Canvas updates for OHIO faculty for spring 2025: Help students prepare for success

This spring semester, Ohio University will continue its transition to Canvas as our new learning management system (LMS).

Although almost all programs will be taught using Canvas this semester, some students may still have courses in multiple systems due to the phased implementation timeline. To ensure students know which platform their courses are using, the University recommends all instructors: 

• Publish course(s) in only one LMS.  
• Communicate with students about the LMS. Send them an email including the URL to the LMS the course(s) will use. 

For more information about preparing courses and communicating with students about the LMS, see the Office of Information Technology’s semester start guidance.

Please note, Canvas transition timelines have been confirmed by leadership in each college. Instructors must follow the guidance provided by their colleges regarding which LMS platform to use for spring semester courses. 

Get Canvas help 

Canvas will be hosting virtual office hours at select times throughout January. Instructors can work with expert Canvas consultants to answer their questions and work on their courses in real-time. To learn more or add these to your calendar, visit the Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment’s CTLA’s event registration webpage and search “Canvas.” 

What’s next: Blackboard retirement 

Additionally, spring semester is a great time for OHIO instructors to start reviewing their Blackboard course content in preparation for its retirement in June 2026.

• To view courses, select “Courses” in the left global navigation menu in Blackboard.  
• Decide what to do with content in Blackboard. It could be migrated to Canvas, saved to personal files, or deleted.  

If you have questions about this, contact the Office of Information Technology at servicedesk@ohio.edu. Please note, OHIO will only save PeopleSoft-generated courses with student data after Blackboard has been deactivated; if OHIO instructors need any other content (for example, manually created courses, organizations, etc.), they will need to save it before June 2026. 

For more information about Canvas or Blackboard, visit the Canvas Faculty Hub.