Frequently Asked Questions
Logos for the University of Maine System and each of the the seven campuses as well as the Maine Law school. University of Maine, Augusta, Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias, Presque Isle, and Southern Maine.

Why are we conducting an RFP for a Learning Management System?

    • The Learning Management System (LMS) vendor marketplace is continually evolving, as are the needs and expectations of faculty, staff and students. It has been a long time since there has been a comprehensive review of LMS requirements and a discussion of whether Blackboard is the right platform to support the One University strategic priority as identified by the Board of Trustees. Therefore, over the coming months, the Educational Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) will lead a system-wide effort to collect feedback from stakeholders to prepare a full RFP to acquire a best-fit LMS for the University of Maine System in order to meet current and future needs.

Who will be deciding which features should be sought in the next Learning Management System?

    • Beginning January 2019 and at multiple times throughout the process, members and campus representatives from the Educational Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) will be surveying and meeting with University faculty, students and staff in order to understand current challenges as well as use cases and desired features in a modern LMS. The schedule for these sessions will be posted on this site and announced via email to each campus community. The feedback gathered from these surveys and listening sessions will inform the development of a formal Request for Proposals to solicit bids from the leading vendors in the LMS space. Vendor demos will be open to all interested participants and feedback from stakeholders will be solicited following each demo. The process is designed to be inclusive to allow all stakeholders - students, faculty, staff - to lend their voice in selecting the next LMS for the University of Maine System.

What will happen to the content that is in my current courses in the Blackboard LMS?

    • While no decision has been made regarding which LMS will serve the University of Maine in the future, during the RFP process, we fully expect to prioritize the ability of a new LMS vendor to provide a solid framework or toolset to streamline the conversion and migration of course content into the new environment. Once the new LMS has been selected, US:IT will coordinate with local campus resources to develop a process for migration of course content along with training collateral. It is important to note we fully expect to extend our current licensing for Blackboard Learn to allow for a reasonable transition period.

What is the timeline for the Learning Management System RFP?

    • Following the surveys and listening sessions outlined above, the Educational Technology Advisory Committee (ETAC) will utilize the collected feedback to develop and release the RFP in March 2019. This will be followed by the evaluation of bids/responses from vendors beginning in April 2019. Vendor demos are anticipated to commence in April and proceed through May 2019. Formal feedback collection from stakeholders will occur following each vendor demo and this information will be used to select a best-fit LMS. We anticipate a final decision to be announced in the summer, at which point planning will begin to convert courses, provide training, and migrate to the new platform before the fall semester of 2020. Please refer to the Process page for additional details and a mapped timeline.

How may I get involved?

    • With the LMS being a core technology used across the state, this is an important and strategic undertaking. ETAC will remain engaged with Chief Academic Officers and welcomes input from stakeholders throughout the process. ETAC consists of members from all the campuses and you are welcome to consult with your campus representative directly. Please take advantage of completing the LMS Specifications survey which will be available on this site shortly. Additional listening sessions will be scheduled on your campus and will be posted on this site as well.

What if I have a question that is not addressed here?

    • Feel free to add your question by submitting a comment in the panel below. A member of ETAC will respond to your inquiry directly and may incorporate the questions into this FAQ for the benefit of others.