Pregnancy and Parenting Resources
Information for Pregnant and Parenting Students
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits educational institutions from discrimination on the basis of sex, including pregnancy and parenting status. Missouri State University takes all concerns of discrimination and harassment seriously. Pregnant women must be treated the same as other students with temporary medical conditions that require treatment. Title IX prohibits pregnancy discrimination in higher education with respect to admissions, hiring, leave policies, coursework accommodations and degree completion. If you need an accommodation because you are pregnant, please complete the form found here:
Chrome is the preferred browser for completing this form. If you receive an error after clicking the submit button, please send your accommodation request to: DeputyComplianceOfficer@MissouriState.edu.
Student Rights
Students who are pregnant or parenting have certain rights under Title IX including:
- The right to continue participating in classes and extracurricular activities.
- The right to have reasonable accommodations, like a larger desk, elevator access, or allowing you to make frequent trips to the restroom when necessary because of your pregnancy.
- The right to have pregnancy-related absences excused for as long as your doctor deems it necessary.
- The right to utilize priority registration.
- The right to return to the same academic and extracurricular status as before your medical leave began. This means having the opportunity to make up any work missed while you were out.
- The right to receive reasonable accommodations consistent with the same accommodations the university provides to students with temporary medical conditions.
- The right to be free from harassment based on sex, including harassment because of pregnancy or related conditions.
Breastfeeding Accommodations
For mothers who need to pump or breastfeed, a private room is available at the following campus locations:
- Carrington Hall Room 401A
- Cheek Hall Room 40M (Mezzanine)
- Glass Hall 221
- Great Southern Bank Arena
- Strong Hall 213
- Meyer Library 315
- PCOB 273
For more information, students should contact the Deputy Compliance Officer or the campus Title IX Coordinator.
Baby Changing Stations
Please use the following link for a list of baby changing stations located across the Missouri State University campus.
On-Campus Contacts
Deputy Compliance Officer: DeputyComplianceOfficer@MissouriState.edu
Carrington Hall, Room 205J
(417) 836-6755
Title IX Coordinator: Equity@MissouriState.edu
Carrington Hall, Room 205G
(417) 836-4252
Additional Resources
- The Pregnant Scholar: https://thepregnantscholar.org/ A source to help pregnant and parenting students understand their legal rights.
- The National Women's Law Center: Pregnant and Parenting Students' Rights.
https://nwlc.org/resource/pregnant-and-parenting-students-rights-2 - The US Department of Education: Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/pregnancy.html
- The US Department of Education: Pregnant or Parenting? Title IX Protects You From Discrimination At School. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-know-rights-201306-title-ix.html