Pregnancy and Postpartum Support

How Does Title IX Protect Me?

Title IX protects pregnant and parenting students from discrimination. This includes pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, miscarriage, or recovery from any of these conditions. It is illegal to exclude a pregnant student from any part of an educational program due to their pregnant and parenting status.

Absences

Absences related to pregnancy and childbirth must be excused as long as your doctor deems the absence medically necessary (i.e., for doctor’s appointments, bed rest, recovery, etc.). Documentation may be requested by the Title IX Coordinator. As part of this process, you may work with professors for an opportunity to make up missed work. Please see the Pregnancy Accommodation Request Form below for assistance.

Lactation Space

Located in Jordan Hall room 127 and Frank Brown Hall Room 1057. Please contact Human Resources to receive the access code for each location at 706-507-8920 or human_resources@columbusstate.edu

Accommodations & Adjustments

Any special services provided to students with temporary medical conditions must also be provided to a pregnant student in need of those same services. Reasonable adjustments may include, but are not limited to:

Larger desk
Frequent bathroom breaks
Parking adjustments
Flexibility with attendance and deadlines
Makeup work
Incomplete in course
Course withdrawal or replacement

Pregnancy Accommodation Request Form

For assistance with pregnancy accommodations, please complete our Accommodation Request Form. This will allow us to begin working with you to explore possible accommodations and adjustments to fit your needs. You will also have an opportunity to upload documentation through this form. Documentation may include:

Appointment confirmations
Online health portal printout
ER summary
Doctor’s note

Confidentiality

We are committed to maintaining your privacy. Information you share related to pregnant or parenting status will not be shared with others, including your faculty, unless you give us permission to share it. If you have questions about the safeguards in place to protect your privacy before submitting a written request, please give us a call at (706) 507-8757.