Lactation Support Policy - Students

Policy #: 
STS 1007.001
Executive Owner: 
Chief Compliance Officer
Scope: 

This policy is applicable to all University students who need to express milk during the course of their studies.

Purpose: 

To support students who need to express their milk while on campus.  AdventHealth University supports and encourages the practice of breastfeeding and the expression of breast milk.

Policy: 

This policy shall provide breastfeeding students with the accommodations necessary to ensure they have access to equal educational opportunities while breastfeeding.  AHU is committed to creating and maintaining a community where all individuals enjoy freedom from discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sex, as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Designated Lactation Space

  1. AHU will ensure a lactation room/space is availabe for students. Reach out to the Title IX Coordinator to schedule the space as needed.
  2. Students can work with their departments to make arrangements for a room as long as it meets all the following requirements.  The departments must keep a record of the following and the record must be available to the Title IX Coordinator upon request.
    • Student's name
    • Date and time of use
    • Room used and that the room meets the necessary requirements stated below in number 3 and 4.
  3. Restrooms may not be classified as designated lactation spaces. 
  4. All designated lactation spaces shall be clean, be private, and shall be equipped with a table, chair, electrical outlet, window coverings (as needed), and lock from inside. 
  5. Students are required to bring their own container(s) to store their pumps and breast milk in a cool controlled environment.  

Lactation Breaks:

  1. Students will make reasonable efforts to pump between classes or outside of instruction or lab time.
  2. Breastfeeding students who must pump during a portion of their class period shall inform the instructor of the need and estimated time away from class as soon as possible.
  3. Breastfeeding students who have urgent need to express milk during an exam must work with the faculty and must be accommodated.
  4. Instructors are prohibited from penalizing breastfeeding students for their absence needed to express breast milk on campus.
  5. Instructors and students shall work together to identify solutions for making up in-class work or participation credits, as well as instruction missed.  If problems arise, the Title IX Coordinator will engage in an interactive process with the student and any involved faculty to ensure the student's educational opportunities are not diminished as a result of their lactation needs.

Freedom from Discrimination and Harassment

AHU prohibits harassment or other discrimination against students based on their lactation, as a condition related to sex. Harassment or discrimination related to breastfeeding and lactation may be referred to the Title IX Office for appropriate action.

Definition(s): 

“Breastfeeding students,” “nursing students,” and “lactating students” are used interchangeably and intended to include any student who expresses milk for the nourishment of their child.

“Reasonable accommodations” for the purposes of this policy are changes in the academic environment or typical operations that enable a lactating student or student with a lactation-related condition to continue to pursue their studies and enjoy equal benefits of the University.

“Absence” from class includes tardiness or a break for the expression of breast milk within a class period.

Committees

CommitteeDate Voted
Strategic and Operational PlanningWednesday, February 17, 2021
Approved by: 
Approval Date: 
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Effective Date: 
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Review Date: 
Tuesday, July 11, 2023