The University of Southern Indiana is committed to providing a family friendly work and learning environment by helping employees and students achieve success at work and school, and in their personal lives. In keeping with that commitment and in compliance with federal and state law, the University supports a nursing mother’s need to express milk for her infant child while working or learning at USI. Colleagues, management and teaching faculty are encouraged to be accepting and supportive of nursing mothers.
The University provides private locations (not toilet stalls) where a student or an employee can pump breast milk. For questions regarding the location and scheduling of lactation rooms, contact the Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center, the University Health Center, or Human Resources.
Employees
Mothers who have milk expression needs for their own infant children are expected to make the request to their supervisors with reasonable notice time and in accordance with the department’s usual procedure for notice. Supervisors should respond to reasonable requests within the department’s normal procedures. Employees are expected to use normal break and meal times as opportunities to express milk, to the extent possible. Breaks for expressing milk are unpaid unless they correspond to a time that is otherwise available as a paid break. Employees may be able to make up any unpaid time with work time subject to supervisory approval. For more information on break periods, please see Section D.3 of the University Handbook. The University will either provide a refrigerator (or other cold storage space) for keeping milk that has been pumped or allow the employee to provide their own portable cold storage device for keeping milk that has been pumped until the end of the employee’s work day. This policy does not accommodate breastfeeding children during working hours or expressing milk for purposes other than to feed the employee’s own child.
Students
Student mothers are encouraged to plan class schedules effectively so that their needs to express milk do not ordinarily interfere with adhering to each class’s schedule.