The University of Richmond announced via email Feb. 6 that it will transition from its current learning management system, Blackboard, to Canvas. The new system will roll out in spring 2026 and fully replace the current platform by spring 2027.
The change follows Anthology’s, Blackboard’s parent company, decision to discontinue Blackboard Learn, the platform Richmond has used for more than 20 years. UR administrators say the shift is about more than necessity.
“The main reason there was a call to action here was because Blackboard was being sunset,” Andrew Bell, associate director of digital pedagogy and research at the Faculty Hub, said. “But we’ve been using the same version of Blackboard for over 20 years. If you think about the technology you use every day, pretty few of them are 20 years old.”…