Pregnancy and Parenting

Moravian University actively supports the rights of pregnant and parenting members of our campus community and ensures a learning and working environment free from discrimination based on pregnancy or related conditions. Moravian's policies, practices, are resources are designed to align with the requirements of the law and support best practices in the field.

Rights

Pregnant and parenting individuals, including students in their learning environment and employees in their workplace, are afforded rights under several laws at the federal, state, and local levels. In addition to the information below, new Title IX regulations (effective 8/1/24) will expand rights and supports for pregnant and parenting members of our campus community.

Pregnancy in the Workplace
Pregnancy in the Learning Environment
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (effective 6/18/24)

Accommodations

The Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator is the starting point to work with pregnant and parenting community members to ensure their rights and needs are met. To begin this process, please contact pregnancy@moravian.edu.

Also, although pregnancy itself is not a disability, pregnant individuals may experience conditions related to their pregnancy that qualify as disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990). Moravian provides reasonable accommodations to both students and employees who have a pregnancy-related disability, including recovery from childbirth.

To request an accommodation resultant from a pregnancy-related temporary disability, students should contact the Office of Disability and Accommodations and employees should contact Human Resources. Outreach will begin an individualized, iterative process to determine reasonable accommodation(s).

Under Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, any prospective, current, or former student or employee of Moravian University may file a grievance if they disagree with an action or decision related to their disability by an official of the University.

Policies

Parental Leave (Employees)

Pregnant and Parenting Students Policy

Resources

Lactation space is provided for any member of the campus community who may need to breastfeed or express milk. Employees are asked to do so in accordance with the Lactation Support Break Policy for Faculty and Staff.

Employees who experience a pregnancy loss (or whose partner experiences a pregnancy loss) are afforded Bereavement Leave through Human Resources.

Additional resources are under development.

Pregnancy/Related Disclosures

As of August 1, 2024, all employees of Moravian University will be required to provide the information below to a student who discloses a pregnancy (faculty may wish to include this information on their syllabi). It should be noted that employees are not mandated to report the pregnancy to Equal Opportunity and Title IX, but are encouraged to ask the student if they wish for a referral to be made in order to provide support.

Pregnancy Disclosure Statement

Students who are pregnant or experiencing a pregnancy related condition are entitled to reasonable modifications that preserve equal access to the institution’s education program or activity (without fundamentally altering the nature of the education program or activity). Please contact Moravian's Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator at pregnancy@moravian.edu to begin this process.

Contact

We are committed to ongoing review of information and resources for pregnant and parenting members of our campus community. Questions, suggestions, and requests for additional information may be directed to pregnancy@moravian.edu.