Pregnancy Guidelines
Students who become pregnant during the term as a Veterinary Technology student are encouraged to notify the program director as soon as they are aware of their pregnancy. This notification must be in writing using the Pregnancy Agreement of Understanding, Declared Pregnancy Form, Physician’s Awareness of Pregnancy, that is available from the program instructors.
Veterinary Technology Program Student Pregnancy Risk Management Procedure:
Veterinary technology students are potentially exposed to materials or incidents that may result in human injury. Some of these exposures could potentially affect pregnant women or their unborn child. Exposures may include infectious agents, drugs, chemicals, inhaled anesthetics, radiation, and other agents. Ogeechee Technical College will strive to provide equal opportunity for all students who are academically qualified and to ensure that all students are accommodated. It is the responsibility of the pregnant student to initiate requests for accommodation and to help arrange this accommodation.
Procedure
Students who are pregnant or who are actively trying to become pregnant should:
1. Consult with their individual instructors regarding types of hazards to which the student may be exposed. Examples of possible reproductive hazards are listed below.
2. Contact their treating physician immediately to obtain recommendations for a plan to minimize exposure to hazards with the possibility of reproductive effects to which they may be exposed.
3. If accommodations, work restrictions, or class schedule changes are recommended, contact Sabrina Burns, Accessibility and Assessment Coordinator as early as possible so steps may be taken to assist the student in conforming to a plan developed by her physicians. The student will be asked to provide a copy of the specific restrictions or accommodation requested by her physician.
Options for the student
1. Continue as a student with no schedule or assignment changes if no significant reproductive hazardous exposures are anticipated.
2. Continue as a student with some schedule and assignment changes to minimize certain potential exposures. The flexibility of scheduled changes under this option is dependent on the scheduled assignments and the ability of the student to receive accommodations.
3. Leave of absence for a time period deemed necessary by her physician. The student would be responsible for making up assignments or courses missed during the leave of absence.
4. Withdrawal as a student. The student may then request readmission into the next class. A program withdrawal would mean that the student must meet OTC and Veterinary Technology program re-entry guidelines. Program re-entry is subject to available space and may require the student to wait until the courses needed are offered. Program courses are only offered once per year.
Rights and Responsibilities
It is recognized that a pregnant woman or women actively seeking to become pregnant have rights and the responsibility for decisions concerning the pregnancy. No one acting on behalf of Ogeechee Technical College may discriminate against a student based on pregnancy. The woman should expect consideration from everyone associated with her pregnancy whatever her decision may be. At the same time, the pregnant student is expected to complete each and every requirement of the Veterinary Technology program curriculum by a schedule or plan that can be reasonably implemented and under which risks are deemed acceptable by her and her physician.