Mid Michigan College (Mid) is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment where all individuals enjoy freedom from discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sex. The College will not discriminate against any student or employee or exclude any student or employee from its educational programs, work, or activities (including any course or extracurricular activity) on the basis of such individual’s actual or potential parental, family, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy or recovery therefrom unless the individual voluntarily requests to participate in a separate portion of the program or activity of the College.
Mid prohibits members of the college community from adopting or implementing any policy, practice, or procedure which treats an applicant for admission, student, applicant for employment, or employee differently on the basis of current, potential, or past parental, family, or marital status and outlines the below protections.
Students who are pregnant or are experiencing related conditions are entitled to Reasonable Modifications to prevent sex discrimination and ensure equal access to the college’s education program and activity. Any student seeking Reasonable Modifications must contact Student Accommodation Services to discuss appropriate and available Reasonable Modifications based on their individual needs. Students are encouraged to request Reasonable Modifications as promptly as possible, although retroactive modifications may be available in some circumstances. Reasonable Modifications are voluntary, and a student can accept or decline the offered Reasonable Modifications. Not all Reasonable Modifications are appropriate for all contexts.
Learn more about and review examples of Reasonable Modifications.
In situations such as clinical rotations, performances, labs, and group work, the College will work with the student to devise an alternative path to completion, if possible. In progressive curricular and/or cohort-model programs, medically necessary leaves are sufficient cause to permit the student to shift course order, substitute similar courses, or join a subsequent cohort when returning from leave. Students are encouraged to work with their faculty members and the college’s support systems to devise a plan for how to best address the conditions as pregnancy progresses, anticipate the need for leaves, minimize the academic impact of their absence, and get back on track as efficiently and comfortably as possible. Student Accommodation Services, with assistance from the Title IX Coordinator as needed, will assist with plan development and implementation.
Supporting documentation for Reasonable Modifications will only be required when necessary and reasonable under the circumstances to determine which Reasonable Modifications to offer and to determine other specific actions to take to ensure equal access.
Information about pregnant students’ requests for modifications will be shared with faculty and staff only to the extent necessary to provide the Reasonable Modification.
For the non-birthing parent, the College will provide support and assistance in the event of a medical need for the birthing-parent or newborn.
Students experiencing pregnancy-related conditions that manifest as a temporary disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are eligible for reasonable accommodations just like any other student with a temporary disability. Student Accommodation Services, in consultation with the Title IX Coordinator, will work together to ensure the student receives reasonable accommodations for their disability as required by law.
Students should submit a request for reasonable modifications using the Request for Reasonable Modifications Due to Pregnancy/Parenting and Related Conditions Form available on the MidCares webpage.
Amy Dykhouse
Director of Career Center & Accommodations
1375 South Clare Avenue, Harrison, MI 48625
Office | Harrison Campus, Main Building, Located inside Student Services, Room 106
2600 South Summerton Road, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Office | Doan 108
(989) 386-6622 x259
adykhouse@midmich.edu
All students should be informed of health and safety risks related to participation in academic and co-curricular activities, regardless of pregnancy status. A student may not be required to provide health care provider or other certification that the student is physically able to participate in the program or activity, unless
Faculty, staff, or other employees of the College shall not require a student to take a leave of absence, or withdraw from or limit their studies due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. Pursuant to Title IX, the College will treat pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, and recovery therefrom as justification for a leave of absence for so long a period of time as is deemed medically necessary by the person’s physician. To the extent possible, the college will take reasonable steps to ensure that students who take a leave of absence or medical leave return to the same position of academic progress that they were in when they took leave, including access to the same or an equivalent course catalog that was in place when the leave began. Further, Mid will allow students the opportunity to make up any missed work in a manner selected by the student, which is reasonably equivalent to the work missed and within a reasonable timeframe.
Student Accommodation Services can and will advocate for students with respect to financial aid agencies and external scholarship providers in the event that a leave of absence places eligibility into question.
In order to initiate a leave of absence, the student must contact Student Accommodation Services for assistance in initiating the leave.
The College will provide a student with reasonable breaktime to express breast milk or breastfeed as needed. The College has established dedicated Mindfulness rooms on each campus which are clean, shielded from view, and free from intrusion from others. These may be used by students and employees for expressing or breastfeeding.
Mindfulness/lactation spaces are located in the following locations
Students with child caretaking/parenting responsibilities who wish to remain engaged in their coursework while adjusting their academic responsibilities because of the birth or adoption of a child or placement of a foster child may request an academic modification. During the modification period, the student’s academic requirements will be adjusted and deadlines postponed as appropriate in collaboration among Student Accommodation Services, the student’s Mentor, faculty, and Financial Aid.
Students are encouraged to work with their Mentor and faculty members to reschedule course assignments, lab hours, examinations, or other requirements, and/or to reduce their overall course load, as appropriate.
If, for any reason, caretaking/parenting students are not able to work with their mentor/faculty members to obtain appropriate modifications, students should alert Student Accommodation Services as soon as possible, and the office will help facilitate needed accommodations and modifications.
Any employee of the college who becomes aware of a student’s pregnancy or related condition is required to provide the student with the name and contact information for Student Accommodation Service, who can help take specific actions to prevent discrimination and ensure equal access to the college’s education program and activity. If the employee has a reasonable belief that Student Accommodation Services is already aware of the pregnancy or related condition, the employee is not required to provide the student with contact information.
Upon notification of a student’s pregnancy or related condition, Student Accommodation Services will contact the student and inform the student of the College’s obligations to
The College prohibits any retaliation, harassment, or adverse action due to an individual's request for modifications under this policy or for reporting or participating in an investigation of unlawful discrimination under this policy.
Any individual who experiences, observes, or becomes aware of any acts of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation should promptly be reported to the College’s Title IX Coordinator, is encouraged to report it to the College’s Title IX Coordinator or by using the online incident report form.
A copy of the Student Protections will be made available to all faculty and employees in annually required training and posted on the college’s website. The college will provide information about these protections to all new students and where it can be accessed. Student Accommodation Services will make educational materials available to all members of the College community to promote compliance and familiarity.