I. Purpose

The University of Colorado Boulder has adopted this policy for students, employees and visitors who wish to breastfeed and/or express breastmilk on the CU Boulder campus. CU Boulder recognizes the importance and benefits of breastfeeding for parents and their infants and supports new parents as part of its commitment to promoting a family friendly work and study environment. Thus, CU Boulder provides dedicated lactation space for students, employees, and visitors to support people balancing their time on campus with their needs as parents of young children. Each room offers a sanitary, secure, private, and user-friendly environment. Lactation rooms can be found at Campus Map-Lactation Rooms.

II. Policy

1. Lactation on Campus for Students, Employees and Visitors

  1. The university recognizes that reasonable and appropriate adjustments should be considered and offered for students or employees who are lactating to optimize performance in the classroom or workplace, as applicable.  As a result, the university endeavors to provide time, space and reasonable adjustments to the university’s work and educational programs to support students and employees who choose to breastfeed and/or express breastmilk.
  2. Students, employees and visitors planning to breastfeed or express breastmilk should reach out to ADA Compliance within the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) to discuss reasonable break times or related requests for curricular adjustments. Visitors to campus anticipating a need to utilize a lactation room are encouraged to contact ADA Compliance in advance of their visit to ensure a suitable space is available during their visit.
  3. A map of lactation rooms is available at Campus Map-Lactation Rooms.

2. Lactation Breaks 

  1. Pursuant to state law, the university is required to provide employees reasonable break time to express breastmilk for a child for up to 2 years after the child’s birth. As a general guideline, supervisors should anticipate that lactating employees may need up to three 20-minute paid breaks or two 30-minute paid breaks per workday for lactation. The employee or supervisor should contact ADA Compliance within OIEC for an accommodation of adequate time or space to express breastmilk.
  2. Students may need to adjust class schedules for reasonable time to express breastmilk; students should contact ADA Compliance within the OIEC for assistance in securing an accommodation of adequate time or space to express breastmilk for a child up to two years after the child’s birth. 

3. Designated Lactation Spaces

  1. The university currently offers lactation rooms throughout the CU Boulder campus to assist breastfeeding or lactating parents.
  2. These rooms provide a secure and sanitary area that may be used for breastfeeding or pumping breastmilk and are equipped with an electrical outlet, comfortable chair, table for breast pump, nearby access to clean running water, lock from inside and, if a room has a window that needs to be covered to address privacy concerns, a window covering will be provided. For large lactation spaces intended to be shared by multiple breastfeeding parents, privacy screens may be provided and can be requested through adacoordinator@colorado.edu. In certain spaces designated as lactation lounges, the space will be designed to support social interaction by multiple users.  
  3. Individuals expressing breast milk are expected to make their own arrangements for refrigeration, which includes, but is not limited to, the option to utilize refrigerators otherwise designated for employee or student use, or to bring their own refrigeration device to store breastmilk. Should an employee or student wish to bring their own refrigeration device to campus they must receive approval from their supervisor or space authority, as applicable. The ability to bring such a personal refrigeration device to campus is subject to the availability of adequate space and power. Even after such approval is obtained, the university assumes no responsibility for the device or its contents. The maximum size of a personal refrigeration device is no larger than 3.1 cubic feet. The university is not responsible for the integrity or security of breastmilk stored in any refrigerator on campus and does not guarantee the safety of any storage method used. Students or employees who desire to leave their personal refrigeration devices on campus on an ongoing basis, in the lactation rooms or otherwise, may do so, but at their own risk. All individuals must provide their own containers for storage.
  4. The university has posted the list and map of available lactation rooms on the CU Boulder campus at: Campus Map-Lactation Rooms. The Office of Space Optimization will annually review and update the list, as necessary.
  5.  Access to lactation spaces
    1. See above, Section II, 1. c., d., &e.
    2. When existing locations are not accessible from a breastfeeding student’s class/study area or employee’s work area, or the current demand for existing spaces makes as-needed pumping challenging, students and employees may contact the Office of ADA Compliance within OIEC to identify a new temporary space, as needed.
  6. Number and location of lactation spaces on campus.
    1. As the university continually improves and expands campus facilities, ongoing assessment of lactation space needs and availability will consider proximity to all areas of campus and existing demands and usage on lactation spaces.
    2. New construction and major renovation projects will evaluate the need for additional lactation rooms required for that specific building or area of campus.
    3. The number, quality and control of lactation spaces will be assessed by the Office of ADA Compliance in consultation with Facilities Management on an annual basis. 
  7. Cleaning and Sanitation
    1. All lactation room users are expected to clean up after each use of a room. This is not only out of respect for the next user, but to prevent contamination and illness transmission. Each user should allow enough time, during each visit, to clean up after use. Custodial Services will also ensure spaces are cleaned as a part of their regular cleaning schedule.
  8. Scheduling
    1. An updated Building Proctor List is maintained by Facilities Management. Building Proctors can provide help with scheduling of lactation rooms and provide outreach to users regarding specific lactation spaces. \
    2. 30-45-minute time slots will be encouraged for use of space.

4. Whom to Contact

  1. All individuals with questions regarding the university’s lactation resources may contact the Office of ADA Compliance within OIEC.
  2. All individuals with questions or concerns regarding discrimination based on pregnancy or parenting may contact the Case Resolutions team within OIEC through CUReport@colorado.edu.

5. Related University Guidelines

  1. The campus has a set of Guidelines for Children in the Workplace or Classroom that generally excludes children and describes the circumstances under which employees or students may bring children into university workplaces or classrooms. These Guidelines apply to children that a parent might wish to bring to a workplace or classroom for the purposes of breastfeeding.

6.  Definitions

  1. “Breastfeeding person,” “chestfeeding” and “lactating person” are used interchangeably and intended to include any student, employee, or visitor who expresses breastmilk for the nourishment of their child.
  2. “Employees” includes, but is not limited to, staff, faculty, post-doctoral fellow, and contract workers.
  3. "Lactation room” refers to a place where a lactating parent can pump breast milk in private.  Bathrooms are unacceptable as lactation rooms.
  4. “Students” includes, but is not limited to, all students, including part-time, full-time, degree-seeking, non-degree seeking, undergraduate, or graduate student enrolled at CU Boulder.
  5. “Visitors” includes all individuals otherwise unaffiliated with the university.

III. Resources

Effective Date

July 1, 2022

Approved By

Philip P. DiStefano, Chancellor

Owner

Associate Vice Chancellor and Title IX Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance