Texas A&M Pregnancy & Pregnancy-Related Accommodations FAQs for Faculty
What Title IX protections are provided for pregnant and parenting students?
Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex—including pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, miscarriage, related medical conditions, and/or parenting status—across all education programs and activities. This includes treating pregnant or parenting students unfairly or differently from other students. The University cannot force students to withdraw from a course or the University, change courses, and/or take a leave of absence simply because they are pregnant or a parenting student.
Do Title IX protections extend to fertility treatment, miscarriage, or other pregnancy-related medical care? Yes—all of these conditions are protected, and students are eligible to request accommodations under Title IX.
What is considered a pregnancy or related condition under Title IX?
Pregnancy-related conditions include pregnancy, recovery from childbirth, prenatal or postnatal medical care, complications, lactation needs, and recovery from pregnancy loss.
Who is designated to review and process Pregnancy Accommodations at Texas A&M University?
Jessica Mata is the Pregnancy Accommodations Coordinator and works under the authority of the Civil Rights & Title IX Office. She meets with students who are pregnant or have a pregnancy-related condition who are seeking academic accommodations.
Should faculty address pregnancy accommodation requests without involving the Title IX Pregnancy Accommodations Office?
No. Faculty should not address requests for pregnancy or pregnancy-related accommodations directly. When approached by a pregnant or parenting student seeking accommodations, faculty should refer students to the Pregnancy Accommodations Coordinator, Jessica Mata, at TIX.Pregnancy@tamu.edu, (979) 458-9115, or in person at the TIX Office for support and guidance.
The Pregnancy Accommodations Coordinator will collaborate with students and faculty to identify and finalize reasonable accommodations. Faculty must maintain student privacy and honor approved accommodations, including excused pregnancy-related absences, alternative accommodations for participation credit, and extended deadlines for quizzes, papers, exams, etc.
What types of academic adjustments may be appropriate?
Depending on students’ needs and course requirements, accommodations could include:
• excused absences with documentation (including intermittent absences for medical appointments or pregnancy-related illness)
• makeup work/exams
• extended deadlines to complete coursework
• access to instructional materials or recordings (when applicable)
• breaks during class to attend to health needs or express milk
• seating or equipment changes (e.g., larger desk)
• modified course schedule or course sequence
• leave of absence
If excused absences are approved by the TIX Office, can the student be penalized for absences that exceed my attendance policy?
No. Under TIX, universities must excuse absences for pregnancy or childbirth and provide a reasonable opportunity to make-up attendance or participation points when absences are not an undue burden or fundamentally alter the course or learning objectives.
Accommodations can include rescheduling labs or clinical hours, offering alternative assignments, allowing participation through virtual or asynchronous formats when reasonable, providing extended timelines, or coordinating with the department to identify equivalent learning experiences. Students must not be penalized for approved excused absences.
If a student requests online access to a course due to a pregnancy-related condition, is that request reasonable if the course is taught in-person? This request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. We evaluate the student’s limitations, the specific request, and the impact on the learning objectives before contacting the faculty member to discuss reasonable options.
Additional Course Accommodations for Instructional Materials and Video Recordings:
The Texas Education Code 51.982(d)(4) requires institutions of higher education to provide this student with access to instructional materials and video recordings of lectures for excused absences approved under this pregnancy agreement to the same extent that these resources are made available to any other student with an excused absence.
If you are unsure if your college provides these materials to other students with excused absences, please contact your college directly for clarification.
Is faculty required to request a doctor’s note to excuse pregnancy-related absences?
Faculty should refer students seeking pregnancy or pregnancy-related accommodations to the Pregnancy Accommodations Coordinator, Jessica Mata, and not handle requests directly.
Disability Resources and the Pregnancy Accommodations Coordinator are allowed to ask students to submit medical documentation with their request for academic accommodations. A faculty member is not privy to that same information.
Faculty can request a doctor’s note when a student is requesting an excused absence within Student Rule 7.2.2. but not absences approved by the Pregnancy Coordinator.
Are students allowed to take a leave of absence for parenting and/or pregnancy-related reasons?
Yes. Students may take a leave of absence for one or more semesters and must be allowed to return to their program in the same academic status as before their leave. If in good standing when leave is taken, students can return to their degree or certificate program without being required to reapply for admission.
What are faculty responsibilities regarding confidentiality?
Faculty must handle pregnancy-related information with discretion, keeping it private, and only sharing it with university personnel who have a legitimate educational need to know.
What accommodations may be required for lactation?
Lactation is recognized as a pregnancy-related condition. Students may need reasonable breaks to express milk, and TAMU provides clean lactation spaces across campus. Faculty should allow flexibility to help meet these needs.
• On-campus lactation spaces: https://titleix.tamu.edu/title-ix-and-pregnancy-students/lactation-spaces/
• Remote campus lactation spaces: https://titleix.tamu.edu/lactation-spaces-remote-locations/
Are universities required to approve accommodations that will lower or alter academic standards or learning objectives?
No. Faculty are not required to modify course learning objectives or academic standards. However, they must provide reasonable accommodations that give students equal opportunity to meet those requirements.
Determinations about whether an accommodation would result in a fundamental alteration of a course or program must be made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Office for Civil Rights and Title IX. Faculty should contact Pregnancy Accommodations Coordinator, Jessica Mata, to discuss and not make this determination independently.
Who should faculty contact to discuss pregnancy or parenting accommodation compliance?
Faculty should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Pregnancy Accommodations Office for assistance with accommodation questions, compliance concerns, or complex situations.
Please contact Jessica Mata at TIX.Pregnancy@tamu.edu or (979) 458-9115.
If a student reports that they are being discriminated against or harassed because they are pregnant or a parenting student, who should I contact?
Discrimination or harassment based on pregnancy, related conditions, parenting status, and/or retaliation is prohibited. Faculty are mandatory reporters and required to report discrimination or harassment to the Civil Rights & Title IX Office:
Jennifer Smith or Paul Coxe, Title IX Coordinators
YMCA Building, Ste. 108, 365 Houston St., College Station, TX 77843
(979) 458-8407 | civilrights@tamu.edu
Or report online at titleix.tamu.edu.
How do I report student concerns related to the implementation of pregnancy accommodations or a lactation space?
Contact Julie Kuder, ADA & Pregnancy Accommodations Coordinator
YMCA Building, Ste. 101A, 365 Houston St., College Station, TX 77843
(979) 458-8407 | tix.pregnancy@tamu.edu