Submitted by: Jennifer Brewer, jbrewer1@uca.edu on 10/07/2025
Exciting News: UCA Is Moving to D2L Brightspace!
We’re thrilled to announce that the UCA Board of Trustees has officially approved D2L Brightspace as our new learning management system (LMS)! Pending final approval by the Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) later this month, the transition from Blackboard to Brightspace will begin soon.
This move is an important and necessary step forward—Blackboard Learn Original will no longer be available after June 30, 2026. That means all Summer 2026 and future courses will take place in D2L Brightspace.
How We Got Here
The Teaching Technology Advisory Committee (TTAC)—made up of faculty from every college, Torreyson Library, and the Graduate School, along with staff from IT and the Office of Accessibility Resources—led a year-long, faculty-driven review of major LMS platforms. After testing, demonstrations, and campus feedback, D2L Brightspace was chosen for its modern design, intuitive tools, and innovative teaching features.
What’s Next
Once ALC approval is finalized, CETAL and IT will share detailed timelines for training, migration, and support. Faculty will have many opportunities to learn the new system and move their courses over well before Blackboard access ends.
Training will take place throughout Spring 2026, with course migration continuing through Summer 2026.
Questions? Please reach out to Dr. Amy Hawkins at aamy@uca.edu.
Thank You
We appreciate the incredible work of TTAC, CETAL, and IT, and the thoughtful feedback from faculty and staff across campus. Together, we’re launching a new chapter of teaching and learning at UCA with D2L Brightspace!