This document provides general guidelines for Lake Land College students and staff on the College’s policies regarding students experiencing pregnancy and related conditions. This document does not constitute official College policy, nor is it intended to be exclusively relied on. Students who require leave, accommodations, or any other modifications related to their pregnancy or related condition should contact the Counselor for Student Accommodations and Mental Health Initiatives for their specific needs.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in the College’s education programs and activities. Title IX protects students in all of the academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic and other programs or activities of the College. This includes prohibiting discrimination based on pregnancy or related conditions, including childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom.
Lake Land College does not exclude pregnant students from participating in any part of its education programs or activities. Upon request, the College may provide reasonable accommodations to students who require support for pregnancy or related conditions. Any services provided to students with temporary medical conditions will also be provided to students who are pregnant or have related conditions.
While each student’s need for accommodations may vary, students who are pregnant, or become pregnant during the semester, should discuss with the Counselor for Student Accommodations and Mental Health Initiatives, and their instructors, any accommodations that may be necessary. Reasonable accommodations will be based on the student’s individual needs and will be developed in consultation with the student. An accommodation that would fundamentally alter the nature of the College’s education program or activity is not a reasonable accommodation.
Student absences for pregnancy or related conditions, whether intermittent or for a continuous period, are excused when the absence is deemed medically necessary. In accordance with Lake Land College Board Policy 06.24 Attendance in the Classroom, for the absence to be excused, the student must submit medical certification from a licensed healthcare provider. Students should provide the medical certification to the Counselor for Student Accommodations and Mental Health Initiatives who will then notify the student’s instructors of any accommodations required, and that they are medically necessary. The Counselor for Student Accommodations and Mental Health Initiatives will maintain the record of any medical information provided by the student.
Upon return from an excused absence, including a leave of absence, students will be reinstated to their prior academic status, and will also be reinstated to their prior extracurricular status, to the extent practicable.
The College’s policies only provide for an individual student’s medically-necessary leave related to pregnancy or related conditions as certified by a licensed healthcare provider. They do not apply for extended leaves beyond what is deemed medically necessary, or for parental leave to care for a child.
Students work with each individual instructor to develop a plan for completing work missed during a medically-necessary absence. Depending on each situation, students may be able to complete work in advance, during the absence, or with extended deadlines.
Depending on the timing and/or length of the medically-necessary leave, and in accordance with Board Policy 07.17.01 Incomplete Grade, students may be assigned a grade of Incomplete (“I”) with approval to complete/retake a course the next semester or next time the course is offered without being required to pay for the course again.
Students will not be penalized for attendance points missed during excused absences for pregnancy or related conditions.
Students who are pregnant or have a related condition are not required to provide approval from a licensed healthcare provider to participate in any of the College’s education programs or activities including clinical rotations, internships and specialized lab courses, unless such approval is required of students with other physical or emotional conditions. If a student has pregnancy-related safety concerns regarding participation in a clinical, internship or specialized lab setting, they are advised to consult with a licensed healthcare provider. If a student receives certification that it is medically-necessary for them to not participate, they should work with the Counselor for Student Accommodations and Mental Health Initiatives and the instructor to explore available accommodations, including completing the course at a later date.
Lake Land College provides a private and secure lactation room for students to use for expressing breast milk or breastfeeding as needed. The lactation room is located in the Student Wellness Center in the Luther Student Center and includes comfortable seating, access to a power source and a sink.
For more information regarding accommodations for students who are pregnant or have related conditions, please contact:
Ellie Haskett, Counselor for Student Accommodations and Mental Health InitiativesCounseling Services, Luther Student Center, Office #443217-234-5259ehaskett@lakelandcollege.edu
This information is in accordance with Lake Land College Board Policies 11.04 Discrimination and Harassment and 11.04.01 Prohibiting Sex-Based Misconduct.
Pregnancy and Related Conditions 03.10.25