• Delta College and its faculty, staff, and other employees will not require a student to limit their studies as the result of pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions.
  
  
• The benefits and services provided to students affected by pregnancy will be no less than those provided to students with temporary medical conditions.
  
  
• Students with pregnancy-related disabilities, like any student with a short-term or temporary disability, are entitled to reasonable accommodations so that they will not be disadvantaged in their courses of study or research, and may seek assistance from the Equity Office.
  
  
• As with students with temporary medical conditions, medical documentation from a physician is required.  Title IX protection will NOT begin until the requested documentation has been received.
  
  
• No artificial deadlines or time limitations will be imposed on requests for accommodations, but Delta College is limited in its ability to impact or implement accommodations retroactively.  (See Financial Aid Section below)
  
  
• Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to:
  
  
  • Accommodations requested by the pregnant student to protect the health and safety of the student and/or the pregnancy (such as allowing the student to maintain a safe distance from hazardous substances);
  • Modifications to the physical environment (such as accessible seating);
  • Mobility support;
  • Extending deadlines and/or allowing the student to make up tests or assignments missed for pregnancy-related absences (this does not apply to routine doctor’s appointments);
  • Providing remote learning options;
  • Excusing medically-necessary absences (this must be granted, irrespective of classroom attendance requirements set by a faculty member, department, or division);
  • Implementing incomplete grades for classes that will be resumed at a future date;
  • Students must be granted reasonable time and space to express breast milk in a location that is private, clean, and reasonably accessible.  Bathroom stalls do not satisfy this requirement.
• Medical Documentation Requirements for Students Affected by Pregnancy
  
  To receive accommodations under this policy, pregnant student must provide medical documentation.
   
  • The documentation must be on the treating physician’s letterhead or on their prescription pad, be signed and dated by clinician/treating doctor, and include the following information:
     
    • Patient’s/Student’s Name
    • Date pregnancy-related condition began
    • Functional limitations (this is how the pregnancy-related condition prevents the student from fully participating in her classes at Delta)
• Routine Doctor’s Appointments
   
  • Pregnant students are encouraged to schedule routine doctor’s appointments outside of their scheduled class time.
    
    
  • If a student is seeing a specialist for a pregnancy-related condition and as a result, must miss class or coursework, the student must submit medical documentation.
    
    
  • The medical documentation must be on the treating physician’s letterhead or on their prescription pad, be signed and dated by clinician/treating doctor, and include the following information:
     
    • Patient’s/Student’s Name
    • Date of the appointment
    • The purpose of the appointment (it must be pregnancy-related)
• Fathers and Delivery
   
  • Giving birth is a special moment for families.  As a result, Delta will allow, with proper documentation, fathers to make up any coursework that was missed because he was supporting his partner during the delivery and birth of a child.
    
    
  • Proper medical documentation includes:
    
    
    • Patient’s/Student’s Name
    • Date labor began and when the baby was born
    • Birth record indicating his parental status to the baby

If fathers have experienced an event connected to the delivery and/or recovery that prevents them from attending classes for more than the duration of the delivery and birth of their child, they must request a LOA.  (Please see Board Policy – 8.013 Student Leave of Absence.)

• Students with child caretaking/parenting responsibilities who wish to remain engaged in their coursework while adjusting their academic responsibilities because of the birth or medical condition of her or her child may request an academic modification period during the first 6 months from the time the child has entered the home. For extensions, students must work with the Dean of Student Success.
  
  
• During the modification period, the student’s academic requirements will be adjusted and deadlines postponed as appropriate, in collaboration among the Equity Office, the Office of Disability Resources and the appropriate academic department(s).
  
  
• Students seeking a period of modified academic responsibilities may consult with Office of Disability Resources or with the Equity Office to determine appropriate academic accommodations requests.  The Equity Office will communicate all requests under this policy to the student’s faculty and coordinate accommodation-related efforts with the faculty. 
  
  
• While receiving academic modifications, the student will remain registered and retain benefits accordingly.
  
  
• Medical Documentation Requirements for Parenting Students
  
  To receive accommodations under this policy, parenting student must provide medical documentation.
  
  
  • The documentation must be on the treating physician’s letterhead or on their prescription pad, be signed and dated by clinician/treating doctor, and include the following information:
    
    
    • Patient’s/Student’s Name
    • Date parenting-related condition began
    • Functional limitations (this is how the pregnancy-related condition prevents the student from fully participating in his/her classes at Delta)
• Specialist Doctor Appointments
  
  
  • Parenting students are encouraged to schedule routine doctor’s appointments outside of their scheduled class time.
    
    
  • If a student is seeing a specialist for a parenting-related condition and as a result, must miss class or coursework, the student must submit medical documentation.
    
    
  • The medical documentation must be on the treating physician’s letterhead or on their prescription pad, be signed and dated by clinician/treating doctor, and include the following information:
     
    • Patient’s/Student’s Name
    • Date of the appointment
    • The purpose of the appointment (it must be parenting-related)

• Harassment of any member of Delta College community based on sex, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, or parental status is prohibited.  Doing so may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
  
  
• Faculty, staff, and other Delta College employees are prohibited from interfering with a student’s right to seek reasonable accommodation, or otherwise exercise their rights under this Policy.  Doing so may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
  
  
• Faculty, staff, and other Delta College employees are prohibited from retaliating against a student for exercising the rights articulated by this Policy, including imposing or threatening to impose negative educational outcomes because a student requests leave or accommodation, files a complaint, or otherwise exercises their rights under this Policy.  Doing so may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

All students receiving Federal and state financial aid must comply with regulations and policies regarding Standards of Academic Progress, Attendance, and Return of Federal Title IV Funds.  Your pregnancy or parenting status does not exempt you from these policies.

Delta College may have to recalculate your financial aid and return all or a portion of the aid that was received but was not earned in any or all of the following situations:

• failure to successfully complete all course objectives developed with your instructor(s) 
• never attend or participate in a class (online or face-to-face)
• completely withdraw/fail all registered courses in the specified semester
• failure to complete the coursework within 180 calendar days may require a return of some or all of the funds they had already received. (The Return of Funds calculation is performed by Delta College’s Financial Aid Office via federal guidelines as governed under the Title IV regulation of the federal government.   All determinations are final.)

For questions regarding your Federal Title IV aid eligibility and the impact on your financial aid eligibility based on your enrollment level change, contact Delta College’s Financial Aid Office at 989-686-9080 or email at finaid@delta.edu. 

Any member of the Delta College community may report a violation of this Policy to any executive, administrator, or to the Title IX Coordinator.  All mandated reporters are responsible for promptly forwarding such reports of pregnancy/parenting student issues to the Title IX Coordinator.  The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for overseeing complaints of discrimination involving pregnant and parenting students. The Title IX Coordinator for Delta College is: 

Allie Martinez, title IX Coordinator/Investigator and Conduct Officer
Loyce Brown, HR Director/ Equity Officer/Title IX Coordinator
1961 Delta Road
University Center, MI 48710
titleix@delta.edu  
989-686-9547

Complaints may also be filed with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights at:

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-1100
Telephone:202-245-6800 or 800-421-3481
Facsimile: 202-245-6840
TTY: 877-521-2172 
Email: OCR@ed.gov  
Website: www.ed.gov/ocr  

Cleveland Office
U.S. Department of Education
1350 Euclid Avenue
Suite 325
Cleveland, OH 44115
Telephone: 216-522-4970
Facsimile: 216-522-2573
Email: OCR.Cleveland@ed.gov