Pregnancy and Parenting
Title IX Policy on Absences Due to Pregnancy
Westchester Community College is committed to creating a welcoming, accessible, and inclusive environment for pregnant and parenting students.
In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, WCC does not discriminate against any student, or exclude any student from its education program or activity, including any class or extracurricular activity, on the basis of such student’s pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy or recovery therefrom, unless the student requests voluntarily to participate in a separate portion of the program or activity. Colleges are obligated to provide requested accommodations for all pregnant students, as well as those who have recently given birth and those experiencing “pregnancy-related conditions,” which include miscarriages, abortions, lactation and more.
Absences due to pregnancy or childbirth must be excused for as long as is deemed medically necessary by the student’s doctor. When the student returns to school following an absence due to pregnancy or childbirth, they must be reinstated to the same academic and extracurricular statuses they held before their medical leave began. Pregnant students may be required to submit medical certification for school participation only if the same requirement exists for all students with physical or emotional conditions requiring the attention of a physician.
A student cannot be penalized for missing classes or incomplete assignments due to pregnancy or related conditions. The College must provide the student with the opportunity to make up the work they missed due to pregnancy or related conditions, including recovery from childbirth, even if it is for an extended period of time.
The Office for Civil Rights has outlined several requirements; these include:
- Continued participation in classes and other activities during pregnancy,
- The regulations also require colleges to provide pregnant students with notice of their rights
- Reasonable adjustments like excused absences due to pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions for as long as a doctor deems necessary,
- The ability to return to the same academic status as before medical leave began, and
- The opportunity to make up missed work because of pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions.
Additional Information
Students may request reasonable accommodations as a result of pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. To request accommodations, contact Accessibility Services either at accessibility.services@sunywcc.edu or call (914) 606-6287.
Lactation Rooms
- Harold L. Drimmer Library
Room # 124A – The unmarked room behind the circulation desk on the first floor
Access – Available upon request from the Dean of the LIB - Hankin Academic Arts Building
Room # 121 – It is located down the hallway on the left at the lower-level entrance near the loading dock.
The key is in a lockbox, which is available upon request of the Dean for the AAB. - Student Center
Health Services Office – Room #181
Available during normal business hours; speak with one of the staff members when you arrive. - Virginia Marx Children’s Center
Only for parents who have children at the center; please visit the Center for more detailed information about lactation space. -
Extension Centers:
Mount Vernon: Room 125
Peekskill: Room 202
Yonkers: Room 318
Ossining: Confidential Rm (no #)To gain access for each of these, please ask a staff member at the front desk.