Pregnant & Parenting Students
Title IX protects pregnant and parenting students from discrimination from participating in their educational activities (academic and cocurricular).
For students, please submit an intake form to be connected with the Title IX Office.
Title IX protections include:
- Excusing absences that are medically necessary related to the pregnancy/childbirth and allowing students to make up any missed work.
- Permitting extra breaks, or longer breaks, for lactation needs as well as access to lactation spaces.
- Not forcing a student to take a leave of absence or not take a leave of absence.
- If the student needs alternative furniture for accommodating their pregnancy needs, provide a table instead of a desk, a different chair, etc.
- Providing alternative options for success in a course where medically necessary conditions related to pregnancy/childbirth - similar to a student with a temporary disability. This would be accommodated by Student Disability Services.
PARENTING AND CAREGIVING RESOURCES
Health Promotion Services provides information related to student parenting and caregiving resources. They provide information about both on-campus options and off-campus options for confidential referrals and consultations.
Schedule an appointment with HPS.
LACTATION SPACES
For students requesting access to the University's lactation room*, please contact:
- Health Promotions Services at hps@usfca.edu to request space in UC room #329, and LM Rossi room #105, plus there is an additional lactation room at 101 Howard.
- For the Law school, please contact the Circulation Desk: 415-422-6679 for Zief Law Library Room #38.
- For the Sacramento campus, please contact Christina Wilson at cwilson10@usfca.edu.
- For the Orange County campus, please contact Maureen Lu at mlu14@usfca.edu.
*Please note that if space becomes limited, priority may be given to University employees to comply with local and state requirements.
TEMPORARY DISABILITY WHILE PREGNANT
If you believe you may have a temporary disability due to pregnancy, individuals should request and apply for accommodations through Student Disability Services in addition to Title IX.
Apply for accommodations through the SDS website
NOTE: PLEASE SUBMIT MEDICAL OR OTHER MEDICAL INFORMATION DIRECTLY TO STUDENT DISABILITY SERVICES (SDS). DO NOT SUBMIT MEDICAL INFORMATION TO YOUR PROFESSOR(S).
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth
- Loss of Pregnancy
- Recovery
- Pregnant students may contact the Office of Title IX to request assistance with accommodations.
- Pregnant employees may contact Human Resources at leaves@usfca.edu, for assistance with questions about benefits Maternity/Parental Leave, to request an accommodation or to request access to the lactation room.
Examples of pregnancy-related accommodations include but are not limited to,
- rescheduling tests or exams,
- excusing absences,
- submitting work after a deadline,
- providing alternatives to make up missed work,
- retaking a semester,
- or temporary parking arrangements for closer accessibility to buildings on campus.
- The Title IX Office may facilitate communications with the student’s professors or assist with other University resources.
Yes. Absences due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions must be excused and cannot be treated or penalized like unexcused absences. Depending on the length of the absence and area of instruction, it may be academically necessary for the student to take a leave of absence. Professors must provide a leave of absence for pregnant students for as long as it is deemed necessary by their medical doctor. Professors may require a doctor’s note for pregnancy–related absences only if a doctor’s note is required to excuse other medically-related absences.
After an excused absence due to pregnancy, childbirth, or any related medical conditions, professors must allow a reasonable time for the student to make up missed assignments and tests. This is true regardless of the professor’s typical makeup assignment policy. Depending on the nature of the course, making up the exact missed assignment might not be feasible. The makeup work does not have to be exactly the same as the missed work but needs to be reasonably equivalent.
- A student 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 student missed during excused absences due to pregnancy-related conditions. The professor must give the student a reasonable opportunity to earn back the credit missed due to pregnancy.
- No. Under Title IX, the University cannot exclude someone from class based on their pregnancy. The University can only require a pregnant student to provide a doctor’s certification of fitness to continue in an education program or activity if the same requirement is imposed on all other students with medical conditions requiring a doctor’s care.
- Yes. Pregnant students cannot be excluded from University-related off-campus programs, such as internships, off-campus activities, University-sponsored activities, and other extracurricular activities. A professor cannot require a doctor’s note to show fitness to participate unless it is required for all students in the program.
For students requesting access to the University's lactation room, please contact:
- Health Promotions Services at hps@usfca.edu to request space in UC 329, or LMR 105.
- For the Law school, please contact the Circulation Desk: 415-422-6679.
- For the Sacramento campus, please contact Christina Wilson at cwilson10@usfca.edu.
Please note that if space becomes limited, priority may be given to University employees to comply with local and state requirements.
University employees should contact Human Resources at leaves@usfca.edu for assistance with questions about benefits they may be eligible to apply for Maternity/Parental Leave, or to request for a pregnancy accommodation or to request access to the lactation room.