2-10: SFCC Student Lactation Policy

Policy Overview

This policy is established to provide support and guidelines for lactating students at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC or College).

Scope and Applicability

This policy outlines the guidelines for lactating students who are attending classes in person at SFCC’s Main Campus, the Santa Fe Higher Education Center, other SFCC facilities, or online. This policy applies to all students and describes how SFCC shall provide lactating students with the accommodations necessary to meet their health needs. Employees, including students who are also SFCC employees or student employees, should refer to SFCC 4-56 Lactation in the Workplace Policy for the lactation policy during work hours.

Policy Statement

SFCC recognizes the health, family, and societal benefits of breastfeeding children. It supports and encourages all students who choose to continue breastfeeding their children after they return to school at SFCC, whether they are birth parents or non-birth parents. The decision to continue to breastfeed when returning to school or work often depends upon the availability of a suitable place to pump or nurse and the time to do it. For these reasons, and in order to comply with federal and state law, SFCC provides clean, private lactation rooms and reasonable break periods for breastfeeding. SFCC respects and supports the right of a parent to choose to publicly or privately breastfeed a child.

Definitions

1. Breastfeeding Means pumping or expressing milk as well as nursing directly from the breast.
2. Discrimination Unequal treatment of a person based on race, color, religion or creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, serious medical condition, spousal affiliation, veteran status, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship, and any other basis prohibited by law.
3. Employee is any member of the college workforce: all staff (regular full-time, regular part-time, term, temporary, probationary, sensitive position); all student employees; all faculty (full-time, part-time, adjunct, probationary); all administrators, including interim; all contract employees.
4. Harassment The act of systematic and/or unwanted and annoying action of one party or a group, including threats and demands.
5. Lactation Room Means a clean, comfortable and private room containing a supportive chair, a table, an easily accessible and functioning electrical outlet, and a door that can be locked from the inside. SFCC-designated lactation rooms do not include bathroom stalls or locker rooms.
6. Lactating Students includes any student who expresses milk for the nourishment of a child.
7. Reasonable Accommodations for Lactating Students for the purposes of this policy, are changes in the academic environment or typical operations that enable a pregnant student or student with a pregnancy-related condition to continue to pursue their studies and enjoy equal benefits for the College.

Policy Process

1. Lactation Accommodations 
   1. Lactating students who need accommodations related to their lactation or breastfeeding needs must communicate with their faculty to discuss and identify such requirements.
   2. The faculty member should also inform the student that the Title IX Coordinator can provide additional support.
   3. Faculty members are prohibited from penalizing lactating or breastfeeding students for their absence needed to express breast milk within a class period.
   4. Reasonable lactating student classroom accommodations include avoiding certain chemicals or exposures, permission to eat or drink, postponement or adjustments to fieldwork or travel, permission to bring the baby to their class or workspace (if prohibited under existing policy), or time off as medically necessary.
   5. Lactating students shall be provided with class breaks, as needed, to fulfill lactating or breastfeeding needs.
   6. Faculty members and students will work together to identify solutions for making up in-class work, participation credits, instruction missed, and exam accommodations.
   7. The Title IX Officer 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 or breastfeeding needs.
2. Designated Lactation Spaces
   1. SFCC shall provide clean and private spaces across campus that are easily accessible to students for the purposes of breastfeeding or expressing milk.
   2. Restrooms may not be classified as designated lactation spaces.
   3. All designated lactation spaces shall be equipped with, at minimum:
      1. A table or other flat surface suitable to hold a breast pump
      2. A chair
      3. An electrical outlet
      4. Access to running water in the room or nearby, and
      5. A door lock and window coverings to block sight from the outside (if needed), to ensure privacy within the lactation space.
   4. For large lactation spaces intended to be shared by multiple lactating students or employees, privacy screens will be provided.
3. Freedom from Discrimination, Retaliation, and Harassment
   1. SFCC prohibits harassment or other discrimination against students based on their lactation, as a condition related to sex (SFCC Policy 2-23 Student Discrimination and Harassment).
   2. Harassment or discrimination related to breastfeeding and lactation may be referred to the Title IX Office for appropriate action.
   3. Harassment by any member of SFCC based on sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, or parental status is prohibited (SFCC Policy 4-9 Employee Discrimination and Harassment).
   4. SFCC employees are prohibited from interfering with a student who takes lactation breaks, seeks reasonable accommodation, or otherwise exercises their rights under this Policy.
   5. SFCC employees are prohibited from retaliating against a student by imposing or threatening to impose negative educational outcomes because the student requests leave or accommodation, files a complaint, or otherwise exercises their rights under this Policy.

Statement of Accountability and Responsibility

The President, through the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, and the Title IX Coordinator, shall be responsible for enforcing student affairs policies and procedures. The Office of Academic and Student Affairs shall work with the different departments and offices to comply with this policy and to develop procedures that will enforce this policy regarding awareness, prevention, and remediation.

Authority

SFCC Policy 2-2 Student Corrective Action and Disciplinary Action
SFCC Policy 2-23 Student Discrimination and Harassment
SFCC Policy 4-9 Employee Discrimination and Harassment

APPROVAL

SFCC Governing Board approved: 2/26/2025