Exciting News for 2022:
Move to a New Digital Learning Environment

SUNY has chosen the D2L Brightspace platform as the new Digital Learning Environment (DLE) for all SUNY campuses. This decision is the result of a multi-year, industry-wide search that will replace the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) that was used by most SUNY campuses.

We're excited about this acquisition of a modern platform which will be a considerable improvement over our current system and will enhance online content in all course modalities! Additionally, the move to a standard platform across all campuses will improve training and support opportunities, and will make it easier for our campus to bring our online course offerings into the SUNY Online market.

This message is just the start of an information campaign to keep New Paltz campus community members aware of these coming changes. As campus representatives are made aware of new information - including specific features offered by the platform, migration timelines, and ongoing training opportunities - we will continue to make sure everyone is up-to-date!

Migration Information

Migration of Blackboard content will be facilitated through our current Blackboard hosts (SUNY ITEC), so faculty will not be responsible for transferring any content.
Migration timelines are still tentative, but the current proposal is to have most campuses pilot D2L in Summer 2022 and to have a full-campus launch in Fall 2022.

Upcoming Webinar:
Introduction to D2L's Brightspace

SUNY is sponsoring an introductory webinar on the value-add and functionality of Brightspace. This session will include a high-level overview of SUNY's plans for training. To streamline the session, questions can be submitted to a Google form ahead of time.

October 28, 2021 from 1:00pm - 2:15pm

Registration Required: please register for the event here

In the event that the session fills, more opportunities will be announced. Recordings of sessions will also be available.

SUNY DLE Progress Portal

SUNY has launched a DLE Progress Portal website where updates are being posted about the migration to the new system. You can access this portal with your campus username and password to view the following:

An introduction page that contextualizes the reasons the SUNY system is moving to a new platform.
A progress section that provides a timeline of the history of the process so far (implementation timeline is coming soon!).
An FAQ page that will answer many common questions.
A "Contact Us" section if you would like to send feedback to the SUNY team.

Please bookmark this page and check back regularly to see all future updates!

Next Steps

Important: Blackboard will remain the official New Paltz LMS until the migration to the new system is complete. Until such time, Blackboard will be fully supported by ITS and general training will continue through the Office of Instructional Technology.
Continuing to refine your Blackboard courses and your course design skills during this time will improve your migration experience and will foster your ability to learn the new D2L system. A great place to start is by cleaning up and refreshing your existing courses.
Our online/hybrid faculty development process will be suspended until after the migration is complete (development is expected to resume in Fall 2022, though this date may change as migration timelines are released by SUNY). Uncertified faculty looking to teach online in the next year may apply for Provisional Certification.

Two Ways to Provide Feedback

Currently, the best way to provide feedback or ask questions is to use the "Contact Us" section of the SUNY DLE Progress Portal website. This will put you in touch with the SUNY transition team.

However, the New Paltz Office of Instructional Technology is always interested in your input! If you would also like to reach out locally to let us know your thoughts, please submit a Blackboard Support Ticket and choose "Provide Feedback on the 2022 migration to the new Digital Learning Environment" as your support category.