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The Daily Tar Heel

Support system needed: University should provide ample pregnancy support to undergraduates and devise a ?exible policy

The University should strive to support all of its students — especially through pregnancy.

Currently, there aren’t enough resources available for students who plan on having a child or who are pregnant during their undergraduate years.

This isn’t unusual. Many of our peer universities, public and private alike, don’t have any such policies for undergraduates.

But this shouldn’t discourage our University from adopting one.

UNC graduate students and faculty members all have parental leave policies. Graduate students are even allowed a semester’s extension in case of pregnancy, but no such policy exists for undergraduate students.

It’s disturbing that if a pregnant student wishes to continue her education, she currently has no safeguard from inflexible professors.

For instance, if a pregnant mother- and father-to-be were to have a birth-related emergency during a final exam, there is no guideline as to how a professor should treat the situation. The professor could flunk these students on a whim.

Having a child is a major decision and should not be taken lightly. Housing status, health insurance, financial aid, scholarships and academic records could all be affected by such a decision.

So it’s surprising that there is not an official policy for undergraduate students and no staff member in the Dean of Students office or anywhere else at the University assigned to student pregnancy assistance.

A contact for soon-to-be parents is crucial to navigate the financial and academic challenges of college.

Most importantly, this person would provide a guide to these students through all of their options — leaving for a semester, staying, keeping full-time status, transferring or something in between.

A flexible and realistic academic leave policy is imperative for students to be able to continue their education.

UNC encourages responsible choices. There is a plethora of information available on methods of birth control, sexually transmitted disease prevention and mental health wellness.

But if a couple feels they are responsible enough to have a child while in school, they should be able to pursue this choice with the University’s support.

Creating a policy and a designated contact for soon-to-be and new families helps ensure that students aren’t forced to “choose” time off.

These individuals have every right to have a child, and the University should fairly accommodate those decisions.

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