Understanding Civil Rights (UCR) is a required online course about the University’s civil rights policies for staff, faculty, other academic personnel, and graduate student employees. The course explores civil rights at the University of Washington with a focus on the protections provided to individuals based on their race, color, or national origin (including shared ancestry and ethnicity).
This course reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to creating a respectful, safe, and welcoming environment for all members of our community. It is relevant to all UW workplace and campus locations and includes tailored content based on your employee role.
After completing the UCR course, employees will be able to:
- Identify ways to support inclusive and nondiscriminatory learning, living, and working environments at the UW.
- Recognize discrimination and harassment as prohibited conduct under University of Washington policies, and understand when such conduct may contribute to a hostile environment.
- Describe available support and resources, including how the Civil Rights Compliance Office responds to reports.
- Understand your employee reporting obligations and how to make a Civil Rights & Title IX report.
Employee course completion expectations
Employees include all staff, faculty, other academic personnel, and graduate student employees. Completion of the course is required for:
- Existing employees who will be assigned the course in early January 2026 must complete it by March 10, 2026.
- New employees who must complete the course within 30 days of their hire date.
Course FAQs
If you have recently experienced or supported someone who has experienced discrimination or harassment and are interested in an alternative course, contact civilrightsed@uw.edu. You do not need to share personal details when you send an email inquiring about the alternative course option.
Most of the course is the same for all employees, ensuring a shared understanding of UW’s civil rights policies and resources. At specific points in the course, employees will have the option to select role-specific scenarios that reflect their work context (for example, staff, faculty, clinical healthcare, or graduate student employees).
Please submit any feedback or questions about the course to civilrightsed@uw.edu.
Existing employees will be assigned the civil rights course in early January 2026 and must complete the course by March 10, 2026.
New employees must complete the course within 30 days of their hire date.
While the University currently requires employees to take the foundational civil rights course only once, employees will be required to take a refresher course in future years. The refresher aims to keep all UW community members aware of the University’s civil rights policies, support, and resources.
Yes, this course is specific to the University of Washington and contains information every UW employee needs. This course may build on the information you have learned in other classes or training.
Some student employees are also required to complete the employee civil rights course. Graduate student employees must take the employee version of the course, while other types of student employees are not required to complete it at this time. The employee and student courses have unique information relevant to those respective roles.
All students must complete the student version of the course.
The employee and student courses have unique information that is relevant to those respective roles. If you have already completed the student course but are also staff, faculty, or other academic personnel, or a graduate student employee, you will also need to complete the employee version.
If you have previously completed the civil rights employee course, you do not need to complete it again. If you are a returning employee who needs to complete the civil rights course, we strongly recommend you wait until after your official hire date to begin the course. Completion records may not be retained if you complete the course before your new hire date.