Pregnant and Parenting Resources
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex - including pregnancy, parenting, and all related conditions - in education and in programs and activities that receive federal funding. If you are a pregnant or parenting student, you have the right to stay in school so you can meet your education and career goals. Below are some frequently asked questions from students in postsecondary schools regarding their Title IX rights.
Lactation Rooms on Campus
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Building 1, Level 1, Room 171
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Building 18, Level 1, Room 123
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Building 13, Level 2, Room 215
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Building 17, Room 116
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Building 5, 2nd Floor, Room 5-002J
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Building 1, 3rd Floor, Room 1-323 (will be operational soon)
Your Title IX Rights
Title IX requires professors and administrators to treat pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions the same as any temporary disability. The college can require a pregnant student to provide a doctor's certification of fitness to continue in an education program or activity only if the same requirement is imposed on all other students with physical or emotional conditions requiring a doctor's care. Pregnant students must be provided the same accommodation and support services available to other students with similar medical needs.
Your professors or administrators should not tell you that you have to drop out of your classes or academic program or change your educational plans due to your pregnancy. If you are concerned about your pregnancy or parenting student status, please contact the College or District Title IX Officer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I seek assistance for pregnancy-related accommodations?
Pregnant students may contact a Title IX Officer to request assistance with accommodations. Accommodations can include but are not limited to, rescheduling tests or exams, excusing absences, extending deadlines, providing alternatives to make up missed work, or retaking a semester. The Title IX Officer will facilitate communications with the student's professors or assist with other College resources.
Do my professors have to excuse my absences due to pregnancy, childbirth, or abortion?
Absences due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions must be excused and cannot be treated or penalized like unexcused absences. Your professors must provide you with a leave of absence for as long as it is deemed necessary by your medical doctor. At the end of your leave, you must be reinstated to the status you held before your leave. After returning from an excused absence, your professors must allow a reasonable amount of time to make up missed assignments and tests. The makeup assignments and tests must be reasonably equivalent to those missed but need not be identical. If a professor provides specific "points" or other advantages to students based on class attendance, you must be given the opportunity to earn back the credit from classes missed due to pregnancy. Under Title IX, pregnant students are entitled to the same benefits offered to students with other medical conditions, illnesses, or injuries.
What if my professor says the absence/makeup policy applies regardless of any medical condition?
While your professor may have a strict attendance policy, the college is bound by federal civil rights law. Title IX requires the college to ensure that all faculty and staff comply with the law and do not discriminate against pregnant and parenting students. An individual professor's policy is not OK if it breaks the law. Please contact the College or District Title IX Officer if you have questions about your professor's attendance policy as it relates to your pregnancy or parental responsibilities.
Does the College need to provide me with special academic services, like tutoring?
Title IX requires the college to provide pregnant students with any special services we provide to students with any other type of temporary disability. Please contact the College's Disability Resource Services Offices for more information.
Can I be excluded from participation if my program requires internships, career rotations, or other off-campus elements?
No. Your program must allow you to continue participating in off-campus programs. If your program provides practicum opportunities, you cannot be excluded based on your pregnancy. Your professor cannot require a doctor's note for continued participation unless your professor requires one for all students with a medical condition requiring treatment by a doctor. If they do ask for a note, they cannot second-guess your doctor's decision.
What if classmates or professors have made offensive comments to me about my pregnancy?
Title IX requires the college to prevent and address sex-based harassment, including harassment based on pregnancy. If you experience this sort of treatment, you should seek help immediately. The law prohibits anyone from retaliating against you for filing a complaint or raising a concern.
I would like to take a semester off. Can I keep my student status, scholarships, etc.?
You will keep your status as a student for up to one year. Please contact a Title IX Officer if you want to take more time off than your doctor says is medically necessary.