Questions and Answers for Pregnant and Parenting Students at UHV
What types of conditions does the Anti-Discrimination Policy cover?
Is there a lactation room on campus?
How to start the accommodation process?
What are some different types of accommodations?
Who determines medical necessity?
What if I experience a complicating medical condition during pregnancy or my recovery?
When may extended parenting accommodations apply?
As a faculty member, should I collect student medical documents?
Where can I find the policy or more information?
What are student rights?
Faculty, staff or other employees shall not require a student to take a leave of absence, withdraw or limit their studies or activities due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. Further, students have the right:
- To be reinstated after a period of leave for the condition(s) below at the same status as when the leave began.
- To preserve future eligibility for their scholarship, fellowship, or similar university-supported funding when taking parental leave.
- To not be harassed based on their protected class status.
- To be free from retaliation for exercising rights under the Anti-Discrimination Policy.
What types of conditions does the UH System Anti-Discrimination Policy cover?
- Pregnancy,
- Childbirth,
- False pregnancy,
- Termination of pregnancy,
- Recovery from any of the above, and
- Parental responsibilities for medically necessary child healthcare.
For more information, see UH System Anti-Discrimination Policy (or see Anti-Discrimination Policy HTML version).
What role does gender play?
- Parent and pregnancy-related services apply to all persons regardless of gender identity or expression.
Is there a lactation room on campus?
- Yes, there is a dedicated lactation room in University West. Individual departments can also designate other lactation spaces for certain dates and times as needed.
- For access to the lactation room in West Building, contact the Title IX & Equal Opportunity Office (361-570-4835) to request private, card-access for students and employees.
How to start the accommodation process?
- Contact the Title IX & Equal Opportunity Office (361-570-4835).
- Prepare medical documentation to show your pregnancy status and any related leave period(s) for medical necessity.
- If you are also a student worker or employee, you may be entitled to other benefits under employment policies.
What are some different types of accommodations?
- Changes for the health and safety of the student and/or her pregnancy (such as allowing the student to maintain a safe distance from hazardous substances).
- Accessible seating and flexible classroom breaks.
- Flexible deadlines, make-up tests or assignments.
- Remote learning options where not a fundamental alteration to the course.
- Excusing medically necessary absences (student will still need to make up assignments with opportunity to regain participation points).
- Incomplete status to extend time to complete course or to re-take course without cost.
- Leave of absence for as long as medically necessary.
Who determines medical necessity?
- Your physician determines the medical necessity of your care and the time period(s) during which you are unable to attend school or participate in all activities.
What if I experience a complicating medical condition during pregnancy or my recovery?
If you experience a temporary or permanent medical situation (such as anemia, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, postpartum depression, etc.), you are encouraged to seek additional disability related accommodations by contacting the UHV Disability Services Office.
When may extended parenting accommodations apply?
- Modified academic conditions can be provided, particularly within the first six months of the child entering the home. Students are entitled to full relief from academic responsibilities for at least six weeks after the birth or arrival of the child.
- Extensions may be granted where additional time is required due to medical necessity or extraordinary parenting responsibilities.
As a faculty member, should I collect student medical documents?
- Please refer students who have concerns and possible accommodation requests to the Title IX & Equal Opportunity Office.
- If you collect medical documentation, you will probably be requesting legally-protected information and assuming legal responsibility for its handling.
- If you request medical documentation, you may become aware of further medical situations that the student is not required to disclose outside of the Title IX or disability accommodation process.
- If you have questions about how to appropriately accommodate a student who is pregnant or parenting, please contact the Title IX & Equal Opportunity Office.
Where can I find the policy or more information?
- To open the full policy in a new window, please see the UH System Policy for Pregnant and Parenting Student and Employee Accommodations (Interim) available in SAM 1.D.16.
- You may also contact the UHV Title IX Office for more information at titleix@uhv.edu or 361-570-4835.