Pregnancy & Associated Conditions

U.S. Department of Education: Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom is against the law.

If you are a pregnant student (or have any associated condition resulting from pregnancy) and need support, you should fill out this form to self-identify so the Interim Title IX Coordinator can briefly meet with you to explain your rights and options. You should also fill out this form if you need help navigating disability services.

Do you need to use the Lactation Room?

The Lactation Room is a private room, available on a first come-first serve basis, located on the 5th floor, room 532.

For questions regarding the Lactation Room contact facilities at operationsrequests@ciis.edu.

CIIS is committed to creating and maintaining a community free from discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sex, as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Sex discrimination, which can include discrimination based on a student’s current, potential, or past pregnancy or related conditions, is prohibited and illegal. The University is providing this information to ensure the protection and equal treatment of pregnant or related conditions students. Employees are also protected from pregnancy or related conditions in their employment. Specific protections for employees may be found in the Employee Handbook.

CIIS will treat pregnancy or related conditions in the same manner and under the same policies as any other temporary medical conditions with respect to any medical or hospital benefit, service, plan, or policy the University administers, operates, offers, or participates in with respect to students admitted to the University ’s education program or activity.

The following are a summary of rights and options available to students who are pregnant or who have a condition that has arisen from pregnancy. Complaints regarding discrimination¹ on the basis of pregnancy or related conditions for both students and employees will be resolved using Track One of the grievance procedures contained on this page.

Self-Identification and Employee Reporting  

A student, or a person who has a legal right to act on behalf of the student, may self-identify their pregnancy² or pregnancy-related condition to the Title IX Coordinator using the contact information listed in this policy to receive modifications. Students are strongly encouraged to self-report so that the student and the Title IX Coordinator can work together throughout the student’s pregnancy to ensure that reasonable modifications are made and evolved as necessary based on the needs of the student.

All employees must report to the Title IX Coordinator the name and specific information reported to them by a student who has informed them of their pregnancy. The employee shall inform that pregnant student that the Title IX Coordinator can coordinate specific actions to prevent sex discrimination and ensure the student’s equal access to the University’s education program or activity.

Reasonable Modifications

Pregnant students have the right to access the educational program and associated activities regardless of their status as pregnant and as such, will be provided with reasonable modifications if requested. Each reasonable modification must be based on the student’s individualized needs. In determining what modifications are required, the Title IX Coordinator must consult with the student. A modification that CIIS can demonstrate would fundamentally alter the nature of our education program or activity is not a reasonable modification.

The student has discretion to accept or decline each reasonable modification offered by the Title IX Coordinator. If a student accepts an offered reasonable modification, the Title IX Coordinator will implement it.

Reasonable modifications may include, but are not limited to, breaks during class to express breast milk, breastfeed, or attend to health needs associated with pregnancy or related conditions, including eating, drinking, or using the restroom; intermittent absences to attend medical appointments; access to online or homebound education; changes in schedule or course sequence; extensions of time for coursework and rescheduling of tests and examinations; allowing a student to sit or stand, or carry or keep water nearby; counseling; changes in physical space or supplies (for example, access to a larger desk or a footrest); elevator access; or other changes to policies, practices, or procedures.

Comparable Treatment to Other Temporary Medical Conditions  

CIIS shall treat pregnancy or related conditions in the same manner and under the same policies as any other temporary medical conditions with respect to any medical or hospital benefit, service, plan, or policy the University administers, operates, offers, or participates in with respect to students admitted to CIIS’s education program or activity.

Voluntary Access to Separate and Comparable Portion of Program or Activity  

CIIS will allow the student to voluntarily access any separate and comparable portion of the institution’s education program or activity if such a comparable portion of the program or activity is available.  

Voluntary Leaves of Absence

The University will allow the student to voluntarily take a leave of absence from their education program or activity to cover, at minimum, the period of time deemed medically necessary by the student’s licensed healthcare provider. When the student returns to the education program or activity, the student will be reinstated to the academic status and as practicable, to the extracurricular status that the student held when the voluntary leave began.

Certification to Participate

CIIS will not require a student who is pregnant or has related conditions to provide certification from a healthcare provider or any other person that the student is physically able to participate in a CIIS class, program, or extracurricular activity unless:

(i) The certified level of physical ability or health is necessary for participation in the class, program, or extracurricular activity;

(ii) CIIS requires such certification of all students participating in the class, program, or extracurricular activity; and

(iii) The information obtained is not used as a basis for discrimination prohibited by law.

Lactation Space

CIIS has a lactation space, which is a space other than a bathroom, which 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. Information regarding the lactation space may be found on the Title IX website. Students may also contact the Title IX Coordinator for more information on lactation.

If a student is a remote learner, at no time will they be required to have their camera on if they are actively pumping or breastfeeding while attending class remotely. If the faculty member has a “camera on” policy, the student should alert the faculty member via chat or other means that they will be turning their camera off temporarily for lactation needs and will turn it back on when they have completed tending to their lactation needs. A student may not be penalized for turning their camera off for lactation needs if they advised their faculty member why they were temporarily turning if off.

Limitation on Supporting Documentation  

CIIS will not require supporting documentation unless the documentation is necessary and reasonable for CIIS to determine the reasonable modifications to make or whether to take additional specific actions. Examples of situations when requiring supporting documentation is not necessary and reasonable include, but are not limited to, when the student’s need for a specific action is obvious, such as when a student who is pregnant needs a bigger uniform; when the student has previously provided CIIS with sufficient supporting documentation; when the reasonable modification because of pregnancy or related conditions at issue is allowing a student to carry or keep water nearby and drink, use a bigger desk, sit or stand, or take breaks to eat, drink, or use the restroom; when the student has lactation needs; or when the specific action is available to students for reasons other than pregnancy or related conditions without submitting supporting documentation.

Prohibition on Retaliation

Faculty, staff, and other employees are prohibited from interfering with a student taking leave, seeking reasonable modifications, or otherwise exercising their rights under this Policy. Faculty, staff, and other employees are prohibited from retaliating against a student for exercising the rights articulated by this document, including imposing or threatening to impose negative educational or other outcomes because a student requests leave or modifications, files a complaint, or otherwise exercises their rights under Title IX.
 

¹ If a pregnant or related conditions learner is harassed on the basis of pregnancy, then that complaint will be resolved using Track Two grievance procedures. All employee complaints regardless of harassment or discrimination will be resolved using Track One of the grievance procedures contained in this policy.

² Employees should self-report to HR.