Students who:

  • Are pregnant
  • Are new parents (child addition within the past month)
  • Recently lost a pregnancy
  • Recently experienced a false pregnancy
  • Are breastfeeding

are provided protections under the Federal Civil Rights Amendment, Title IX. These students may experience barriers to their full and meaningful participation in the college setting as a result of their status as a student who is pregnant and/or parenting, but the OTC Title IX office is here to help reduce or eliminate these barriers in the classroom.

Title IX Advocacy

The Title IX office is responsible for supporting you and advocating on your behalf when necessary. When you experience medically-related absences or emergencies, the Title IX office is happy to work with your instructors to help you catch up.

Most commonly, we advocate for:

  • Deadline extensions on assignments you have missed
  • The opportunity to make up an exam you have missed
  • Reversing an administrative withdrawal
  • Finding alternative ways to complete an assignment or exam
  • Changing course sections
  • Financial recovery, when applicable

How you can help:

  • Attend class regularly when there is no reason to be absent
  • Complete assignments on time or ahead of time before your baby arrives
  • Communicate with your instructors any time your pregnancy legitimately interferes with school
  • Be willing to develop a reasonable plan for success
  • Remember that additional support does not entitle you to every request you make
  • Meet with a representative from the Title IX office in-person or over the phone at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you learn of your pregnancy!

Expectations

We are here to help! But we still expect you to

  • Attend class regularly
  • Complete assignments on time or ahead of time
  • Keep the Title IX office and instructors updated of changes
  • Be willing to develop a reasonable plan for success
  • Remember that not every request can be granted
  • Meet with a representative from the Title IX
  • Don’t wait to ask for assistance
  • Take ownership of your education

Examples

You missed a seated class due to a doctor appointment related to pregnancy.

Tell your instructor ahead of time or as soon as possible afterward. Let the Title IX office know if your instructor(s) counts you absent and/or does not give you a chance to make up any work missed/due. Missed participation points should never count against you for this issue.

You unexpectedly spent a night or more (or an extended period of time during the day) in the hospital for a pregnancy-related issue.

Notify the Title IX office as soon as possible afterward. You may also reach out to your instructors on your own, but the Title IX office will make sure your instructors are aware of the situation and provide reasonable extensions for anything you miss. Missed participation points should never count against you for this issue.

You are experiencing severe morning sickness and cannot make it to seated classes.

Notify your instructor(s) in your seated class(es) that you are suffering from severe morning sickness that day and will not be able to come to campus. Let the Title IX office know if there are any issues with your instructors. Assignments that can be submitted electronically should still be submitted. Missed participation points should never count against you for this issue.

You miss an exam or assignment because you forgot about it.

This is not covered under Title IX, and we cannot advocate for this particular issue. Please consider reaching out to your instructor to find out if you can complete make up work/exams.

You have a sick child and cannot attend class for one or more days.

This is not covered by Title IX unless your physician has connected your child’s illness to a threat to your pregnancy. If there is no relationship to your pregnancy, please reach out to your instructor to find out if you may make up work. If there is a connection to your pregnancy, please notify the Title IX office as soon as possible.

Your baby is born, or you have complications, at the tail end of the semester.

You may request an incomplete grade from your instructor(s), which will give you 6 additional weeks to finish your coursework. Keep in mind that you will be ineligible for grants and loans for future semesters until you have final grades for all classes. Contact the Title IX office as soon as possible if you need any assistance.

You have been placed on bed rest at some point during the semester.

If possible, the Title IX office will work to make sure you have access to complete your class(es) online and from home, whether the classes are seated or not. There are times when this remedy is not possible due to course or state requirements, and we will work to find another solution—which could mean dropping the class.

You had your baby 3 months ago, but you are now struggling at the end of the semester to find time for school.

Title IX support is more limited at this point. Once you have been released by your physician to resume normal activities, there is much less legal ground for advocacy. However, depending on your situation, it is very possible for the Title IX office to reach out to your instructor(s) to try work on a solution for you.

You are a new father, or your significant other is pregnant with your child, and you would like support.

Title IX support is more limited for you because assistance is intended to help pregnant women overcome obstacles created by conditions of their pregnancy. However, depending on your situation, it is very possible for the Title IX office to reach out to your instructor(s) to try work on a solution for you.

Request Assistance

How can the Title IX office support me?

