Pregnancy and Title IX

Approximately one month before your anticipated due date, the Deputy Title IX Coordinator will reach out to you to begin learning about the classes that will be impacted during your leave. We will discuss:

• how the courses are taught;
• which assignments will be due during the anticipated leave period;
• preferences for how work can be completed, including any requests for access to assignments early 

We will then work with your instructors, facilitating any adjustments necessary between the you and your faculty member. When you notify us that you have given birth, the Deputy Title IX Coordinator will verify documentation of the protected time period, add those dates to the plan for each course, and send a formal notification letter to each instructor.

We recognize that childbirth does not always go according to plan, so please reach out to the Deputy Title IX Coordinator if your doctor or your child's doctor tells you it will be medically necessary for you to take more time off than anticipated due to complications from the birth. We will work with your instructors and other campus entities as needed on your behalf to ensure your needs are met.

We know that students returning to campus after giving birth have unique needs. ATU has two lactation rooms available for those who need them. One lactation room is located in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center across from the Health and Wellness Center, next door to the Veteran Student Lounge which is located in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center, Room 105. The second lactation space is located in the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center, Room 127.  If modifications for classes are needed to facilitate a lactation schedule, please let the Deputy Title IX Coordinator know.

ATU has also been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to provide access to affordable childcare for qualifying students. If you would like to learn more about this program, please visit https://www.atu.edu/studentsuccess/ccampis/ or contact Lois Kimbriel at lkimbriel@atu.edu.        

Many newly-pregnant students ask if they are covered by Title IX if they have a pregnancy loss, pursue a termination, or are put on bed rest by their doctor. Students do have rights under Title IX for a recovery period following a miscarriage or termination when a recovery period is deemed medically necessary by the care provider. Students also have protection for periods of bed rest if it is prescribed for the treatment of a pregnancy-related condition. Students who need assistance with these situations should notify the University as soon as possible by clicking the button below to complete an application. 

Our faculty members play a key role in ensuring that pregnant and parenting students receive appropriate modifications in their classes and programs. Often instructors are the first ones to whom students express concerns regarding their pregnancy and academics, giving them an excellent opportunity to be supportive of the student's educational goals and refer the student to the Title IX Office for modifications. Instructors may also want to view the video in the faculty section of The Pregnant Scholar to feel better equipped to have these conversations. 

Instructors may receive a notification letter from the Deputy Title IX Coordinator addressing the student's modification needs during the pregnancy. Pregnancy modifications might include the ability to leave the classroom due to the increased need for restroom breaks, access to food and water to manage nausea, or other measures to alleviate the impact of pregnancy-related conditions. Included in this letter is a statement about excusing pregnancy-related absences, which should not negatively impact the student as long as the health care provider deems them medically necessary. Instructors should implement these modifications immediately, seeking consultation from the Deputy Title IX Coordinator if needed. 

Approximately one month before the expected due date, you may be contacted by the Deputy Title IX Coordinator to discuss a plan for the student's protected leave period, if there are technical components, labs, groupwork, speeches, etc. During this time, we will discuss the course schedule, assignments due during the time the student will be out, accommodations for temporary medical conditions previously made in the course, and alternate methods of learning and completing assignments that have already been developed for the course. We will discuss any specific requests the student has made and formulate a reasonable plan for the coursework to be completed. These plans will then be communicated with the student, allowing for revisions if necessary.

When the University is notified that the student has given birth, the instructor will receive an updated official notification letter listing the protected leave dates and stating the plan for the student to finish the course. At this point, the student and instructor implement the plan, seeking consultation from the Deputy Title IX Coordinator if needed.

Instructors should also be aware that occasionally plans must change due to unforeseen factors around childbirth. Students do have Title IX protection should they or their baby have complications from the birth. In these cases, the instructor will be contacted by the Deputy Title IX Coordinator to revise the plan for their course.