the basis of current, potential, or past Pregnancy or Related Conditions.
Voluntary Student Participation in Separate Education Programs or Activities
The University may offer students voluntary participation in a separate portion of its Education Program or Activity when comparable to what is offered to Students who are not experiencing Pregnancy or Related Conditions.
No Requirement of Medical Certification for Student Participation
The University will not require a student, due to Pregnancy or Related Conditions, to provide certification from a physician or other licensed healthcare provider that the student is physically able to participate in classes, programs, or student activities unless necessary, required for all participating students, and not used as a basis for discrimination.
Student Leaves of Absence
A University student experiencing Pregnancy or Related Conditions is allowed a voluntary leave of absence to cover, at minimum, the period of time deemed medically necessary by the student’s physician or other licensed healthcare provider. If other University leave policy allows a greater span of time than this period, the student is permitted to take leave under that policy instead. Upon return, the student will be reinstated to the academic and, as practicable, extracurricular status that the student held when the leave began.
Lactation-Related Accommodations for Students and Employees
The University will provide reasonable break time for a student to express breast milk or breastfeed as needed, and make available a lactation space, other than a bathroom, that is clean, shielded from view, free from intrusion from others, and may be used by a student for expressing breast milk or breastfeeding as needed.
Student and Employee Rights to Reasonable Modifications or Temporary Adjustments
Students are entitled to reasonable modifications to university policies, practices, or procedures because of Pregnancy or Related Conditions on an individualized and voluntary basis depending on the student’s needs when necessary to prevent discrimination and ensure equal access, unless the modification would fundamentally alter the Education Program or Activity.
These may include but are not limited to: breaks to attend to health needs, including for expressing breast milk or breastfeeding; excused absences to attend medical appointments; access to online instruction; changes in schedule or course sequence; extensions of time for coursework; rescheduling of tests and examinations; counseling; changes in physical space or supplies; or elevator access. Such modifications will be comparable to the treatment of other temporary disabilities or conditions.
The University will not require students to provide supporting documentation unless necessary and reasonable to determine reasonable modifications. It will by definition be not necessary and reasonable when the need for the specific action is obvious; when the student has previously provided sufficient supporting documentation; when the reasonable modification relates to drinking water, using a bigger desk, and/or the need to sit, stand, or take breaks to eat, drink, or use the restroom; when the student has lactation needs; or when the requested specific action is available to students for reasons other than Pregnancy or Related Conditions without the submission of supporting documentation.