Please complete the Pregnant & New Parent online referral. This will allow us to generate an Education Plan to share with instructors. The Education Plan is used as a tool to outline general services instructors can make for pregnant and parenting students. Plans may be modified for specific health conditions, and the Disability Support Services office may be consulted in certain situations.

I have a pregnancy related disability.

It may be necessary for a professional from the Disability Support Services (DSS) office to be included in developing an accommodation plan for a pregnant student. Please visit the DSS webpage for more information.

I believe an OTC employee or student has discriminated against me due my pregnancy or parental status.

Please contact the Title IX office immediately through the Title IX/Equity & Compliance report form online, email titleix@otc.edu or call 417-447-8881.

Breastfeeding

Your nursing or pumping schedule is protected under Title IX. You may excuse yourself from class if necessary to tend to lactation needs. Each OTC location is equipped with a lactation room. Please choose the appropriate campus or education center below to find out more.

Lebanon Education Center

Room: RMC 104E

Please contact Student Services for assistance:

  • Phone: 417-447-8932

  • Email: Lebanon@otc.edu

Republic Education Center

Room: Office 143

Please contact Student Services for assistance:

  • Phone: 417-447-7800

  • Email: Republic@otc.edu

Richwood Valley Education Center

Room: LSC 203 (Located in the Library)

Please contact the Library for assistance at 417-447-7750.

Springfield Campus

Room: ICW 201

Please contact the Title IX office or Student Services for assistance:

Title IX

  • Phone: 417-447-8188

  • Email: Titleix@otc.edu

Student Services

  • Phone: 417-447-6900

  • Email: StudentServices@otc.edu

Table Rock Campus

Room: RWP 418 (Counseling Office)

Please contact Student Services on the second floor for assistance:

  • Phone: 417-447-8931

  • Email: TableRock@otc.edu

Waynesville Education Center

Room: WEC 119

Please contact Student Services for assistance at 573-774-5061.

On the Web

Online resources to guide you while you are pregnant

Support Assessment

Pregnancy/Parenting Toolkit

Make sure you are thinking about your needs during your pregnancy and after your Little One arrives. The OTC Title IX office is here to provide support and reasonable accommodations for you, but there are limits to what we can do. Please take some time to consider how you will manage your time as well as your needs for yourself and your family.

It’s a good idea to put your pregnancy and postpartum plan in writing. As you embark on this journey, we want you to remain successful in your academics, but your success depends on you! Consider the following elements in your pregnancy and postpartum plan.

Time Management – Before Baby’s Arrival. Your schoolwork will be there whether or not you are suffering from exhaustion. It is not uncommon for the Title IX office to hear from pregnant students who are feeling greater exhaustion or “pregnancy brain” that interferes with your studies. How will you combat these issues if they impact you? If you do not feel like there are enough hours in the day, do you have a partner, family member or other people in your life who can help you with everyday tasks when you need time to finish homework, take exams or attend class? If you are working, have you made a plan to balance your schedule? It may help you to write out a weekly schedule so you can visualize where school fits in. You may want to factor in additional buffer time to account for any exhaustion you may experience. Don’t forget to factor in doctor appointments! Another suggestion from Title IX: work ahead if possible!

Baby Care. After your baby arrives, are you prepared for the time and energy that will need to be diverted from other areas of your life to focus on baby care? Consider a plan to divvy up tasks with your partner or support network. Tasks to consider: changing diapers, burping, baby laundry, soothing/rocking baby, buying supplies, doctor visits, cleaning bottles and/or breast pump, general cleaning up after baby.

Parent Care. Don’t forget to take care of yourself as well as your baby! A healthy parent will be better equipped to care for a baby. How are you balancing your time between productivity and recovery/bonding? Think about who can “cover for you” when you need to catch up on sleep, eat, exercise, take care of your personal hygiene, partake in any sort of therapy, spend time alone. Consider hiring a doula if you do not have solid support for any of the previously mentioned self-care items.

Meals. This is a big one if you are generally the person responsible for preparing meals in your household. Below are some meal prep tips.

