Policy Statement
Emerson College is committed to supporting any student who is currently pregnant or has a pregnancy related condition by providing them with equal access to the College’s programs, services, and activities, as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and all other applicable state or federal laws. Emerson provides support for students in pregnancy and in any related conditions, which includes, but is not limited to, pregnancy, childbirth, the end of pregnancy in any manner (i.e. miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion), lactation, and any related medical conditions or recovery.
Reasonable Modifications
Students who are pregnant or have a related condition are entitled to reasonable modifications to ensure equal access to the College’s educational programs and activities. Any student seeking a reasonable modification must contact OEO (oeo [at] emerson.edu (oeo[at]emerson[dot]edu), 617-824-8999) to discuss their individual needs, and to review what options may be available. Students are encouraged to request reasonable modifications as promptly as possible, understanding that requesting a modification is voluntary, and a student can accept or decline any offered reasonable modifications.
Examples of possible reasonable modifications may include, but are not limited to, extra break time during class, intermittent absences to attend medical appointments, changes in schedule, time extensions for coursework or rescheduling exams or deadlines, changes in physical space (for example, access to a larger desk or a footrest), and any other modifications deemed necessary and reasonable by OEO. Please note that not all these example reasonable modifications are appropriate for all contexts. Students will need to work with OEO to determine what modifications make sense for their specific needs and program. OEO will assist with developing a modification plan and helping with implementation as needed. Information about pregnant students’ requests for modifications will be shared with faculty and staff only to the extent necessary to provide the modification.
In some situations, a student may be looking to take a voluntary leave of absence due to pregnancy or a related condition as a reasonable modification. To the extent possible, Emerson will take reasonable steps to ensure that after a leave, the student will return to the same position of academic progress that they were in when they took leave. Student leave of absence will be processed through the Office of Student Success, with the assistance of OEO as needed.
Temporary Disability
There are times when a student who is pregnant or experiencing a pregnancy-related condition will actually become temporarily disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In those situations, the student is eligible for reasonable accommodations just like any other student with a temporary disability. The request for an accommodation would be referred to Student Accessibility Services (SAS) (sas [at] emerson.edu (sas[at]emerson[dot]edu); 617-824-8592). The student requesting the accommodation will be required to share medical information relating to that temporary disability with SAS, which in some cases may include (but is not limited to) medical records and a release to speak with medical care providers. Emerson will protect and maintain the privacy and confidentiality of any medical information obtained in connection with the reasonable accommodation process. The decision to grant or deny a requested accommodation is made by SAS by engaging in the interactive process with the student. More information on the process for requesting an accommodation can be found on the SAS website.
No Required Health Certification
Students who are pregnant or have a pregnancy-related condition will generally not be required to provide any form of health certification regarding their ability to participate in a College educational program or activity. However, this documentation can be required from a student who is pregnant or has a related condition if some type of health certification is required from all participants in a program or activity. It may also be required if there are some unique health or safety risks to pregnant students or those with related conditions. However, if there are health and safety risks in participating in a specific Emerson academic program or activity, that information should be shared with all students regardless of pregnancy status.
Lactation Spaces on Campus
Emerson provides students and employees with access to lactation spaces across campus. Currently there are lactation spaces located in the Park Plaza building, the Walker Building the Ansin Building, and in Paramount. Anyone needing to use one of the lactation spaces should contact either OEO (oeo [at] emerson.edu (oeo[at]emerson[dot]edu)) or HR (hr [at] emerson.edu (hr[at]emerson[dot]edu)), who can arrange to provide access to those rooms.
Connecting Pregnant Student with OEO
Students should know that all College employees (faculty or staff) who become aware of a student’s pregnancy or related condition will provide the student with the contact information for the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) (oeo [at] emerson.edu (oeo[at]emerson[dot]edu), 617-824-8999) and inform the student that OEO can work with them to help ensure they continue to have equal access to Emerson’s educational programs and activities.1 OEO will work with students to provide resources and information to help support them throughout their pregnancy and/or related condition.
1 The AVP of Equity, Access, & Equal Opportunity supervises the Office of Equal Opportunity and serves as the Title IX Coordinator for Emerson College.