Northwest State Community College is obligated to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq. Title IX is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—including pregnancy and parental status—in educational programs and activities.
All public and private schools, school districts, universities, and colleges such as Northwest State Community College receiving any Federal funds (“schools”) must comply with Title IX.
Northwest State Community College is committed to creating an environment that is accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of pregnant and parenting learners. Learners may request reasonable supports or modifications as outlined below for pregnancy and parenting. If you have any questions or wish to file a report of discrimination on the basis of sex, including pregnancy or parenting, please contact the Title IX Coordinator using the contact information below. Persons who experience a temporary disability as a result of pregnancy may also receive accommodations as required by law.
Pregnant, Lactating, and/or Parenting Learners
You cannot be discriminated against for your status as a pregnant, lactating, and/or parenting learner. Additionally, Title IX requires that NSCC provide reasonable accommodations to learners who need them due to pregnancy for as long as is medically required. For more information, click the button below.
Lactation Room On-Campus
Did you know that NSCC has a Lactation Room available on-campus? We do! It is located in A201B. For more information, including how to gain access and reserve the space, click the button below.
Classes and School Activities
Northwest State Community College MUST:
Allow you to continue participating in classes and extracurricular activities even though you are pregnant. This means that you can still participate in classes, clubs, learner leadership opportunities, and other activities, like school related trips and activities that occur both on and off campus.
Allow you to choose whether you want to participate in special instructional programs or classes for pregnant learners. You can participate if you want to, but your school cannot pressure you to do so. The alternative program must provide the same types of academic, extracurricular and enrichment opportunities as your school’s regular program.
Allow you to participate in classes and extracurricular activities even though you are pregnant and not require you to submit a doctor’s note unless your school requires a doctor’s note from all learners who have a physical or emotional condition requiring treatment by a doctor. Your school also must not require a doctor’s note from you after you have been hospitalized for childbirth unless it requires a doctor’s note from all learners who have been hospitalized for other conditions.
Provide you with reasonable adjustments, like a larger desk, elevator access if available, or access to water, breaks, or allowing you to make frequent trips to the restroom, when necessary, because of your pregnancy.
Excused Absences and Medical Leave
Northwest State Community College MUST:
Excuse medically necessary absences due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, including abortion and termination of pregnancy, for as long as your doctor says it is necessary. (Childcare is NOT the same thing as childbirth. The College cannot excuse absences due to lack of childcare unless you are caring for a sick child.)
Allow you to return to the same academic and extracurricular status as before your medical leave began, which should include giving you the opportunity to make up any work missed while you were out.
Ensure that faculty members understand the Title IX requirements related to excused absences/medical leave. Your faculty may not refuse to allow you to submit work after a deadline you missed because of pregnancy or childbirth. If your teacher’s grading is based in part on class participation or attendance and you missed class because of pregnancy or childbirth, you should be allowed to make up the participation or attendance credits you did not have the chance to earn.
Provide pregnant learners with the same special services it provides to learners with temporary medical conditions. This includes, as appropriate, modifications to in-person work or access to independent study.
Harassment
Northwest State Community College MUST:
Protect you from harassment based on sex, including harassment because of pregnancy or related conditions. Comments that could constitute prohibited harassment include making sexual comments or jokes about your pregnancy, calling you sexually charged names, spreading rumors about your sexual activity, and making sexual propositions or gestures, if the comments rise to the threshold that it interferes with your ability to benefit from or fully participate in your school’s program.
Policies and Procedures:
Northwest State Community College MUST:
Have and distribute a policy against sex discrimination and an applicable grievance procedure. See NSCC’s Policy/Procedure 3-19 for more information, which may be accessed here.
Helpful Tips for Pregnant and Parenting Learners
Ask your school for help—meet with your College’s Title IX Coordinator regarding what your school can do to support you in continuing your education.
Keep notes about your pregnancy-related absences, any instances of harassment and your interactions with College officials about your pregnancy, and immediately report problems to your College’s Title IX Coordinator.
If you feel your school is discriminating against you because you are pregnant or parenting you may file a complaint:
- Using the College’s internal Title IX grievance procedures.
- With the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), even if you have not filed a complaint with the College. If you file with OCR, make sure you do so within 180 days of when the discrimination took place.
- In court, even if you have not filed a complaint with the College or with OCR.
Some types of accommodations you may request include:
- Providing a larger desk
- Allowing breaks during class, as needed
- Permitting temporary parking
- Rescheduling tests and exams
- Excusing absences due to pregnancy or related conditions
- Submitting work after a deadline missed due to pregnancy or childbirth
- Providing alternatives to make up missed work
- Permitting a reasonable time for nursing and access to lactation spaces
- Allowing excused absences for parenting learners (both male and female) who need to take their children to medical appointments or to take care of their sick children
Pregnant learners will be allowed to make up any work missed due to medically necessary absences for pregnancy. Learners will be offered acceptable arrangements to make up missed work. The learner will not be required to complete make up work until the student’s medically necessary absences for pregnancy are completed.
Contact the Title IX Coordinator or the OCR if you have any questions. We are here to help make sure all learners, including pregnant and parenting learners, have equal educational opportunities!
