Resources for pregnant and parenting individuals

Title IX protects students who are pregnant and/or have parenting responsibilities and balancing school and parenting can be a lot. UW-Stevens Point is committed to helping you do both well.​

“To en​sure a pregnant student’s access to its educational program, when necessary, a school must make adjustments to the regular program that are reasonable and responsive to the student’s temporary pregnancy status.”

Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students, U.S. Department ​of Education, OCR​

​Here are answers to a few Frequently Asked Questions. Other questions or need help? Contact the Title IX Coordinator, Eric Roesler, at eroesler@uwsp.edu​ or 715-346-3975​.

Does my school have to excuse my absence due to pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregancy, or related conditions?

Yes. Title IX requires a school to excuse a student’s absences due to pregnancy or related conditions, including recovery from childbirth, for as long as the student’s doctor deems the absences to be medically necessary.​ When the student returns to school, she must be reinstated to the status she held when the leave began, which should include giving her the opportunity to make up any work missed. A school may offer the student alternatives to making up missed work, such as retaking a semester, taking part in an online course credit recovery program, or allowing the student additional time in a program to continue at the same pace and finish at a later date, especially after longer periods of leave. The student should be allowed to choose how to make up the work.

If the school requires students with other medical conditions to submit a doctor’s note, it may require the same from a pregnant student​.

What is an "excused absence?" Do I have to complete make-up work?

You can't be penalized for taking legally-protected leave. Professors may require you to complete missed assignments or other work to make up for miss participation, but the make-up work should be comparable with the work given to other students, not extra. When setting timelines for make-up or missed work, professors need to treat leave as leave (time off not doing homework); for example, assignment deadlines should not be due the day you return, but should be pushed back to give you at least the same amount of time as other students have had to complete the assignments.

Does Title IX only protect me in the classroom?

No. Title IX covers all aspects of your education. You cannot be forced to limit your educational activities due to pregnancy, childbirth, abortion, or related conditions. This includes school-sponsored internships or externships, clinics, lab work, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Job placement and career counseling can't be biased because of your pregnancy or parental status.

Examples of the types of things you could ask for include: a larger desk; to take breaks during class or while at your campus job; a stool or chair instead of standing; temporary access to elevators; rescheduling of tests or exams; excused absences for pregnancy or related conditions (both male and female); submitting work after a deadline missed due to pregnancy or childbirth; excused absences for parenting students (male and female) who need to take their children to a doctor’s appointment or to take care of a sick children; accommodations involving lab classes, or alternate course materials if necessary. 

I've been treated negatively because of my pregnancy or parenting status. What do I do?

Harassing or intimidating you because of your pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, false pregnancy, or abortion or related condition is sex discrimination in violation of Title IX. Likewise, limiting your educational opportunities on those grounds is illegal. University officials are responsible for preventing and responding to harassment from any member of the university community. Consider reporting your experience to the Title IX Coordinator so they can look into the concerns. 

I've had a difficult pregnancy or childbirth. Can my school provide support?

Because UW-Stevens Point provides support services for temporarily disabled students, according to Title IX, you are equally entitled to the same services. Additionally, depending upon your condition, you may also have a right to accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). 

Students should contact the Office of the Dean of Students and Disability and Assistive Technology Center (DATC) to learn more. 

Where can I pump milk at school?

UW-Stevens Point has designated lactation spaces on all three campuses. If these are not convenient for you., we will help you identify a space closer to your classes or campus employment.

  • Albertsons Hall/Library Building (ALB) - Room 304, Stevens Point campus
  • Chemistry/Biology Building (CBB) - Room 119, Stevens Point campus
  • College of Professional Studies (CPS) - Room 238A
  • Collins Classroom Center (CCC - Room 222, Stevens Piont campus
    • Key for space can be obtained from the  Dean's office in Chemistry/Biology Building (room 200)
  • DeBot Dining Center - Room 052A, Stevens Point campus
  • Dreyfus University Center (DUC) - Room 222A, Stevens Point campus
  • WW Clark Administration Building - Room 105, Marshfield campus
  • Main Academic Building - Room 328, Wausau campus

I work for UW-Stevens Point as an employee. What do I do?

If you have questions about how UW-Stevens Point can support you, connect with the Human Resources team. They can visit with you about possible work-place accommodations, planning for time away, how you might use your sick leave or vacation, and so on. 

Are there resources available?

Yes! Here a brief list of resources for pregnant and/or parenting individuals. 

Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students​ - US Department of Education
Brochure from the Department of Education about the Title IX requirements to support pregnant and parenting students.

Breastfeeding Resources Assistance (BRA) - Portage County 
The Breastfeeding Resources Assistance (BRA) program helps reduce the strain on budgets by providing breastfeeding supplies to women with low incomes.

Breastfeeding Support - Marathon County

Breastfeeding Services - Wood County 
The Wood County Health Department provides breastfeeding education, support, and resources to all breastfeeding mothers regardless of income, age, or race.

Childcare Information - Wisconsin Department of Children and Families 
The vision of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) is that all children have access to high-quality early care and education. 

Childcare On-campus - The Helen R. Godfrey University Child Learning and Care Center
UCLCC provides convenient child care services at a reasonable cost to UW-Stevens Point students, faculty/staff, alumni, and community members.  UCLCC is nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and rated a 5-star provider by YoungStar, Wisconsin's quality rating program.

Disability and Assistive Technology Center (DATC)
DATC provides accessibility, accommodation, and assistive technology services to students with disabilities, working individually with qualified students to identify, design, and implement an accommodation plan that will aid them in acquiring equal access to their education. 

Human Resources at UW-Stevens Point
If you are a student or full-time employee of UW-Stevens Point, our Human Resources team can guide you through pregnancy and/or parenting as it is connected to your employment at the university.

Pregnancy - Start Right - Marathon County 
Start Right provides education, support and resources to help families in Marathon County raise healthy, school ready kids. From pregnancy through age 5, from personal home visits to Family Resource Center visits, Start Right provides the support that parents need to become their children’s first teachers.

Prenatal Care Coordination (PNCC) - Portage County 
PNCC is a Medicaid benefit that helps pregnant women get the support and services they need to have a healthy baby. 

The Pregnant Scholar
An online collection of information about Title IX and pregnant/parenting.

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program 
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, popularly know as WIC, is a nutrition program for pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, and families with children younger than 5. WIC provides nutrition education, breastfeeding education and support, supplemental nutritious foods, and connections to other community services. Wisconsin families want to raise strong and healthy kids, and WIC is here to help.

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