Three lactation rooms are now available across Augustana College’s campus. On Feb. 16, Steve Wehling, the civil rights director and Title IX coordinator, announced in an email that lactation rooms are available to any parenting or pregnant student, staff member or faculty member who needs a private, quiet and comfortable space for lactating. 

In 2024, Wehling began making lactation spaces available across campus to lessen the challenges that pregnant and parenting students face. Wehling said he hopes these rooms, which are intentionally placed in locations spread across campus, will remind the campus community of the support services Augustana offers.

“It’s part of the landscape of all the different resources that are available at Augustana, whether [people] need them or not … We want people to know that we have that holistic support of students and employees,” Wehling said.

Farrah Roberts, the assistant dean and director of Student Well-Being, is helping organize room scheduling. She encourages students to reach out to her, if they are struggling to balance school with parenting or pregnancy, so they are able to continue their studies. 

“There’s an understanding that will need to happen each time we have a student [who’s] going through pregnancy on campus, from the faculty and staff of what’s expected of them and the accommodations that they will receive so that they can complete their education without interruption,” Roberts said.

Sydney Crumbleholme, the executive assistant to the president of Culture and Connection, helped organize the logistics of the rooms, including ordering wipes and water bottles. She said she strived to make the rooms as accessible as possible, with rooms spread across campus, for all students and staff. Crumbleholme said they were able to make these rooms accessible despite limited space on a small campus.

“We wanted it to be a space that is easily accessible, but is still private, quiet enough and clean,” Crumbleholme said. 

Crumbleholme said many places that were initially considered had accessibility and privacy issues. These standards have now been met by touring the campus, visiting the rooms and working with Academic Affairs. 

To access the rooms, users can book in advance, booking for days or weeks at a time if needed.To book a room or find more information about your resources, email [email protected]. 

The lactation spaces are Room 254A in Sorenson Hall, Room 007 in Old Main, and Room 440 in Gerber Center.