Ithaca College

Information Technology, in partnership with the Provost Office and stakeholders from across the college, will be leading a review of alternative learning management systems (LMS) this fall, with the goal to replace Sakai, our current LMS, next summer.

We believe that it is the right time to look for a new LMS.  Even if we don't replace Sakai, the current version needs to be upgraded by next summer.  Feedback indicates mixed satisfaction with Sakai.  Sakai’s market share is diminishing, and as such, many of the tools that faculty and students wish to use are not as fully supported (or support is delayed as compared to other more popular LMS platforms).  A robust modern LMS is a critical tool for our faculty and students.

We will be convening an LMS Selection Advisory Committee to oversee the review and selection process.  The committee will be comprised of faculty representatives from each of the 5 schools, student representatives appointed by Student Government Council, an associate dean, and associate provosts.  Support and technical guidance will be provided by staff from Information Technology and other offices across the college.  The taskforce will be co-chaired by a faculty member and IT.  In addition to the Advisory Committee we expect to have several action groups focusing on faculty, student, and technical aspects of the LMS.  There will also be open sessions for the campus community at various points during this process.

Our goal is to have the LMS selection process completed by the end of November.  This will allow for implementation to occur during the spring semester, with the hope that we will be able to have a few pilot courses in the new system during that time.  Migration for all courses will occur during the summer of 2021, with Sakai turned off by the start of the fall 2021 semester.

More information about ways to participate in presentations and other working groups will be shared in the weeks ahead from the LMS Selection Advisory Committee.  Having a comprehensive, modern learning management system will provide new tools and opportunities to further enhance the educational experiences for our students.

Thank you.

David Weil
Associate Vice President for Information Technology
dweil@ithaca.edu