Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs and activities, including pregnant and parental status. Title IX protects students in all of the academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs or activities offered by the college. It is the goal of the Rancho Santiago Community College District to ensure that all students are adequately supported so that they can succeed in and complete their programs of study.
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WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER TITLE IX RELATED TO PREGNANT AND PARENTING STUDENTS?
| Title IX specifically prohibits discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. Under Title IX, it is illegal for a college to exclude a pregnant student from participating in any part of an educational program, including a student athlete's participation in intercollegiate sports. Simply put, this means that the college must give all students who might be, are, or have been pregnant the same access to school programs and educational opportunities that other students have; and a student may not be advised or forced to drop a class or program or change their educational plans due to a pregnancy.
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WHAT ABOUT PARTICIPATION IN
INTERNSHIPS, CAREER ROTATIONS, AND OTHER OFF-CAMPUS ELEMENTS OF A PROGRAM OF STUDY--CAN A PREGNANT STUDENT BE EXCLUDED?
| Title IX provides that the college must allow pregnant students to continue participating in off-campus elements to their program of study. The college may not require students to disclose pregnancy status, and the college cannot require a doctor's note for continued participation unless the college requires a doctor's note for all students with a medical condition requiring treatment from a physician. If a note is required, the college cannot second-guess the doctor's decision. Questions or concerns regarding off-campus elements to a program of study should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator.
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WHAT ABOUT PREGNANCY RELATED ATTENDANCE ISSUES--DOES THE COLLEGE HAVE TO EXCUSE ABSENCES DUE TO PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH,
OR ABORTION?
| Once a student self-identifies, she should have the option of meeting with the college's Disabled Students Programs and Services or the Title IX Coordinator to obtain information about how the school supports pregnant students in the academic setting. The college should offer an accommodation-like process that addresses each qualifying student individually. Accommodations provided to a student should be comparable to those offered to students with temporary disabilities in similar circumstances.
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WHAT DO I DO WHEN A STUDENT INFORMS ME THAT THEY ARE PREGNANT, UNDERGOING FERTILITY TREATMENT, OR ABOUT TO BE A PARENT?
| Students who are pregnant or have related conditions or circumstances cannot be excluded from any education program or activity. However, if a student is unable to complete a course due to pregnancy or related conditions and must take a leave of absence, the student is entitled to pick up the class and continue from the point at which they previously stopped. The college may offer the student the option of retaking the semester or taking part in the course online; however, the student should be allowed to choose which option is best for them to make up the work.
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WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS SURROUNDING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE PREGNANT, UNDERGOING FERTILITY TREATMENT, OR ARE ABOUT TO BE/ARE A PARENT?
| A college may issue general warnings concerning the health risk a student may encounter as a result of participation in course work, labs, clinical assignments, or other components of an educational program (e.g. bacterial disease, viral disease, radioactivity, etc.). The college may also notify all students of possible precautionary measures they may wish to take prior to engaging in such activities or actions. Pregnant students may choose to participate in the activities or actions or may request comparable alternatives. Title IX regulations do permit colleges and universities to require students who are pregnant, or have a related condition, to obtain certification from a physician to confirm that the student is physically and emotionally able to continue participation in a recipient’s program if such certification is required of all students for other physical or emotional conditions that require a physician’s attention.
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