Savannah, GeorgiaGeorgia Southern University’s extensive support for nursing students, professors, and visitors throughout its campuses has earned it formal recognition as a Breastfeeding Welcome Here institution by Healthy Savannah.
The university’s leadership in establishing breastfeeding areas that are accessible and comply with Georgia’s Pump Act Law and federal Title IX criteria is highlighted by the recognition.
Certificate Presented to University Leadership
On Wednesday, July 9, in the Health Professions Academic Building on the university’s Armstrong Campus, Georgia Southern executives received the certificate of honor from Healthy Savannah Executive Director Armand Turner in a brief ceremony.
According to Turner, Georgia Southern University has set a good example by providing three lactation rooms at both the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses in Savannah.
According to Grice Connect, this accomplishment inspires other local businesses, schools, and service providers to follow suit by contacting Healthy Savannah for advice on how to promote breastfeeding policy.
Six Lactation Spaces Available Across Campuses
Currently available breastfeeding rooms at Georgia Southern include:
Campus of Armstrong:
- Solms Hall, Room 212
- Student Union
- Health Professions Academic Building, Room 147
Campus in Statesboro:
- Interdisciplinary Academic Building (IAB), Room 1023
- Forest Drive Building, Room 1306
- Hendricks Hall, Room 3002
Students, employees, and even visitors to the university can use these rooms, which offer a hygienic, private space for nursing or pumping.
Community Collaboration Through REACH Grants
Georgia Southern and Healthy Savannah have long worked together on health equity projects. Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health’s Dr. Nandi Marshall recognized the university’s dedication by pointing out that it was involved in two five-year CDC Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) contracts given out in 2018 and 2023.
Additionally, Dr. Marshall co-developed the Trust Black Women photovoice project in 2023, which sought to identify and eliminate breastfeeding hurdles that Black women in Southeast Georgia encountered.
Complying With Georgia s PUMP Act and Federal Title IX
In addition to reflecting university culture, the recognition also demonstrates adherence to state and federal laws:
-
The
PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act
(aka
Charlotte s Law
) mandates employers provide break time and a private space (not a restroom) for expressing breast milk. It applies to public and private employers, including school systems. -
Title IX
requires educational institutions to offer reasonable accommodations for lactation needs, ensuring students are not penalized for related absences or academic impacts.
Georgia Southern’s Title IX coordinator, Amber Johns Culpepper, highlighted the institution’s dedication to expansion:
By expanding the number of lactation and parent resource rooms on our campuses, we hope to create a friendly and encouraging environment, she said.
Call to Action for Other Institutions
Healthy Savannah offers framed diplomas and decals to organizations implementing breastfeeding-friendly practices as part of the Breastfeeding Welcome Here campaign, which was started in early 2025. The organizers anticipate that this will spark a wave of compliance and inclusion initiatives in Savannah’s commercial and educational sectors.
How do you feel about Georgia Southern’s strategy for assisting parents and students? Should other colleges do the same? Please share your thoughts in the SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com comments section.