  • Prepare meals in advance to keep in the freezer.
  • Create a calendar to help others know when it’s their “turn” to help
  • Plan a big grocery shopping trip or place a big online/delivery order a few weeks before your due date, and buy some freezable or  shelf-stable items. Try to have at least one meal pre-planned for each day the first few weeks postpartum.
  • Allow nutritious “grazing” or snacking to sometimes take place of meals!
  • Ask for help – and when other’s ask how they can help, encourage them to bring you a meal!

Household Tasks. Just as with your schoolwork, household tasks do not disappear once your Little One arrives. As with the other suggestions on this list, you may want a plan for support from others for completing essential tasks. Some things can wait until a more convenient time, but others need to be taken care of regularly. Consider how the following tasks will be completed: general cleaning, laundry, yard/plant care and home maintenance, caring for pet(s), paying bills, shopping for general items. Remember to reach out to your support network if you need help.

Financial Stability and Healthcare. If you are struggling to pay bills, pay for other essentials or receive healthcare for you or your baby, please let us know. We will work to help you receive resources from OTC, your local community or the state.

FAQ

As a pregnant student/new parent, will my medically-necessary and/or pregnancy-related absences be excused?

Yes. Absences due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions must be excused and cannot be treated or penalized like unexcused absences. Depending on the length of the absence and area of instruction, it may be academically necessary for the student to take a leave of absence. Instructors must provide a leave of absence for pregnant students for as long as it is deemed necessary by their medical doctor. Instructors may require a doctor’s note for pregnancy-related absences only if a doctor’s note is required to excuse other medically-related absences.

Additionally, a student may not be penalized for absences known to be due to pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical conditions. An instructor cannot reduce a pregnant student’s grade because of attendance or participation points that the student missed during excused absences due to her pregnancy-related conditions. The instructor must give the student a reasonable opportunity to earn back the credit missed due to pregnancy.

New mothers are given leave time until released by a doctor or up to two weeks after the child arrives, whichever comes first. This can be extended if medically necessary.

As a pregnant student/new parent, can I be excluded from class or extracurricular activity participation?

No. Under Title IX, the College cannot exclude someone from class based on their pregnancy. The College can only require a pregnant student to provide a doctor’s certification of fitness to continue in an education program or activity if the same requirement is imposed on all other students with medical conditions requiring a doctor’s care.

Additionally, pregnant students cannot be excluded from College-related off-campus programs, such as internships, off-campus activities, College-sponsored activities, and other extracurricular activities. An instructor or student organization sponsor cannot require a doctor’s note to show fitness to participate unless it is required for all students in the program.

As a new parent, how long can I receive support from the Title IX office? Are new fathers included?

There is no specified time frame. However, Title IX is specifically intended to provide support for pregnant students and students who have recently given birth, which would not include fathers. This is because the broader purpose of Title IX is the prevention of sex-based discrimination. For new mothers, support extends through the semester of childbirth, and can also go into the semester beyond childbirth–generally ending after the child is one month old. Biological women are capable of becoming pregnant and giving birth; therefore, entitling them to additional protection under the law. However, at OTC, we also work with new fathers for up to two weeks after the birth of the child and as long as the mother or newborn requires medically-necessary ongoing care during the semester of the child’s birth–and, in some cases, the following semester. Whereas, “medically-necessary” implies care that is out of the ordinary. Please note that–aside from extreme situations–after delivery, support becomes more limited in nature once the mother has released by her physician. At this point, the Title IX office may be able to advocate, but compliance from OTC instructors/departments is not mandatory.

Does the Title IX office provide support if I have experienced a voluntary or involuntary termination of a pregnancy or a false pregnancy?

Yes. Title IX coverage extends to students who have lost their pregnancy–for any reason–and to students who have experienced a false pregnancy.

What if I witness/experience another student, staff or faculty member making an offensive or inappropriate comment about a pregnant student/me?

OTC will not tolerate sex-based harassment, including harassment based on pregnancy and related conditions. If a pregnant student experiences harassment based on her pregnancy, she should let the Title IX Office know immediately. If a faculty or staff member witnesses or learns about harassment of a pregnant student, they should immediately notify the Title IX Office so that it can take prompt and effective steps to end pregnancy-related harassment, prevent its recurrence, and eliminate any hostile environment created by the harassment. The same grievance procedures applicable to complaints of sexual misconduct also apply to discrimination based on pregnancy or parental status.

Title IX prohibits a school’s retaliation against an individual for filing a complaint or raising concerns about the rights of a pregnant and parenting student.