The specific actions coordinated by the Title IX Coordinator
and arranged with other departments for the benefit of students experiencing
pregnancy or related conditions are:
(1) Notifying Students of Their Rights and GovState's Obligations
This webpage is one means by which GovState is notifying
students.
(2) Making Reasonable Modifications
GovState will make reasonable modifications (sometimes
called “reasonable accommodations”), at no charge to the student, to its
policies, practices, or procedures as necessary to prevent sex discrimination
and ensure equal access to education programs or activities.
(3) Allowing Voluntary Access to Separate and Comparable Portion(s) of Programs or Activities
GovState will allow a student experiencing pregnancy or
related condition(s) to voluntarily access any separate and comparable portion
of an education program or activity, if any such separate and comparable
portion exists.
(4) Allowing Voluntary Leave of Absence
GovState will allow a student experiencing pregnancy or
related condition(s) to voluntarily take a leave of absence from GovState’s
education programs or activities.
(5) Providing Access to Lactation Space
GovState provides a lactation space on campus (Room E2530B) that a student
may use for expressing breast milk or breastfeeding as needed.
(6) Limiting Required Supporting Documentation
GovState will not require supporting documentation under Actions
2 through 5, unless such documentation is necessary and reasonable for
GovState to determine what reasonable modifications to make or whether to take
additional specific actions under those Actions.
(7) Treating Pregnancy/Related Conditions Comparably to Other Temporary Medical Conditions
To the extent consistent with Actions 2 through 6,
GovState will treat pregnancy or related conditions in the same manner and
under the same policies as any other temporary medical conditions with respect
to any benefit, service, plan, or policy GovState administers, operates,
offers, or participates in with respect to its students.
(8) Not
Requiring Certification to Participate
GovState will not require a student experiencing pregnancy
or related conditions to provide certification from a healthcare provider (or
any other person) that the student is physically able to participate in a
GovState class, program or extracurricular activity unless such certification
is required of all students wishing to participate or the certified level of
physical ability or health is necessary for participation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Process for Reasonable Modifications
The
Title IX Coordinator has delegated the coordination of reasonable modifications
(sometimes called “reasonable accommodations”) for students experiencing
pregnancy or related conditions to GovState’s Access Services for Students with
Disabilities (ASSD), part of the Academic Resource Center. Students
experiencing pregnancy or related conditions may contact Angela
Szczepanik-Sanchez, Director of ASSD, or her staff as follows:
Access
Services for Students with Disabilities (ASSD)
Mailing
Address: 1 University Parkway, University Park, IL 60484
Telephone:
708.235.3968
Email: assd@govst.edu
Campus
Location: B1215 (in the Student Success Commons)
Business
Hours: 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday (except for University holidays)
Each
reasonable modification made for a student experiencing pregnancy or related
conditions will be based on the student’s individualized needs. In determining
what modifications are necessary, ASSD will consult with the student. The
student has discretion to accept or decline each reasonable modification
offered by GovState. If a student accepts an offered reasonable modification, GovState
will implement it.
The
availability of a specific modification for a specific student will be
dependent on that student’s particular circumstances. Not all potential
modifications may be reasonable. A modification that would fundamentally alter
the nature of a GovState education program or activity is not a reasonable modification.
GovState is not obligated to make modifications that are not reasonable
modifications. To the extent consistent with that restriction, reasonable
modifications available to a student experiencing pregnancy or related
conditions may include, but are not necessarily limited to, breaks during class
to express breast milk, breastfeed, or attend to health needs associated with
pregnancy or related conditions, including eating, drinking, or using the
restroom; intermittent absences to attend medical appointments; access to
online or homebound education; changes in schedule or course sequence;
extensions of time for coursework and rescheduling of tests and examinations;
allowing a student to sit or stand, or to carry or keep water nearby; counseling;
changes in physical space or supplies (for example, access to a larger desk or
a footrest); or elevator access.
Process for Voluntary Leaves of Absence
The
Title IX Coordinator has delegated the coordination of voluntary leaves of
absence for students experiencing pregnancy or related conditions to the Office
of the Dean of Students (ODOS) through its Emergency & Medical Leave procedures, as applicable to students experiencing pregnancy or related
conditions. Students experiencing pregnancy or related conditions who wish to
learn more about availing themselves of such a leave may contact Mushtaq
Choudhary, the Dean of Students, and ODOS as follows:
Office
of the Dean of Students
Mailing
Address: 1 University Parkway, University Park, IL 60484
Telephone:
708.235.7595
Email: deanofstudents@govst.edu
Campus
Location: C1310
Business
Hours: 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday (except for University holidays)
https://www.govst.edu/emergencyleave/
Leaves
of absence voluntarily taken by a student experiencing pregnancy or related
conditions will cover at least the period of time deemed medically necessary by
the student’s licensed healthcare provider. When the student returns to GovState’s
education program or activity, the student will be reinstated to the academic
status and, as practicable, to the extracurricular status that the student held
when the voluntary leave began.
To the
extent that a student experiencing pregnancy or related conditions qualifies
for leave under a different leave policy maintained by GovState (if any) that allows a
greater period of time than the medically necessary period, GovState will
permit the student to take voluntary leave under that policy instead, if the
student so chooses.
Access to Lactation Space
GovState
provides a dedicated room for students and employees to use for
expressing breast milk or breastfeeding as needed. Currently, that room is E2530B, which is
located on the second floor of E-Building (E-Wing) near the bridge between
E-Building and G-Building. The door
locks from the inside with an available/occupied indicator on the outside of
the door. GovState asks everyone
to be respectful of the fact that the room is a shared amenity. It may be used only for the purposes of expressing
breast milk or breastfeeding.