Pregnancy and Parenting FAQ

Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex – including pregnancy, parenting and all related conditions – in education and in programs.  If you are a pregnant or parenting student, you have right to stay in school so you can meet your education and career goals.

• How can I use Title IX to ensure that my pregnancy or family responsibilities do not interfere with my education?
• Do my faculty have to excuse my absences due to pregnancy, childbirth or abortion?
• What if my faculty says their absence/makeup policy applies regardless of any medical condition?
• Does the university need to provide me with special academic services, like tutoring?
• If my program requires internships, career rotations or other off-campus elements, can I be excluded from participation?
• What if classmates or professors have made offensive comments to me about my pregnancy?
• I would like to take a semester off. Can I keep my student status, scholarships, etc.?

How can I use Title IX to ensure that my pregnancy or family responsibilities do not interfere with my education?

Title IX requires faculty and administrators treat pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions in the same manner and under the same policies as any other temporary disability. The University can require a pregnant student to provide a doctor’s certification of fitness to continue in an education program or activity only if the same requirement is imposed on all other students with physical or emotional conditions requiring a doctor’s care. Pregnant students must be provided the same accommodations and support services available to other students with similar medical needs. Your faculty or administrators should not tell you that you have to drop out of your classes or academic program or change your educational plans due to your pregnancy. If you have a concern regarding your status as a pregnant or parenting student at Cal Lutheran, please contact the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Coordinator

Do my faculty have to excuse my absences due to pregnancy, childbirth or abortion?

Absences due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions must be excused and cannot be treated or penalized like unexcused absences. Your faculty must provide you a leave of absence for as long as it is deemed necessary by your medical doctor. At the end of your leave, you must be reinstated to the status you held prior to your leave. After returning from an excused absence, your faculty must allow a reasonable amount of time to make up missed assignments and tests. The makeup assignments and tests must be reasonably equivalent to those missed, but need not be identical. If a faculty provides specific “points” or other advantages to students based on class attendance, you must be given the opportunity to earn back the credit from classes missed due to pregnancy. Under Title IX, pregnant students are entitled to the same benefits offered to students with other medical conditions, illness or injury.

What if my faculty says their absence/makeup policy applies regardless of any medical condition?

While your faculty may have a strict attendance policy, the University is bound by federal civil rights law. Title IX requires the University ensure that all faculty and staff comply with the law and do not discriminate against pregnant and parenting students. An individual faculty’s policy is not OK if it breaks the law. Please contact the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Coordinator if you have questions about your faculty’s attendance policy as it relates to your pregnancy or parental responsibilities.

Does the university need to provide me with special academic services, like tutoring?

Title IX requires the University provide pregnant students with any special services we provide to students with any other type of temporary disabilities. Pregnancy in and of itself  is not a disability, however if you have a medical condition related to your pregnancy that can be considered a temporary disability and you should register with Disability Support Services to receive support.

If my program requires internships, career rotations or other off-campus elements, can I be excluded from participation?

No. Your program must allow you to continue participating in off-campus programs. If your program provides opportunities to “work in the field,” you cannot be excluded based on your pregnancy. Your faculty cannot require a doctor’s note for continued participation unless your faculty requires one for all students who have a medical condition that requires treatment by a doctor. If they do ask for a note, they cannot second-guess your doctor’s decision.

What if classmates or professors have made offensive comments to me about my pregnancy?

Title IX requires the University prevent and address sex-based harassment, including harassment based on pregnancy. If you experience this sort of treatment, you should seek help immediately. The law prohibits anyone from retaliating against you for filing a complaint or raising a concern. Please contact the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Coordinator.

I would like to take a semester off. Can I keep my student status, scholarships, etc.?

You will keep your status as a student for up to one year.