A student may ask you how to register for accommodations related to pregnancy and other related conditions. As IU is dedicated to supporting students who are pregnant or have experienced other conditions related to pregnancy (termination of pregnancy, miscarriage, lactation, or related medical conditions), students register with their campus Accessible Educational Services (AES).
When a student tells you they are pregnant
If a student tells you that they are pregnant or have experienced other conditions related to pregnancy (termination of pregnancy, miscarriage, lactation, or related medical conditions), you are required to inform them of their rights under Title IX by providing them with IU’s Title IX Coordinator or the Office of Institutional Equity contact information.
Please direct students to this website to learn about the rights and resources available to pregnant students.
You could say
“Thank you for letting me know. IU is dedicated to supporting students who are pregnant. You should visit pregnancy.iu.edu. It will tell you about your rights and resources available to you, such as academic accommodations.”
Instructors can also inform students about resources and rights related to pregnancy and related medical conditions through a syllabus statement. Such a statement may read:
"IU is dedicated to supporting students who are pregnant or have experienced other conditions related to pregnancy (termination of pregnancy, miscarriage, lactation, or related medical conditions). To register for accommodations due to pregnancy or a related medical condition, please contact your campus Accessible Educational Services (AES) office. To learn about the rights and resources available to students, such as academic accommodations, please visit pregnancy.iu.edu or emailn oie@iu.edu for more information.
Accommodations related to pregnancy
Along with providing a student information about IU’s Title IX Coordinator/ OIE, faculty members may be expected to implement academic accommodations in their course for pregnant students or students who have experienced a pregnancy related condition.
This may include accommodations such as:
- The ability to take an incomplete in the course and complete it at a later date
- Completing a course early before the delivery of their child
- Instructors may also be expected to allow the student to makeup a missed exam or be excused from a class to attend a medical appointment
These regulations apply to all courses; programs with clinical experience or internships will be expected to accommodate the student’s medical needs.
Instructors should not ask students for documentation of their pregnancy or medical condition. If documentation is needed, the Accommodation Specialist will manage the documentation as part of the process.
Once a student receives their accommodation memorandum from AES, they are responsible for sending a copy of the memo to their instructors. Students are encouraged to speak with their instructors about their accommodations and success plan. Instructors who have questions about the implementation of the accommodations should speak with the student's Accommodation Specialist in AES. The specialist's name and contact information is listed at the bottom of the memo.
Under the Title IX regulations, students are allowed to take leave from the university and must be allowed to return to the university in the same standing in which they left. This means students are allowed time away from courses to recover from pregnancy or related conditions. For example, it is reasonable to expect a student who has delivered a child to need six to eight weeks away from the university to recover and should not be expected to complete assignments, internships, or other activities during their leave.