UB Learns Advisory Committee

From July 2021 to Sept. 2023, the LMS Migration Executive Committee oversaw the migration from Blackboard to Brightspace as our new campus LMS.

• Beth Corry, Associate Vice President & Controller
• J. Brice Bible, Vice President and Chief Information Officer
• Graham Hammill, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and the Dean of the Graduate School
• Evviva Lajoi, Vice Provost, University Libraries
• Carol Van Zile-Tamsen, Associate Vice Provost, Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation
• Ann Bisantz, Dean of Undergraduate Education, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering
  
• Jessica Kruger, Director, Teaching Innovation and Excellence, School of Public Health and Health Professions 
  Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Community Health & Health Behavior
• Kelly Kenline, Assistant Vice President, IT Portfolio Management

*Valerie Nesset, Associate Professor, Information Science, also served on this committee until her retirement in 2022.

The Executive Committee consists of leaders of the three sponsoring units for the LMS Review, Academic Affairs, UBIT and University Libraries, along with a representative of University Business Services and the co-chairs of the LMS Review Committee.

The LMS Implementation Advisory Committee provided advice and guidance on major decisions made throughout the implementation of Brightspace to ensure consistency with UB's strategic goals and Top 25 ambitions. 

At the end of 2022, the contract with the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) ended. Before entering into a new contract with Blackboard, UB engaged in a review of two additional popular systems, Brightspace D2L and Canvas. The goal of this review was to identify the full spectrum of needs for an LMS across campus constituencies, identify the system(s) that best meet these needs, and recommend to campus decision-makers the LMS that should be adopted.  

• Beth Corry, Associate Vice President & Controller
• J. Brice Bible, Vice President and Chief Information Officer
• Graham Hammill, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and the Dean of the Graduate School
• Evviva Lajoi, Vice Provost, University Libraries
• Carol Van Zile-Tamsen, Associate Vice Provost, Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation

*Valerie Nesset, Associate Professor, Information Science, also served on this committee until her retirement in 2022.

The steering committee consisted of leaders of the three sponsoring units for the LMS Review, Academic Affairs, UBIT and University Libraries, along with a representative of University Business Services and the co-chairs of the LMS Review Committee.

From July 2021 to April 2022, this committee oversaw the review process culminating in our university's ultimate selection of Brightspace by D2L. We thank the members listed below for their service to this important initiative.

The LMS Review Committee is charged with evaluating learning management systems for possible implementation. As the LMS significantly effects teaching and learning across the campus, in the evaluation process the committee should consult meaningfully with a broad range of constituents, engaging the breadth of faculty and student experiences. In its evaluation, the committee should recommend features that an LMS should include to best serve faculty and student needs. 

• Create a rubric for evaluating LMS products, including but not limited to specifications that can be used as part of the RFP process. The rubric should include an evaluation of the surrounding developer/development community and its ability to enhance the teaching and learning experience at UB. The rubric should attend to any social or racial inequities that might be manifested in the LMS environment.
• Develop and implement a process for receiving input from campus constituents that reflects a broad range of faculty and student experiences, as well as insights from IT specialists and instructional designers.
• Based on the rubric and processes developed above, evaluate potential learning management systems and provide a recommendation for the future direction of UB’s LMS.
• Develop an implementation timeline based on the committee’s recommendation. Make sure to include all aspects of implementation (e.g., technology, communications, faculty training, etc.).