Understanding Civil Rights (UCR) is a required online course about the University of Washington’s civil rights policies and practices for all students. The course explores civil rights at the University with a focus on the protections based on 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. The content applies to all UW campus locations.
After completing the UCR course, students 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 how to make a Civil Rights & Title IX report.
Student course completion expectations
All students are required to complete the course:
- Current students assigned the course in spring 2026 must complete it by May 31, 2026.
- New students entering any UW campus or location, including first-year, transfer, graduate, and professional students, must complete it before their second quarter at the UW.
- Returning students who have not previously completed the UCR student course must complete it before their second quarter back at the UW.
The following students are not required to complete the course but may access it voluntarily:
- Non-matriculated students, including high school students, most certificate program participants, and those enrolled in non-degree offerings.
Course FAQs
Students will be able to access the course from their Canvas dashboard. More information will be provided before the course is assigned to students.
Most individuals can complete the course in approximately 20-30 minutes. The course platform will save your progress and allow you to complete the course in multiple sessions.
If you have recently experienced or supported someone who has experienced discrimination or harassment and are concerned this course could be emotionally challenging to complete at this time, you can request an alternative version of the course with adjusted content by contacting civilrightsed@uw.edu. You do not need to share personal details when you send an email to inquire about the alternative course option.
All information you provide through these activities is private. Only your course completion status and Canvas attestation survey will be connected with your identifiable data. This information is available only to individuals with a UW-related business need to access it.
Answers collected in the in-course evaluation survey through Qualtrics are confidential. Your answers will not be connected to you individually, and no identifying information will be associated with your responses. All data will be reviewed and reported in aggregate form only. The data will be used to assess the effectiveness of this course and inform future updates and courses.
UW Privacy Notice
University of Washington
Compliance Services
Notification for Collection and Use of Personal Data
You are notified that by completing the online Understanding Civil Rights course, the University of Washington (UW) is collecting certain data about you. Data is collected and stored in Canvas LMS, the University’s learning management system.
The University may also use this data to comply with its legal obligations. Data records will be maintained for at least their minimum required retention according to the applicable UW Records Retention Schedule(s): 12 years after completion of the training course.
Records will be accessed by those who have a legitimate UW-related business need to access them.
For additional information, to request access to or a copy of your personal data, or to request certain data be removed, you may contact civilrightsed@uw.edu.
If your data protection-related questions or concerns are not addressed after contacting the organization area to which you provided data, you may also contact the UW’s data protection office at uwprivacy@uw.edu.
Please submit any feedback or questions about the course to civilrightsed@uw.edu.
Completion expectation FAQs
The UW is committed to cultivating an environment where everyone is welcome, supported, and empowered to thrive. UCR helps individuals at the UW better understand their rights, resources, and options, as well as how they can effectively support others who may have experienced discrimination or harassment.
UCR was also developed in part to fulfill compliance obligations under a resolution agreement between the UW and the U.S. Department of Education. Under that agreement, the UW must provide regular anti-discrimination training for students and employees.
Current students assigned the UCR course in spring 2026 must complete it by May 31, 2026.
New students, and returning students who have not previously taken the course, must complete the course by the end of their second quarter.
Course completion will be recorded in Canvas. Instructions for accessing your completion records will be made available before the course is assigned.
While the University currently requires students to take the foundational civil rights course only once, students will be required to take a refresher course in future years.
Yes, this course is specific to the University of Washington and contains information every UW student needs. This course may build on the information you have learned in other classes or training.
If you are a graduate student employee, you are also required to complete the civil rights employee course. Other student employees do not need to complete the employee course at this time.
The employee and student courses have unique information that is relevant to those respective roles. If you have already completed the employee course but are also a student, you will also need to complete the student version.