General FAQs

Today, multiple LMS platforms are used across Montana's public universities. In most cases, MUS campuses have used the same platform for more than ten years. During this time, students and faculty have deepened their use of these learning tools. New solutions have also become available on the marketplace. 

Selecting a new and unified LMS should provide faculty and students a better tool for teaching and learning while lowering licensing and support costs for institutions in the long term. It will also create a more seamless environment for multi-campus academic collaborations and for the growing number of Montana students who participate in dual enrollment or transfer between our institutions.

In November 2021, the Board of Regents charged the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education to work with campuses to identify a single Learning Management System (LMS) vendor for the Montana University System.  In Spring of 2022, an Advisory and Steering Committee was formed, consisting of faculty, staff, students and administrative leadership from across the system. This group conducted a needs analysis, which informed a request for proposals that launched in late Spring of 2023.

During the summer of 2023, vendor proposals were scored by a team of IT professionals, LMS administrators, and faculty. From this process, two vendors (D2L and Instructure) were invited to move forward to a demonstration phase, where a 14 member panel scored the two finalists on the faculty and student experience, their administrative, IT and analytics capabilities, and course migration fidelity.  Additional factors that were evaluated at this stage were cost and company profiles.  At the end of this process, Instructure (Canvas), emerged with a clear consensus.

Canvas LMS, or Learning Management System, is a software platform from Instructure that helps universities and schools manage their courses, deliver content, facilitate communication, and track student progress. It's designed to enhance the teaching and learning experience.

Moving to a single vendor across Montana’s public colleges and universities will help lower ongoing licensing costs, provide smaller institutions access to new tools, like 24X7 support, and provide students an improved and more consistent experience across the Montana University System. Items of particular importance in selecting Canvas were its:

    • Ease of use, intuitiveness, and mobile friendliness
    • Strong analytics that are easily accessible to faculty
    • Canvas Commons, which enables easy sharing of content within and across institutions
    • Flexible interoperability with outside tools

The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) will provide funding for the transition, to include licensing and 24/7 support through at least Fall of 2026, training and certifications for key personnel, and “white glove” migration services for existing courses.

All Montana State University and University of Montana affiliated campuses will transition to the new LMS, with a target for transition to complete by Fall term 2025. Montana community college campuses may also be eligible to adopt the new LMS on an opt-in basis.

Campuses may start transitioning to the new LMS vendor as early as Spring 2024, with the transition complete by Fall term 2025. Campus implementation teams will determine the best timeline and transition plan over this two-year span for their campus.

The timeline for full implementation will vary by institution, but all system campuses will complete the transition by Fall semester of 2025. Check with your institution's administration for specific dates and details.

Yes. Each instance will use login credentials defined by the campus.  Single sign-on capabilities will continue to function and trust relationships will assist in allowing cross-campus collaborations.

Yes. Each institution will have an individual instance that is fully customizable to your needs.  Trust relationships between instances will allow for cross-campus partnerships and a single user interface for students and faculty.

Canvas is used by more than 3,000 universities, school districts, and institutions around the world. Many major universities are using Canvas, including Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California at Berkeley, and twelve out of the fourteen Big Ten universities.

Yes. Canvas allows users to personalize their profiles, notifications, and preferences to make the learning experience more tailored to your needs.

Yes. Canvas offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices, allowing you to access course materials, notifications, and assignments on the go.

The transition to Canvas is not expected to significantly impact the cost of education, as it is part of the institution's commitment to enhancing the learning experience.

Faculty FAQs

Instructors will have access to robust tools for creating and delivering content, better communication with students, streamlined grading, and advanced analytics to monitor student progress.

You can access Canvas through a web browser on any device with Internet access. Your institution will provide login information and guidance on how to access it.

During the transition, both systems may coexist for a period. However, your campus will phase out the previous LMS gradually.

Your institution's IT department and instructional designers, in conjunction with an outside vendor, will assist in transferring course content to Canvas. Most recent courses will be eligible for “white glove” service that will perform the bulk of this work. It is recommended to work closely with campus resources to ensure a smooth transition.

Institutions will work with the system office and Instructure to offer training sessions, workshops, and online resources to help instructors and students become proficient in using Canvas.

Instructure, OCHE, and your campus will provide support through help desks, online resources, and potentially dedicated support staff to assist with any issues or questions.  Please work with your institution to determine where support will be provided for your particular issue. 

Instructure, OCHE, and your campus will provide support through help desks, online resources, and potentially dedicated support staff to assist with any issues or questions.  Please work with your institution to determine where support will be provided for your particular issue.

In most cases, yes.  You will need to work with your campus IT professionals to ensure integrations are available and configured for Canvas.  Individual campuses are free to use whichever 3rd party tools they prefer, though certain software packages may be available at a discounted cost through partnerships with other system campuses or under an MUS contract. 

Instructors can use Canvas for grading, and students can access their grades and feedback through the platform.

Contact your institution's IT support or Canvas-specific help desk for assistance with any technical issues or questions related to Canvas.

Student FAQs

Students will benefit from Canvas with improved access to course materials, enhanced communication with instructors, and a user-friendly platform for submitting assignments and taking exams that is consistent across the MUS.

Canvas is designed with accessibility in mind and adheres to accessibility standards, making it usable for students with disabilities. Your institution may also provide additional support for such students.

Canvas is compliant with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the platform’s security was reviewed during the evaluation period.

Canvas provides easy-to-use tools for submitting assignments and taking exams. Your instructors will guide you on the specific procedures.

Yes. Canvas allows users to personalize their profiles, notifications, and preferences to make the learning experience more tailored to your needs.

Yes. Canvas offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices, allowing you to access course materials, notifications, and assignments on the go.

 

 

Last Updated: October 13, 2023