Rights of Pregnant and Parenting Students
Board Policy 8.014
Policy Statement
Delta College is committed to creating and maintaining a community where all individuals enjoy freedom from discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sex, as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). Sex discrimination, which can include discrimination based on pregnancy or related condition, marital status, or parental status, is prohibited and illegal in admissions, educational programs and activities, hiring, and employment policies. Delta College hereby establishes a Policy and associated procedures for ensuring the protection and equal treatment of pregnant students, persons with pregnancy-related conditions, and new parents (and/or their infant child(ren)) with birth-related illnesses and conditions.
Delta College will not discriminate against any student, or exclude any student from the College’s education program or activity (including any class or extracurricular activity) because of the student’s pregnancy or related condition (including pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation or medical conditions related to, or recovery from, pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or lactation), marital status, or parental status.
A student who is pregnant or has a pregnancy-related condition will be given an opportunity to make up missed work due to the pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition. Extended deadlines, make-up assignments (papers, quizzes, tests, and presentations), tutoring, independent study, online course completion options, and incomplete grades that can be completed at a later date may be appropriate accommodations, in addition to any ergonomic and assistive supports typically provided by the Office of Disability Resources. A student who is pregnant or has a pregnancy-related condition or has an infant child with a birth-related illness or condition may be permitted to take a voluntary leave of absence, have voluntary access to a separate and comparable portion of the program or activity (if available), and will be provided lactation space. The Title IX Coordinator has the authority to determine that such accommodations are necessary and appropriate, and to inform faculty members of the need to adjust academic parameters accordingly. Additionally, accommodations may also be available under the Americans with Disabilities Act through the Office of Disability Resources.
As with accommodations administered through the Office of Disability Resources, information about pregnant students’ requests for accommodations will be shared with faculty and staff only to the extent necessary to provide the needed accommodation(s). Faculty and staff will regard all information associated with such requests as private and will not disclose this information unless necessary. Administrative responsibility for these accommodations lies with the Title IX Coordinator, who will maintain all appropriate documentation related to accommodations, including all medical documentation received from the student’s physician/medical provider.
Requesting Support
To request accommodations under this policy, please contact the Title IX Coordinator/Equity Officer at 989-686-9547 or equityoffice@delta.edu.
Scope of Policy
This Policy applies to all aspects of Delta College’s program, including, but not limited to, admissions, educational programs, and activities.
Nothing in this policy requires modification to the essential elements of any academic program. This policy supersedes any academic program policy on pregnant and parenting students, as defined in this policy. Pregnant students cannot be channeled into an alternative program against their wishes.
As used in this Policy, pregnancy or related condition: include (but are not limited to):
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- Pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or lactation;
- Medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or lactation; or
- Recovery from pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, or related medical conditions
Reporting
To report violations of this policy, please refer to the Equity Grievance Reporting Form.
Board Action 5558 - September 10, 2024
Board Action 5433 – February 1, 2022