If you want to learn more about your rights, or if you believe that the College is violating Federal law, you may contact the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, at 800.421.3481 or ocr@ed.gov.
If you wish to fill out a complaint form online, you may do so at ed.gov or by contacting the College Title IX Coordinator, Adrienne Murray by calling 301.509.6504, via email at titleix@northweststate.edu or virtually (in-person, on Zoom or Teams). Please text or call to make an appointment. If you need urgent assistance, please text URGENT-NSCC to 301.509.6504 and a return call will be made to the cellphone you texted from within one business day.
Additional resources available at the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
Information for Learners
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I request pregnancy or parenting related accommodations?
Pregnant and parenting learners should submit a request for support or accommodations by filling out this form. Someone from the Title IX Team will contact you to discuss your pregnancy or parenting needs. You will need to submit supporting documentation (i.e., letter from your doctor) with your request for accommodations.
What types of accommodations can I request?
Learners will be provided reasonable accommodations based upon their pregnancy and parenting related needs. Specific accommodations will vary from learner to learner. Some examples of accommodations may include:
- Providing a larger desk.
- The ability to sit, rather than stand.
- A seat near the door.
- Distance learning options.
- Extended test taking times to allow for expressing breastmilk, to use the restroom, or to eat/drink.
- Allowing breaks during class, as needed.
- Permitting temporary faculty/staff parking.
- Rescheduling tests or exams.
- Excusing absences due to pregnancy or related conditions.
- Submitting work after a deadline missed due to pregnancy or childbirth.*
- Providing alternatives to make up missed work.
- Permitting a reasonable time for nursing and access to lactation spaces.
- Allowing excused absences for parenting learners (both male and female) who need to take their children to medical appointments or to take care of their sick children.
*Pregnant learners will be allowed to make up any work missed due to medically necessary absences for pregnancy. Learners will be offered acceptable alternative arrangements to make up missed work. The learner will not be required to complete make up work until the student’s medically necessary absences for pregnancy are completed.
Am I required to tell anyone about my pregnancy or parenting status?
Learners are not required to inform anyone of their pregnancy or parenting status. However, Northwest State Community College aims to create an environment that encourages learners to share this information with the Title IX Office, so that the College can provide the proper support and assistance.
Can pregnant learners be penalized for absences, if grades are based upon attendance?
A learner may not be penalized for absences known to be due to pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical conditions. A professor cannot reduce a pregnant student’s grade because of attendance or participation points that the learner missed during excused absences due to her pregnancy-related conditions. The professor must give the learner a reasonable opportunity to earn back the credit missed due to pregnancy.
Are there any designated areas on campus to address lactation-related needs?
Yes. NSCC has a Lactation Room, which is located at A201B
Appointments may be made in 20-minute increments, reserve here.
How can I report harassment or discrimination due to pregnancy or parenting?
Northwest State Community College prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex. Pregnant or parenting learners who believe they have been discriminated against or harassed because of a qualifying condition may file a complaint with the Title IX Coordinator by clicking on this link to report a Title IX incident.
Information for Faculty and Staff
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What do I do if a learner tells me they are pregnant?
Ask them if they need any accommodations, and if they have met with the Title IX Coordinator. If they have not, refer them to this form.
What do I do if a learner tells me they need to miss class due to a pregnancy?
We excuse all medically necessary absences for pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery. This includes doctor’s appointments. Via the Title IX Office, faculty members should excuse those absences deemed medically necessary by the appropriate medical professional. Learners should be referred to the Title IX Office for the purpose of documenting medical needs. A faculty member should NEVER tell a pregnant learner that they cannot miss class due to pregnancy or a related condition, will fail a class due to pregnancy or a related condition, or cannot make up missed work due to pregnancy or a related condition.
Can I ask a learner to prove they are pregnant or provide a doctor’s note?
Faculty cannot ask for doctor’s notes. Please refer the learner to the Title IX office for documentation and support.
What do reasonable accommodations look like for a pregnant student?
Reasonable accommodations could be allowing frequent bathroom breaks, a larger desk or different chair if needed. The length of time needed for medically required absences can vary depending on the student's situation.
I have a learner who is lactating and is requesting to miss class to express breastmilk. What should I do?
Faculty members should excuse learners during class, labs, internships, and other college-related programming or associated activities to express breast milk and allow them to make up any missed work without penalty. A learner will normally require about 15-20 minutes to express milk (allow more time if needed, especially if the lactation space is located away from where their class is.) Lactating learners can be referred to the Title IX Coordinator to discuss rights and options, including use of the lactation space (including scheduling of the space, if they have questions.) To schedule the space click here. If you have any issues, problems or questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Title IX Coordinator.
Guidance on Wearable Breast Pumps:
If a learner chooses to come to class with a wearable breast pump (a device that allows for breastmilk expression during class), then a faculty member should never disallow the learner in class, make disparaging comments, or otherwise embarrass, humiliate, or shame a lactating person. Doing so could constitute harassment based on sex and is strictly prohibited by the College.
Contact the Title IX Coordinator with questions regarding anything discussed in this material.