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Continuum Instructor Resources

Policies

Please familiarize yourself with important UW-wide policies and guidelines. An effort has been make to prioritize authoritative sources to ensure up-to-date information and alignment with UW, state, and federal requirements and best practices. Some crossover exists among the resources listed.

Contact your Program Manager with questions.

Policies

Policies

Academic integrity requires all course work presented to an instructor to be an honest and accurate indication of the student’s own academic efforts. Academic misconduct occurs when a student fails to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity. Continuum instructors who suspect academic misconduct will report the allegation to their Program Manager.

The Civil Rights Compliance Office is responsible for compliance with civil rights laws and University policy. Federal and state laws collectively prohibit discrimination based on protected characteristics, including age, citizenship, disability, national origin or shared ancestry, race, sex, gender, veteran status, and more. The CRC serves the University by making it welcoming to all through education, compassionate response, and fair and timely resolution.

The University of Washington is committed to providing access, and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities.

For information or to request disability accommodation contact:

UW HR policies and guidance on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Know our Ethics Policies including, but not limited to, restrictions on personal use of state resources.

UW Human Resources: Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action compliance efforts at the University of Washington are coordinated by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA). You may contact UW Human Resources: Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) for more information.

FERPA Overview and Training for Staff and Faculty

U.S. Department of Education: Student Privacy

Any software or website which stores student information must be evaluated for compliance with FERPA before it can be used in a UW Continuum course.

If you are considering using outside software, sites, or social media in one of your courses, please contact your Program Manager beforehand. They will work with UW Continuum IT to confirm whether your needs can be met with an already approved software solution.

The University of Washington requires that all staff and instructors take Violence Prevention and Response training at least once every biennium.

Visit Safe Campus to complete online training, access resources, report threats, or anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others.

The University of Washington’s (UW) policy requires that third-party tools must comply with UW’s data protection, privacy, and accessibility standards, as well as other applicable laws. Improper use of third-party tools, particularly those that handle sensitive data, can violate policies, and users should be aware of the risks, including potential legal and privacy implications.

Instructors in UW Continuum College are expected and required to adhere to UW rules, as well as Federal and international laws about our students’ privacy rights. “University data” and/or “sensitive data” includes students’ names and assignment submissions.

If you have any questions about whether a tool has a contractual agreement and signed data agreement, please contact ctnmhelp@uw.edu!

What does this mean?

These policies are designed to ensure that any data shared with third party systems do so securely and in accordance with University policies to preserve right of ownership, and safeguard confidentiality and integrity, and to protect student rights under FERPA.

We require that any third-party integration or tool used in a class that receives student data (including student names, course dates, or assignment content) to have a contractual agreement with the vendor that includes a signed data security agreement. For important details on third party tools, see UW-IT’s Third-party and vendor integrations with Canvas

To be clear: If a student needs to provide any identifying data, including name or @uw email, to use technology in their course and that technology has not been reviewed by UW-IT, C2-IT, or LE Learning Tech, it needs to be reviewed before it can be used in the course.

How do I know if a tool is safe to use?

All apps in the UW LMS Vendor Integration Program and on the Canvas App Center have been evaluated by UW-IT and are safe to use. UW Continuum College has a list of authorized tools for use in Canvas.

What if a tool I like isn’t available?

UW Continuum College, UW-IT, and the University of Washington provide a wide variety of tools for teaching and learning. Many of these tools replicate the functionality of common professional tools, and are designed specifically with teaching and learning in mind. Reach out to our team to review these options by email (ctnmhelp@uw.edu), in-person (at the UW Tower), or through your Program Manager.

Commonly Requested Tools that are NOT Authorized

The following tools have declined to sign data security agreements with the University of Washington or Continuum College, and are thereby treated as not FERPA compliant. As such, you are not permitted to make use of these in your courses.

  • Slack
  • Adobe Creative Cloud

We continue to engage with the vendors behind these tools.

How are new tools authorized?

If there is a tool that you wish to use in your course or program, please email ctnmhelp@uw.edu to determine if this is something that we can enable.

Please include the following information in your request:

  • Course name
  • Course launch date
  • Requested technology
  • Intended use for the technology in the course

Please note that data agreements may take up to 6 months to properly formulate, document, and process. Tools will not be enabled until this process is complete.

If you are developing a program with our Instructional Designers, we will work with you early in the development process to ensure the tools you want to use, or suitable replacements, fit within best educational policies and practices.

Looking for something specific? You can also search the UW Policy Directory.

Updated 2025/12/03