Pregnancy & Parenting FAQs

Yes, breastfeeding employees and students can contact the Disability Resource Center for assistance with arranging reasonable accommodations to support them in continuing to work and attend classes.

View the Family Resource Map with available on-campus lactation rooms, as well as additional parenting resources available on-campus.

Yes. Title IX prohibits discrimination against students and employees based on sex, including because of pregnancy or related conditions.  

Title IX is violated if sexual harassment or other pregnancy-related harassment by employees, students, or third parties is sufficiently serious that it interferes with a student’s ability to benefit from or participate in the school’s program, and the harassment is encouraged, tolerated, not adequately addressed, or ignored by school employees. 

Source:  Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students (June 2013)

Yes. Title IX requires a school to accommodate 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, they must be reinstated to the status  held when the leave began If the school requires students with other medical conditions to submit a doctor’s note, it may require the same from a pregnant student.

Title IX provides for equal educational opportunities for pregnant and parenting students and university employees. It prohibits educational institutions from discriminating against students based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. It also prohibits schools from applying any rule related to a student's parental, family or marital status that treats students differently based on their sex.

The University of Arizona is committed to ensuring pregnant and parenting student access to educational programs. For information about the process for requesting accommodations, please see https://drc.arizona.edu/workplace/pregnancy-accommodations. If you have questions about the University’s obligations, or the way Title IX applies to you, please contact the Title IX Coordinator or a Deputy Coordinator.

Below is additional information regarding the specific requirements of Title IX as they pertain to pregnancy and parenting.

Yes. Title IX prohibits a school from excluding a pregnant student from any part of its educational program, including all extracurricular activities, such as school clubs, academic societies, honors programs, or sports.  

Source:  Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students (June 2013)

To ensure 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.  

Source:  Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students (June 2013) 

Yes, pregnant employees and students may request reasonable accommodations through the Disability Resource Center (DRC). Information about the process for requesting accommodations is available on the DRC website sections for Students and Employees.

Yes, discrimination or harassment on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Nondiscrimination and Anti-harassment Policy.