Pregnant & Parenting Students

Faculty, staff or other employees shall not require a student to take a leave of absence, withdraw or limit their studies or activities due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. Further, students have the right:

• To be reinstated after a period of leave for the condition(s) below at the same status as when the leave began.
• To preserve future eligibility for their scholarship, fellowship, or similar university-supported funding when taking parental leave.
• To not be harassed based on their protected class status.
• To be free from retaliation for exercising rights under the UNCW Anti-Discrimination Policy.

• Pregnancy,
• Childbirth,
• False pregnancy,
• Termination of pregnancy,
• Pregnancy loss,
• Recovery from any of the above, and
• Parental responsibilities for medically necessary child healthcare.

• Yes, there are dedicated lactation rooms on UNCW’s campus. Each space offers a clean, secure, and private space for parenting students or employees who need to express breast milk or nurse while on campus. Individuals should bring any personal supplies needed with them. Lactation spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis.
• UNCW’s Lactation Rooms
  • Administrative Annex, Room 2001
    • Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    • Please call 910-962-3160 to make arrangements
  • Abrons Student Health Center, Second Floor, DePaolo Hall
    • Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    • Please call 910-962-3280 and ask to speak to the Lead Nurse or the Director to make arrangements
  • Mamava Lactation Pod, Randall Library, First Floor
    • To access the space, please visit the Library Help Desk or the Library Security Desk to obtain the code. The pod can also be found on the Mamava app, a free locator app that helps lactating individuals find thousands of approved lactation spaces.

• To start the accommodation process, you can complete this online form.
  • You may also contact the Director of Title IX and Clery Compliance via titleix@uncw.edu or (910) 962 - 3557.
• Prepare medical documentation to show your pregnancy status and any related leave period(s) for medical necessity.
• If you are also a student worker or employee, you may be entitled to other benefits under employment policies. Reach out to your Benefits Counselor to learn more.

• Changes for the health and safety of the student and/or the pregnancy (such as allowing the student to maintain a safe distance from hazardous substances).
• Accessible seating and flexible classroom breaks.
• Flexible deadlines, make-up tests or assignments.
• Food/water in class
• Extra time on exams
• Breaks
• Remote learning options where not a fundamental alteration to the course.
• Excusing medically necessary absences (student will still need to make up assignments with opportunity to regain participation points).
• Incomplete status to extend time to complete course or to re-take course without cost.
• Leave of absence for as long as medically necessary.
• Lactation accommodations

If you experience a temporary or permanent medical situation (such as anemia, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, postpartum depression, etc.), you are encouraged to seek additional disability related accommodations by contacting UNCW’s Disability Resource Center.

• Modified academic conditions can be provided on a case-by-case basis, particularly within the first six months of the child entering the home. Students are entitled to full relief from academic responsibilities for at least six weeks after the birth or arrival of the child.
• Extensions may be granted where additional time is required due to medical necessity or extraordinary parenting responsibilities.

• Coming Soon: UNCW plans to release their policy regarding Pregnant and Parenting Students, to coincide with the release of the Office of Civil Right’s new regulations regarding Title IX and pregnant and parenting students.
• You may also contact UNCW’s Title IX Office for more information at titleix@uncw.edu or (910) 962 - 3557.

• If you have questions about how to appropriately accommodate a student who is pregnant or parenting, please contact the Office of Title IX and Clery Compliance. 
• Collection/requesting of medical documentation by faculty is discouraged.  Please refer students who have concerns and possible accommodation requests to the Office of Title IX and Clery Compliance.
• If you request medical documentation, you may be requesting legally-protected private information and assuming legal responsibility for its handling.
• If you request medical documentation, you may become aware of further medical situations that the student is not required to disclose outside of the Title IX or disability accommodation process.
• Modification to the essential elements of any academic program is not required.  This is a collaborative process, and your participation is integral to this process in order to provide students with reasonable accommodations. 

• When a pregnancy is disclosed to you, you are encouraged to refer the student to the Office of Title IX and Clery Compliance.

• If a student is requesting accommodations without informing you of their pregnancy, you are encouraged to refer the student to the Office of Title IX and Clery Compliance.

• UNCW plans to release their policy regarding Pregnant and Parenting Students in Fall 2023, to coincide with the release of the Office of Civil Right’s new regulations regarding Title IX and pregnant and parenting students.
• You may also contact the UNCW’s Title IX Office for more information at titleix@uncw.edu or (910) 962 - 3557.

• Yes, there are dedicated lactation rooms on UNCW’s campus. Each space offers a clean, secure, and private space for parenting students or employees who need to express breast milk or nurse while on campus. Individuals should bring any personal supplies needed with them. Lactation spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis.
• To learn more about UNCW’s lactation policy for employees, please see 08.231 Lactation Support Policy
• UNCW’s Lactation Rooms
  • Administrative Annex, Room 2001
    • Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    • Please call 910-962-3160 to make arrangements
  • Abrons Student Health Center, Second Floor, DePaolo Hall
    • Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
    • Please call 910-962-3280 and ask to speak to the Lead Nurse or the Director to make arrangements
  • Mamava Lactation Pod, Randall Library, First Floor
    • To access the space, please visit the Library Help Desk or the Library Security Desk to obtain the code. The pod can also be found on the Mamava app, a free locator app that helps lactating individuals find thousands of approved lactation spaces.

For additional information regarding paid parental leave, please see Human Resource’s Paid Parental Leave webpage.

If you would like to talk through your options for taking family medical leave or would like more information regarding UNCW’s leave provisions for pregnant employees, please contact your Benefits Counselor in Human Resources.

• 08.225 Family Medical Leave
• 08.220 Voluntary Shared Leave Program
• 08.230 Flexible Work Schedules
• 08.212 Vacation Leave
• 08.213 Sick Leave