A student that has requested and been granted a reasonable accommodation from their university Disability Support Services office may not be penalized for absences known to be due to pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical conditions. A professor cannot reduce a pregnant student’s grade because of attendance or participation points that the student missed during excused absences due to her pregnancy-related conditions. The professor must give the student a reasonable opportunity to earn back the credit missed due to pregnancy.

Students can request a reasonable accommodation from their campus Disability Support Services office. While your professor 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. Please contact the Equity and Compliance Office if you have questions about your professor’s attendance policy as it relates to your pregnancy accommodations.

Students can request a reasonable accommodation from their campus Disability Support Services office. Once granted, 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 professor cannot require a doctor’s note for continued participation unless your professor 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.

Not necessarily. Title IX requires professors and administrators treat parenting students in the same manner and under the same policies as any other student. In other words, if your professor has a strict attendance policy, that policy can be applied to medically necessary leave relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions being protected, provided it is similarly applied to any other absence. Students can request a reasonable accommodation from their campus Disability Support Services office. If you have a concern regarding your status as a pregnant or parenting student you can also contact the Office of Equity and Compliance.

The University of Alaska prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against or harassed because of their sex, gender, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition may file a complaint with their university’s Office of Equity and Compliance. 

Under federal law, an employer must treat women affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions the same as other employees who are similar in their ability or inability to work with respect to light duty. If light duty is provided to other employees who are similar in their ability or inability to work (e.g., those injured on the job), an employer may have to provide temporary light duty to an employee due to pregnancy. An employer that provides light duty to other employees cannot justify denying it to a pregnant worker just because it would be more expensive or less convenient to do so. Additionally, light duty may be an appropriate reasonable accommodation for individuals with pregnancy-related disabilities under the ADA.

No. An employer may not force an employee to take leave because she is or has been pregnant, as long as she is able to perform her job duties. If an employee is limited in performing job duties and is entitled to an accommodation under the PDA or ADA (see above), reasonable accommodations may need to be provided to help her perform job duties. Requiring an employee to take leave against her wishes violates the PDA even if the employer believes it is acting in the employee's best interest. If an employee has been absent from work as a result of a pregnancy-related condition and then recovers, her employer may not require her to remain on leave until the baby's birth; nor may an employer prohibit an employee from returning to work for a certain length of time after childbirth.

Title IX’s protection against discrimination based on sex covers nursing mothers and condition(s) related to sex and pregnancy/parental status, such as lactation. Breastfeeding individuals typically need to express milk 2–3 times during every 8-hours to maintain their milk production and avoid health complications.  Employees and students who are breastfeeding require a private, clean space – that’s not a bathroom – to pump.  If you do not have a private office or control over when you take their breaks, you may need to request accommodation to take regular pumping breaks in a clean, private space.