Class Syllabus: Notice for Laboratory Courses
Reproductive Hazards:
Reproductive hazards are substances or agents that may affect the reproductive health of women or men or the ability of couples to have healthy children. Efforts have been made to eliminate the use of known reproductive hazards in our labs. However, the vast majority of laboratory chemicals have never been tested by the manufacturer or by any governmental agency. As a result, their effect on a developing fetus is unknown; female students must assume that each chemical used in this lab presents a hazard to an unborn child. If you are pregnant, become pregnant or are planning to become pregnant during the semester, you are strongly encouraged to speak privately with your instructor who will be able to provide written health and safety information about each chemical that will be used in the class. You are asked to review and discuss this information with your healthcare provider.
After you have reviewed the information, you can choose to:
- Continue your enrollment in the lab - You will be asked to sign a waiver and will be expected to follow a strict set of health and safety procedures while in the lab.
- Withdraw from the lab - Your instructor will assist you in creating a plan to complete the course at a later date.
Administrative Procedures for Faculty and Staff:
If a student voluntarily discloses to you that she is pregnant or is planning to become pregnant while enrolled in a laboratory class, please treat the information as confidential protected health information.
The instructor should contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) (908-737-5109, skupiec@kean.edu) for assistance, and should be prepared to provide a list of all chemical substances that will be used in the class. EHS will gather safety data sheets for the substances, conduct a risk assessment, and prepare a set of health and safety instructions for the student. EHS will also notify Kean’s University Council of the need to prepare a waiver.
EHS will provide the safety data sheets, the health and safety instructions, and the waiver to the instructor. The instructor will send the information to the student via email, and allow her time to review the material and to choose whether to stay in the lab or not. If she chooses to withdraw, the instructor should contact the Dean’s office for assistance. If she chooses to remain enrolled in the course, ensure that she signs the waiver, and follows the health and safety instructions provided.