Karen Colley Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs | University Of Illinois At Chicago
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is moving forward with its transition from the Blackboard learning management system to Canvas, a process first announced in April. Early adopters began using Canvas in August to develop courses for the spring 2026 semester.
Starting September 30, all faculty will be able to access Canvas using their NetID and password. Upon logging in, they will have access to a sandbox environment for course building and can participate in “how to” courses provided by Learning Technology Solutions.
Learning Technology Solutions staff are available to help faculty set up preparation sites, transfer content from Blackboard to Canvas, and provide other necessary support. Faculty interested in early adoption or those wishing to build or restructure courses independently are encouraged to submit a ticket to Learning Technology Solutions.
A dedicated transition webpage has been created as a central resource. It offers an updated timeline for the transition, self-paced training modules for faculty, recordings of training sessions, town hall events, and additional resources that will be expanded throughout the process.
On October 1, the official transition will begin with several colleges: Graduate College, Honors College, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (with individual departments notified as transitions start), College of Nursing, Jane Addams College of Social Work, and College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.
Other units—including the School of Law, School of Public Health, Retzky College of Pharmacy, College of Business Administration, College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, and Extended Campus—will follow their own timelines with support from instructional designers and planning teams. Colleges without dedicated support should consult the transition webpage for information on when they will be contacted by Learning Technology Solutions.
“We truly appreciate your ongoing support and collaboration in this effort to create an enhanced and more effective learning environment for our entire UIC community,” wrote Karen J. Colley, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and Matt Riley, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief Information Officer.
Faculty or staff with questions are directed to contact Learning Technology Solutions at lts@uic.edu.