11/17/2025
By Donna Mellen and Patrick Connell
Learning Management System (LMS) Course development for winter and spring 2026 is now open.
Faculty must add content to begin building their courses in preparation for the upcoming terms. As part of the university’s transition to our new LMS, we’ve provided guidance for both Blackboard and Canvas users.
Empty course shells are automatically created and made available for all traditional winter and spring 2026 courses.
Canvas Instructions (for Manning School of Business, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Kennedy College of Sciences (KCS) faculty):
Please follow the instructions below to add content and upload a syllabus to promote student success.
Instructions for course development:
- Copy an existing Canvas course or migrated Blackboard content into your blank Canvas course.
- Faculty can also select materials from an existing Canvas course to a blank Canvas course.
- How to merge your Canvas courses (optional – not available for fully online courses)
Non-traditional courses: competency, dissertation, independent study, internship and thesis courses are automatically created but not made available. If you would like to use and develop your course, please follow the steps above and change the Course Status from Unpublished to Published.
Blackboard Instructions (for Francis College of Engineering faculty):
Please follow the instructions below to add content and upload a syllabus to promote student success.
On-campus (undergraduate) courses:
Please go to the Blackboard Course Management website for Blackboard Course Setup to:
- Copy content from a previous semester or add a blank template to begin. Follow the steps to make a content request. (required)
- Merge your courses (optional)
Graduate, Online and Professional Studies (GPS) (graduate, online, combined grad/undergrad) courses:
- Online instructors must copy content from a previous semester to begin developing your course. Follow the steps to copy an existing course into an empty course. (required)
- Those teaching on campus can either copy an existing course into an empty course or start adding content to an empty Blackboard course.
- Merge sections - not available for fully online courses (Blackboard Course Setup)
Non-traditional courses: competency, dissertation, independent study, internship and thesis courses are automatically created but not made available. You can make your non-traditional course available on the Blackboard Course Management website.
How can you get help? Email or call us, we’re waiting to hear from you!
KCS faculty can register now for optional Canvas workshops and drop-in sessions. Workshops are offered from October - December and will be offered for a second time in January – February. Faculty and Teaching Assistants from ZCHS, Manning, and FAHSS are welcome to attend as a refresher!
On-campus (undergraduate) courses:
Phone: 978-934-4357, 24-hour assistance
Email: bbhelp@uml.edu or canhelp@uml.edu (select one, answered during business hours)
Graduate, Online and Professional Studies (GPS) (graduate, online, combined grad/undergrad) courses:
Phone: 800-480-3190, 24-hour assistance
Email: onlinelearning@uml.edu (answered during business hours)
Please reach out if you have any questions.