Interim Pregnant and Parenting Students Policy

Duquesne University is committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment for pregnant and parenting students.

Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any of its programs or activities, including admission, academic, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs or activities of schools. This prohibition includes discrimination against pregnant and/or parenting students.

Pregnant or parenting students may request adjustments for pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, end of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom, including lactation.

Questions?

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the University’s Title IX Coordinator.

Alicia M. Simpson

Title IX Coordinator and Director of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response

FAQ for Pregnant and Parenting Students

Adjustments relating to pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, end of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom, including lactation are available to all students. Any student can schedule an appointment with the Title IX Office to discuss specific concerns and/or questions about the Interim Pregnant and Parenting Students Policy.  The following campus resources are also available to students:
Students who are not the birthing parent can also reach out to the Title IX office to request adjustments under this policy that are medically necessary. This can include doctor appointments, medical appointments for a child, or caretaking responsibility for a sick child. The non-birthing parent may also reach out for assistance connecting with other resources on campus, including counseling
Reasonable adjustments may be offered to allow a pregnant and/or parenting student to participate in their educational program or activity, so long as these adjustments are reasonable and do not require a fundamental alteration to the educational program or activity, or impose an undue burden on Duquesne.

Possible adjustments may include, but are not limited to:

  • Changes in physical space or supplies (i.e. access to a table in lieu of desk or a footrest)
  • Elevator access
  • Accessible parking
  • Breaks during class, as needed
  • Access to lactation room
  • Excused absences due to pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, medical care for a child, and/or providing care to a sick child
  • Extensions of deadlines
  • Rescheduling tests or exams
  • Alternative make-up work of similar or like nature
  • Opportunity to make up missed work, including participation or attendance credit;
  • Modifications of work or class schedules
  • Changes in work or housing locations
  • Counseling
  • Leaves of absence, Incomplete grades, and/or retroactive withdrawals

Determining the availability of specific adjustments depends on the student’s academic program requirements, the timing and duration of the student’s documented pregnancy-related need, and the nature of the academic requirement(s) missed.

In certain situations, a student may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation due to a pregnancy-related medical condition. Accommodation requests differ from adjustment requests, in that accommodations may be necessary when the pregnancy-related medical condition becomes long-lasting and/or continues after the pregnancy and recovery from childbirth are over. Requests for reasonable accommodations based on pregnancy-related medical conditions will be referred to Disability Services.
The University may request medical documentation or confirmation of the student’s pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition where a student requests an adjustment or accommodation under this policy, or in accordance with the University’s policies for leaves of absences. Any medical documentation requested will be held in the strictest confidence.
Adjustments/accommodations requests should be directed to the University’s Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator will discuss the pregnant or parenting student’s needs, and may ask for documentation that supports the requested adjustments/accommodations.

Alicia M. Simpson

Title IX Coordinator and Director of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response

(412) 396-2560

Simpsona8@duq.edu

Union #339

Students are expected to request adjustments or accommodations in a timely manner to allow the Title IX Coordinator to review documentation, determine eligibility, and implement adjustments/accommodations.

As appropriate and where required, the Title IX Coordinator will forward requests for accommodations related to pregnancy-related conditions to the Office of Disability Services.

In the event of emergencies, students should contact the Title IX Coordinator and their faculty member, coach, or program official as soon as possible. In the meantime, reasonable efforts will be taken to preserve your academic or extracurricular participation until you are able to provide documentation from your healthcare provider or speak in greater detail with the Title IX Coordinator.
You are not required to share any medical information with anyone. In order to receive assistance with adjustments or accommodations for pregnancy and/or parenting, students will need to speak with the Title IX Coordinator. If requested, the Title IX Coordinator will coordinate adjustments/accommodations without disclosing the medical diagnosis or details with anyone. For example, if you require frequent bathroom breaks due to pregnancy, an adjustment for bathroom breaks will be disclosed but not the underlying reason for the request.
Absences that are medically necessary due to pregnancy and/or pregnancy-related conditions will be excused like any other excused absence, so long as the required documentation is provided. Students are still expected to make up any academic requirements in accordance with their academic program’s policies.

Excused absences are also available to parenting students who need to take their children to medical appointments and/or to take care of their sick children.

Students may take a leave of absence due to pregnancy and/or pregnancy-related conditions in accordance with the University’s policies for leaves of absence. Information on the University’s policies can be found at Undergraduate Student Leave of Absence or Graduate Student Leave of Absence.

If a student does not qualify for leave under the University’s policies, the student will be provided leave for as long as the student’s physician deems medically necessary.

Upon return, and to the extent possible, the student will be reinstated to the same academic status (and extracurricular status, to the extent practical) when the leave began.

For certain programs and/or professional schools, due to the nature of the curriculum and clinical experiences, a student may not be able to start back in the same semester where they left off, but may need to take the course at the next available course offering. This may result in a delay of program completion.
Many pregnant students continue in their off-site rotations and clinical assignments during pregnancy and/or parenting. However, there may be some situations in which a student will request an adjustment due to the requirements of the specific clinical placement. Reasonable efforts will be made to find a placement that fits within the student’s medical needs.

Students are encouraged to contact the Title IX Coordinator to proactively plan for rotations and clinical sites.
Yes. Students who are lactating will be provided with access to any of the four (4) designated lactation rooms around campus. The lactation rooms on campus are located in the following buildings:
  • Room 531, Fisher Hall
  • Room 518, Gumberg Library
  • Room 103, School of Law
  • Room 331, Student Union
  • Room 309, College Hall
For leaves of absences – students should notify the Title IX Coordinator of the expected date to return to their education program or activity. The Title IX Coordinator may request a medical release and/or other documentation, as necessary, to demonstrate that the student is able to return to the program or activity. To the extent possible, students will be reinstated upon return to the status which the student held when the leave began.

For all other adjustments/accommodations – students should immediately notify the Title IX Coordinator when the adjustment or accommodation is no longer necessary.
Pregnant and/or parenting student-athletes will be treated and evaluated in the same manner as any other team member to determine their specific position on the team and continued participation on the team.

Pregnant and/or parenting student-athletes are permitted to fully participate on the team, including all team-related activities, unless the student-athlete’s physician or medical caregiver certifies that participation is not medically safe.

In this situation, a student-athlete will be permitted to participate in a limited manner on the team, unless the student-athlete’s physician or other medical caregiver certifies that partial participation is not medically safe.

Absences from team activities that are medically necessary due to pregnancy and/or pregnancy-related conditions will be excused like any other excused absence, so long as the required documentation is provided.

Excused absences from team activities are also available to parenting students who need to take their children to medical appointments and/or to take care of their sick children.

To the extent possible, a student-athlete will be returned to the same status they had before any leave of absence.