Lansing Community College
Procedure Details

Procedure Title: Leave of Absence for Students with Pregnancy-Related Conditions
Procedure #: AA.030
Revision #: 002

Unit Responsible: Academic Affairs
Individual Responsible: Academic Deans or Designee

Effective Date: 06/05/225
Initial Approval Date: 07/31/2024
Last Review/Update Date: 06/05/2025
Next Review Date: 06/01/2028

*Does this procedure support a Board Policy? Yes
If yes, identify: 4.120-Prohibited Sex or Gender Based Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct

Board policies can be found at: LCC Board of Trustees Policy Page

*Does this procedure support HLC criteria and/or Assumed Practices? Yes
If yes, identify: 2A

HLC Criteria can be found at: HLC Accreditation Criteria
HLC Assumed Practices can be found at: HLC Assumed Practices

*Does this procedure support a State or Federal Regulation? Yes
If yes, identify: Title IX

*Note: Standard Operating Procedures should be in furtherance of some LCC policy and/or accreditation criteria, even if the relationship is not direct. Assistance in determining this information can be obtained from the Academic Procedure Advisory Committee (APAC) and/or the Accreditation Liaison Officer.

Leave of Absence for Students with Pregnancy-Related Conditions, BP 4.120

1. Purpose

To accommodate students who must take a leave of absence for pregnancy-related conditions.  


2. Scope

All students affected by pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, termination of pregnancy, false pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, and/or recovery seeking a leave of absence related to their education. 


3. Prerequisites

Schools must allow a leave of absence for pregnancy or related conditions for as long as a student’s doctor deems medically necessary. Students with pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions that rise to the level of disability may be eligible for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  

Nursing is obligated to follow the MI State Board of Nursing standards  regarding maximum simulation hours that can be used to substitute certain clinical rotation hours. If the student has already completed the maximum simulation hours, it is recommended that the student take an Incomplete in the course and come back to finish the clinical component when able.


4. Responsibilities

  • Financial Aid – Responsible for advising students on financial aid regarding leave of absence.
  • Instructors/Academic Deans/Associate Deans/Directors – Responsible for coordinating with the Registrar and Center for Student Access (CSA) for grades and implementation of reasonable accommodation or a leave of absence. 
  • Registrar’s Office – Responsible for grades.
  • The Center for Student Access – Responsible for providing students with reasonable accommodations for childbirth, miscarriage, termination of pregnancy, false pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, and/or recovery. 
  • Student – Responsible for scheduling an intake appointment with The Center for Student Access, submitting the necessary documentation, forwarding their instructor memo to instructors if accommodations are approved, and communicating with instructors and The Center for Student Access.

 

5. Procedure

  1. To request a leave of absence, a student provides documentation and schedules an intake appointment with The Center for Student Access to discuss accommodation(s) based on pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy-related conditions. 
  2. An Access Consultant meets with the student to review their documentation and discuss a leave of absence and/or accommodations.
  3. Access Consultant may discuss the leave of absence with the instructor of the course and/or program director.
  4. Student meets with a financial aid advisor to understand the impact to financial aid, scholarships, or grants prior to CSA authorizing any leave of absence under one of the following conditions:

    1. Student will receive an Incomplete (I) for the course and will be allowed to pick up where they left off with no additional cost to the student and no academic penalty to the student. (See step 7 below).

      1.  A student already admitted to a selective admissions program will be guaranteed a seat in their program as soon as a seat is available when the student is able to return. 
      2. Programs that work with third-party sites may not be able to guarantee a seat in the next semester the course is offered due to availability. 
    2. A student who is not able to return during the current semester will be granted a full refund and removal of grade through the Administrative Appeal process.
      1. A student already admitted to a selective admissions program will be guaranteed a seat in their program as soon as a seat is available when the student is able to return.
      2. Programs that work with third-party sites may not be able to guarantee a seat in the next semester the course is offered due to availability. 
  5. For programs that only offer courses once per academic year, the student will be placed into the course once it is offered again. This course might not be offered the next semester, depending on the semester they took leave of absence.
    1. The current course will not count as an attempt for a selective admissions program.
    2. There is no guarantee that clinicals can be made up at the same location or same point of the semester. Clinical sites are run by third parties and are not under any obligation to fulfill the terms of this leave of absence.
  6. Upon notification from the instructor, Registrar’s Office staff will notate an Incomplete grade (I) on the student’s academic transcript with an agreed-upon deadline for coursework completion. Once the coursework is complete, the instructor will submit a grade change form to the Registrar’s Office to update the final course grade. If the student does not complete coursework by the pre-determined deadline, the student will receive the course grade indicated on the Incomplete form. 
  7. Alternatively, students who are not able to return during the current semester and do not wish to retake the course may apply for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) at no cost to the student. 
    1. The student is allowed only one attempt at PLA.
    2. This option does not apply to selective admission programs.

6. Reference



7. Definitions

n/a