| Approved by: | The President |
| History: | Issued -- December 11, 2019 |
| Revised -- October 25, 2023 | |
| Last Reviewed -- October 25, 2023 | |
| Related Policies: | |
| Additional References: | parenting.catholic.edu |
| Responsible Official: | Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer tel. (202) 319-5050 |
The University supports and respects nursing mothers. The following accommodations are available to nursing mothers who are employees, students, or guests to campus. The University prohibits discrimination against and harassment of those who exercise their rights under this Policy.
I. Right to Breastfeed on Campus
Any woman on campus may breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, where she has a right to be present with her child. The University will provide suitable private locations and reasonable break time for employees and students to express breast milk.
II. Employee Paid Break Time
A University employee may use her scheduled breaks or, if not available, then additional, approved breaks from her work duties and location when she has a need to express her breast milk. If scheduled break time is not available, then the employee’s supervisor or Human Resources will arrange mutually convenient paid break time(s), which she should request early enough to provide sufficient time to make appropriate arrangements.
III. Arrangements for Students
Students should make reasonable efforts to pump or breastfeed between classes or outside of instruction time. If a student must miss class or other instructional time to nurse, faculty are prohibited from penalizing the student for her absence and must work with the student to identify solutions for making up in-class work, participation credits, or missed instruction, as well as to put in place any necessary exam accommodations.
IV. Lactation Spaces
The University is committed to providing any breastfeeding employee who needs to express breast milk while on campus with a convenient, clean, private room, other than a bathroom, with a locking door and window coverings where she will be free from intrusion by others and shielded from view. The room will also have an electrical outlet, a table or other flat surface to hold a breast pump, a chair, and access to running water in the room or nearby.
Dedicated wellness rooms, which are available for use as lactation spaces, are located in Maloney Hall 141, Gowan Hall 109, McMahon Hall 313-2, and The Columbus School of Law 120. To arrange access, contact:
The Columbus School of Law, Office of the Dean, (202) 319-5139
McMahon Hall, Dr. David Long, (202) 319-5571
Gowan Hall, Dr. Marie Nolan, (202) 319-5403
Maloney Hall, Segenet Telahun (202) 319-5236 (Dr. Andrew Abela and/or Dr. Harvey Seegers)
When existing locations are not accessible from an individual’s work or class/study area, or the current demand for existing lactation spaces makes as-needed pumping challenging, the University will provide an alternate private space. A breastfeeding mother in need of assistance in identifying a convenient and accessible space for lactation may choose to contact either her supervisor or the Manager of Employee Relations (tel. 202-319-6594 or cua-ohr@cua.edu) who will work with the Director of Space Management in the Facilities Division to identify suitable space. Any new space need not be a permanent location and may revert back to old usage if or when the demand subsides.
For questions and guidance regarding accommodations for nursing or pumping, contact a supervisor or the Manager of Employee Relations, (202) 319-6594 or cua-humanresources@cua.edu.