Canvas Use Guidelines permit content in Canvas that is directly tied to courses and programs in the academic catalog and other use cases with student interactions best met by a learning management system. Most previous Blackboard Organizations and non-term Blackboard courses which meet the use guidelines can now request a Canvas “Community” site. Read more about Canvas course types and request a Canvas Community site.
If you want to move an existing Blackboard Organization to Canvas, read more on the migration page. You can request an automated migration (when available) or use the manual method to move the Blackboard content into an existing Canvas course.
For uses that do not meet the use guidelines, below is a description of common use cases and a list of curated solutions offered at the University. Review the table below to learn more about each solution and information on how to request these services.
All content and activities will need to be transitioned from Blackboard Organizations by July 15, 2025. Read previous communications to Blackboard Organization leaders.
Solutions Matrix for Bb Orgs Transition
| Organization’s Purpose | Description | Target Audience | Solutions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collaboration (announcements, chats, virtual meetings, file sharing, etc.). | Means to disseminate and facilitate information sharing and collaboration with a project group or department. | Faculty, Students, Staff, External Users (Administrative, Working Groups, Project Teams) | MS Teams, SharePoint Document Libraries |
| Content Storage for Websites | Repository for public files for Drupal or other existing websites using Bb Orgs. | All Users, External Users | WebDocs Solution |
| Document Repository | Storage space for group/private shared files | All Users, External Users | OneDrive, MS Teams, Kaltura (Media), SharePoint Document Libraries |
| Non-Academic Courses (inc., summer camps, Institute Programming, Continuing Education, Professional Development) | Delivery of content/training that could result in a certificate or badging | All Users, External Users | Canvas Catalog*, Continuing and Professional Education |
| Staff Training | Training/content related to administrative purposes (compliance, etc.) targeting only staff and/or faculty | Faculty, Staff | MasonLEAPS |
| Student Training | Training for students that requires tracking completion | Enrolled Students | Canvas Community Course |
| Student Orientations | Welcome information for new students | Enrolled Students | Canvas Community or Major/Degree Course |
| Student Organizations | Student clubs | Enrolled Students | Mason360 |
| Student Communication by Major | Department communication and information for declared student majors | Enrolled Students | Canvas Major/Degree Course |
| Instructional Content Repository (Shared) | Storing course content, such as quizzes, shared content, or modules | Faculty, Staff | Canvas Development Course or Canvas Commons |
| Student Information and Guides | Provide resources and information incl. registration, program details and academic forms to students, and student groups | Enrolled Students | Department Website, Canvas Major/Degree Course |
| Student Placement Tests, Assessments | Required pre-tests, placement tests, need to identify student with responses | Enrolled Students | Canvas Community or Major/Degree Course |
* Canvas Catalog is a registration system to enroll non-Mason users into a course. Start by completing the Open Catalog LMS Request form (choose Canvas > Canvas Open Catalog).