We Care: Voices for Change
We Care: Voices for Change Training Overview
Western Washington University is committed to creating a campus culture of compassion, well-being, equity, and social justice, and improving the health of all our community members. One way our school commits to these values is by providing students with the Voices for Change training to build the skills and knowledge that create healthy communities, prevent violence, and help ensure a safe campus environment for everyone.
Students will be required to complete the training in their first and third years of undergraduate studies at Western, or the first year of graduate studies. This includes students living outside of Bellingham, graduate students, part-time students, and online-only students, as part of Western policy. This training also meets federal and state requirements around providing sexual violence prevention and hazing prevention trainings, respectively.
The training takes about 45-60 minutes, and you can exit at any time and return to where you left off. The training includes modules on topics of consent, alcohol, inclusion, and hazing, such as bystander intervention; the importance of obtaining consent in sexual situations; ways you can help strengthen the safe, positive university community you want to be a part of; and Western’s policies, resources, and reporting options regarding violence. It also ensures students are aware of their rights under Title IX, a civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination, including sexual violence.
Students who need to take the training will receive an email to their Western email address from StudentTrainings@getinclusive.vendor.wwu.edu to let them know they have a training to complete, no later than the first week of the quarter.
2022-2023 Required Training Timeline
Students newly admitted to Western for Fall 2022 can anticipate their invitation to the training after August 20, 2022. The training must be completed by October 25, 2022.
Students newly admitted to Western for Winter 2023 can anticipate their invitation to the training after December 10, 2022. The training must be completed by February 7, 2023.
Students newly admitted to Western for Spring 2023 can anticipate their invitation to the training after March 18, 2023. The training must be completed by April 25, 2023.
2021-2022 Required Training Timeline
Students newly admitted to Western anytime from Summer 2021 through Summer 2022 must complete the required training by September 21, 2022.
Looking for the employee required training?
Western employees are required to take similar training, administered by Western’s Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance (CRTC). Information such as how to access the employee training, or request an exemption from the employee training, can be found on CRTC's employee training webpage.
Exemption and Support for Survivors
Western students who have personal history with violence or abuse can request an exemption from the training by emailing studenttrainings@wwu.edu.
Your request will remain confidential, and your information will only be used to unenroll you from the training and remove any related holds from your registration. You do not need to disclose the details of your personal history with violence, and you will receive a follow-up email with some of the important campus policies and resources discussed in the training.
Any student who would like to access confidential advocacy support may contact Western’s Survivor Advocacy Services.
For confidential counseling services, students may contact the Counseling and Wellness Center at 360-650-3164.
Community and 24-hour advocacy services are also available.
What To Do If You Have A Hold on Your Student Account
If you do not complete the training by the deadline, a hold will be placed on your account, which will prevent you from registering for classes for the next quarter. The hold can only be removed after you complete the training or receive an exemption due to a personal history with violence.
- The hold will automatically be removed within an hour after you complete the training
- If you need the hold does not lift within the hour, please contact us directly at StudentTrainings@wwu.edu.
The only way to ensure the hold will be removed in time for your registration is to complete the course at prior to the due date.
FAQ
Students will be required to complete the training in their first and third years of undergraduate studies at Western, or the first year of graduate studies. This includes students living outside of Bellingham, graduate students, part-time students, and online-only students, as part of Western policy.
This training requirement reflects Western’s culture and values, as solidified in Western’s policy. Western is committed to creating a safe campus environment and this training is one of our many efforts to do so. This training also meets federal and state requirements around providing sexual violence prevention and hazing prevention trainings, respectively.
Being a Western community member comes with a shared responsibility for the well-being of others at Western. By taking this training, you are stepping up to your responsibility and joining the 20,000+ Western students who have already completed similar trainings in contributing to a safer environment for everyone.
If you would like to inform WWU of an incident, you may choose to report it to one of the following areas. You may choose to remain anonymous in your report if you prefer.
- Title IX violation, such as sexual violence
- Student Conduct Code violation, such as hazing
- Bias incident, such as verbal slurs
- Illegal activity, such as sexual violence
No, all students at Western are required to complete the Voices for Change training (formerly Haven/EverFi), as it includes information specific to Western’s policies and resources. While some of the information you received in previous trainings may be helpful in creating a safer campus environment, this training is focused on making Western’s community specifically.
If you would like to request disability accommodations for this training, please contact the training coordinator at StudentTrainings@wwu.edu or call 360-650-7319.
Yes, you may skip any survey questions in the training and still complete the remainder of the training. Please note that all survey responses are confidential. Western will only receive aggregate information about the student body as a whole and will never see your individual answers.
Yes, all survey responses are confidential; Western will only receive aggregate information about the student body as a whole and will never see your individual answers. Please note that with may also skip any survey question you do not wish to answer, and still complete the remainder of the training.
Western is committed to educating all students on how to contribute to a safer campus environment, and this training will give you tools to support others and strengthen the Western community. Additionally, we want every student to be aware of the applicable policies, resources, and reporting options in case you or someone you know needs them while you are at Western.
For technical support, please contact support@getinclusive.com.
The consequence for not taking the training is a hold on your student account that will prevent you from registering for future classes or altering your class schedule for the remaining quarter. If you won't be taking any more classes here at Western, then the hold will have no impact on you.
We still strongly encourage you to complete the training, as the skills and knowledge you gain through the course will be relevant even if you are no longer a student here. However, if you choose not to complete the course, there will be no impact on you. We will automatically remove you from the courses and clear the hold after you graduate.
Please contact the Student Trainings Coordinator at StudentTrainings@wwu.edu.